A cheaper apartment farther out only saves money if the rent gap is bigger than what the longer commute costs you in fares and time. This calculator adds three things for each apartment: rent, what you will pay to get to work, and an hourly value for the time you spend in transit. The lower total is the better deal on paper.
2026 NYC commuting costs
- Subway and local bus fare
- $3.00
- Since Jan 4, 2026
- OMNY weekly cap (subway + local bus)
- $35
- Per 7 days from your first tap
- Express bus fare / weekly cap
- $7.25 / $67
- Cap includes subway and local bus
- Congestion toll (car, E-ZPass, peak)
- $9
- Charged once per day
How the calculation works
- Subway and local bus: rides per week (two per commute day plus your other trips) × $3, capped at $35 per 7 days. We convert to a month with 52 ÷ 12 ≈ 4.33 weeks.
- Express bus: express rides at $7.25 plus local rides at $3, capped at $67 per 7 days.
- LIRR or Metro-North: the monthly ticket for your zone pair, plus your other subway rides. The calculator keeps the rail ticket separate from the OMNY cap.
- Ferry: your fare per ride × commute rides, plus other subway rides.
- Car: your own monthly parking, gas and insurance figure plus tolls per commute day.
- Time: 2 × one-way minutes ÷ 60 × commute days × your value of time. The default is 50% of your hourly wage (salary ÷ 2,080 hours), which mirrors how the US Department of Transportation values local personal travel time.
The break-even line answers the real question: how much cheaper does the farther apartment need to be before the longer commute is worth it? It is the extra transit cost plus the extra time cost of that option.
Worked example
You earn $85,000 and commute five days a week, with two other subway rides a week. Apartment A rents for $3,400 and is 20 minutes from work. Apartment B rents for $2,600 and is 55 minutes away. Both are subway commutes.
| Cost | A (20 min) | B (55 min) |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $3,400 | $2,600 |
| Transit (12 rides a week, hits the $35 cap) | $152 | $152 |
| Time at $20.43/hr (half of $40.87) | $295 | $812 |
| True monthly cost | $3,847 | $3,563 |
| Hours commuting a year | 173 | 477 |
B still wins by about $283 a month, because the $800 rent gap is larger than the $517 value of the extra 35 minutes each way. If B were only $500 cheaper, A would win. Set the value of time to 0% and B wins by the full $800, since fares are the same.
Things the calculator cannot see
- The cap is a rolling 7 days from your first tap, and only counts if you tap the same card or phone every time. Mixing cards or using group trips can push you past $35.
- Hybrid schedules change the math a lot. At two days a week you may never hit the cap, and the time cost shrinks. Enter your real number of office days.
- Fares change. NYC Ferry lists $4.50 a ride today, and a $5.00 fare (and a $30 10-trip pass) has been approved from October 19, 2026. Rail fares depend on your exact stations, so check the MTA fare table for your zone pair.
- Reduced fares: seniors and riders with qualifying disabilities pay half fare, with a $17.50 weekly cap. This calculator uses full fares, so halve the subway transit line if that applies to you.
Next steps
See what rent your income supports with the after-tax rent budget calculator, compare boroughs with the borough cost of living calculator, and if a listing advertises free months, convert it with the net effective rent calculator.