Long Commute vs Close House Calculator NZ

This calculator weighs up one of the most common housing trade-offs in New Zealand: buying a cheaper house further from work and wearing a long commute, against paying more for a house close in. The price gap between the fringe and the inner suburbs can be enormous, and a big saving is tempting, but the commute that comes with it is a real cost paid every working day for years, in petrol or fares and in hours of your life on the road. This tool puts both sides in the same units so you can compare them honestly. You enter how much cheaper the further-out house is, the extra daily commute cost, the extra daily commute time, a value for your time, how many days a week you commute, and how many years you expect to live there. The calculator works out the total extra money the commute costs over those years, the value of the time it eats, and sets the combined figure against the price saving to show which option leaves you better off and by how much. A large enough saving can outweigh a long commute, while a modest saving often does not once your time is counted. Adjust the value of time to match how much your hours are worth to you. Figures are estimates only, not advice.

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Cheaper house further out: about $82,800 ahead
price saving minus the commute cost over the years
Commute money cost$25,200
Commute time cost$42,000
Total commute cost$67,200

Assumes about 48 commuting weeks a year. Time cost depends on the value you place on your hours. Estimate only, not advice.

How it works

Commuting days a year are your days per week times 48 weeks. The money cost is the extra daily commute cost times those days times the years. The time cost is the extra daily minutes turned into hours, times your value of time, times the days and years. The total commute cost is the money plus the time cost, and the calculator subtracts it from the house price saving to show which option wins.

Worked example

A 150,000 dollar saving, 15 dollars and 60 minutes extra a day, time valued at 25 dollars an hour, 5 days a week for 7 years gives about 25,200 dollars of money cost and 42,000 dollars of time cost, 67,200 dollars in total. The cheaper house is still about 82,800 dollars ahead.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a cheaper house further out worth the commute?

It depends on how big the price saving is and how much the extra commute costs you in money and time over the years you live there. A large saving can easily outweigh the commute; a small one may not, especially once you value your time.

Should I count my time as a cost?

Yes, if the commute eats hours you would otherwise value. Putting a dollar figure on your time, even a modest one, captures the real trade-off, because two extra hours a day on the road is a genuine cost beyond the petrol.

What commute costs should I include?

The extra fuel or public transport fares, any tolls or parking, and added wear on the car, all on top of what you would spend living closer. This tool focuses on the difference between the two locations.