CommuteWorth
en

Return to office cost calculator

Being asked back to the office? Enter your pay and commute to see what a return to office really costs you each year — in money and in hours.

Your job

1Pay and schedule

Pay type
$

Optional — defaults to 8 hours

52 minus your vacation weeks

2Commute details

minutes

Optional — for hybrid or remote work; defaults to your workdays

$

Fuel, fare, or rideshare cost per one-way trip

Transportation type

Your effective hourly pay

—

Enter your pay and one-way commute time to see your result.

Yearly commute cost

—

Days commuting

—

Where your working time goes

Paid work —Commuting —

—

Break-even raise

—

That is the yearly travel cost plus the value of the unpaid time you spend commuting.

Detailed breakdown

Daily commute cost—
Monthly commute cost—
Yearly commute cost—
Commute time per year—
Pay before commute—
Pay after travel costs—
Income spent commuting—

Hourly pay uses 8 working hours per day.

What a return to office costs you

When remote work ends, the commute comes back — and with it fuel or fares, parking, tolls and hours of unpaid travel. For many people this works like a pay cut, even though the salary stays the same.

This calculator shows the yearly cost of going back, the hours you will spend travelling, and how much your real hourly pay drops compared with working from home.

How to work out your RTO cost

Enter your details as they will be once you return:

  • Your current salary or hourly wage.
  • The one-way travel time and how you will travel.
  • The cost of a one-way trip, plus parking or tolls.
  • The number of office days your employer asks for.

Use the numbers in your conversation

The break-even raise shows how much more you would need to earn for the return to office to leave you no worse off. It is a clear, simple figure to share when discussing a raise, a travel allowance or keeping some remote days.

More commute calculators

Commute cost calculator FAQ

How much does returning to the office cost?
It depends on your trip, but add your yearly travel costs to the value of your yearly travel time. The calculator shows both in seconds.
Is a return to office like a pay cut?
Often, yes. Your salary stays the same while your costs and unpaid hours go up, so your effective hourly pay goes down.
What if I only go back a few days a week?
Enter the number of office days in “Days you commute per week” and every figure adjusts to your schedule.