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Commuting cost calculator

Work out what your commute really costs – per day, month and year, by car, electric car and public transport. With a separate tax orientation section.

Your commute

The one-way distance only. The calculator adds the return trip itself.

Only days on which you actually travel to the workplace count.

Means of transport and costs

Real consumption is usually above the WLTP figure.

Include wear cost per kilometre

A freely chosen guide value for tyres, servicing and repairs. There is no official standard figure.

Travel time per leg (minutes)

Everything you enter stays in your browser.

How the calculator works

  • Annual kilometres = one-way distance × 2 × commuting days. Fuel = annual kilometres × consumption ÷ 100. For an electric car the result is additionally divided by (1 − charging loss).
  • Only actual commuting days count. Holiday, sickness and home office reduce the number because no trip takes place on those days.
  • Consumption, prices, parking fees and travel times are your entries. They vary with tariff, region, driving style and traffic and are not claimed to be current here.
  • Commuting time is travel time per leg times two times commuting days. Waiting times and searching for parking are not included.
  • Purchase, insurance, vehicle tax and depreciation are not included unless you enter them yourself. The calculator compares the cost of the commute, not the full cost of a car.
Worked example

25 km one way, 220 commuting days, 7 l/100 km at €1.80/l, €5 parking per commuting day: 11,000 km per year, 770 l of fuel for €1,386.00, parking €1,100.00, together €2,486.00 per year or €11.30 per commuting day. The claimable commuting allowance would be €2,090.00.

Tax orientation

This section is separate from the result. It shows only the amount you could claim as a commuting allowance – not a tax saving.

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  • The allowance is capped at €4,500 per calendar year unless you use your own or a provided vehicle. With your own or a company car the cap does not apply.
  • The standard employee allowance of €1,230 per year must be exceeded for this to have any effect.
  • Home office days additionally qualify for a flat €6 per day, up to €1,260 per year (§ 4 (5) sentence 1 no. 6c EStG).
  • How much reaches you depends on your marginal tax rate and your other employee expenses. The calculator therefore states only the claimable amount.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the commuting allowance change?

On 1 January 2026 the previous tiers were abolished. Since then a uniform €0.38 per commuting kilometre applies from the first kilometre. The calculator therefore lets you choose the assessment period.

Is the tax amount paid out to me?

No. It is a claimable amount, not a payout. It reduces your taxable income only if you are above the standard employee allowance of €1,230, and the effect depends on your marginal tax rate.

Do home office days count as commuting days?

No. Only days on which you actually travel to your first place of work count. Home office days instead qualify for the flat €6 per day, up to €1,260 per year.

Is the car always cheaper than public transport?

No. It depends on distance, consumption, parking fees and the ticket price. For short distances with expensive parking, public transport may be much cheaper, and for long distances with a cheap ticket as well. The calculator puts both totals side by side.

Where the defaults and legal positions come from

The values are dated and are not updated automatically. Check them and replace them with your own figures.

  • Commuting allowance €0.38 from the first kilometre for the 2026 assessment period: § 9 (1) sentence 3 no. 4 EStG, legal text retrieved 27 Sep 2026. The tiered €0.30 up to kilometre 20 and €0.38 from kilometre 21 applies to the 2025 assessment period.
  • Germany ticket €63.00 per month since January 2026 (Federal Government, as of 1 May 2026). The price is politically contested and set anew each year.
  • Monthly public transport passes: €71.40 to €140.50, average €103.33 across 25 major cities (ADAC study, published 17 Mar 2026). This is a sample, not official federal statistics.
  • Real fuel consumption 7.0 l/100 km: ifeu/KBA 2023 plus the real 14 % gap (ICCT). The fuel price of €1.80/l is a deliberately round example value; ADAC daily values of 22 Sep 2026: E10 €2.267/l, diesel €2.428/l.

Disclaimer

All information is provided without guarantee. The results of this calculator are a non-binding estimate and serve for guidance only. We accept no liability for incorrect, incomplete or wrongly transmitted input, or for the results calculated from it. Terms of Use