Why is driving more expensive than just gas?

Gas is only part of the cost. The IRS standard mileage rate captures depreciation, maintenance, tyres, and insurance per mile. Adding parking, which in San Jose runs near $175 a month for a garage, often makes driving cost far more than a transit pass.

What does the VTA pass cost in San Jose?

A standard VTA monthly adult pass is around $105, which is the default in this tool. Discounted passes exist for students, seniors, and low-income riders, so adjust the field to your actual fare.

How is the per-mile driving cost figured?

Fuel cost is your round-trip miles divided by MPG, multiplied by the gas price. On top of that, a per-mile wear allowance (the IRS-style rate) covers depreciation and upkeep. Both scale with your monthly mileage.

Does this include the value of my time?

No. This compares out-of-pocket money only. If your commute by transit takes longer or shorter than driving, value that time separately at your own hourly rate and add it to whichever option is slower.

Why use round-trip miles?

Your stated distance is one-way, so the tool doubles it for the daily round trip before multiplying by your commute days. This is what actually drives both your fuel burn and your vehicle wear each month.

San Jose Commute Cost Calculator

Most people compare commute options on gas price alone, which badly understates the cost of driving. This calculator puts a San Jose car commute on equal footing with a VTA transit pass by adding parking and the full per-mile cost of running a vehicle.

How it works

The monthly driving cost combines fuel, per-mile vehicle wear, and parking:

round-trip miles = one-way miles × 2 × commute days
fuel        = (round-trip miles / mpg) × gas price
wear        = round-trip miles × IRS per-mile rate
driving     = fuel + wear + monthly parking
transit     = VTA monthly pass price

The IRS standard mileage rate is used as the per-mile wear figure because it bundles depreciation, maintenance, insurance, and tyres into one number that reflects the true cost of putting miles on a car.

Example and tips

A 15-mile one-way commute, 22 days a month, at 28 MPG and a $4.50 gas price with $175 garage parking comes to roughly $355 a month to drive, against a $105 VTA pass — transit wins clearly. The result flips only for short commutes with free parking. If you carpool, split the parking and fuel figures by the number of riders to see your real share.