Cash cost versus the IRS mileage line
Fuel used is annual distance divided by fuel economy. In the U.S. that is miles and miles per gallon. In Canada and the rest of the metric list that is kilometres and litres per 100 km. Parking and tolls are per office day, then multiplied the same way. Add those three cash pieces. That is the main number.
The IRS optional business mileage rate is 76 cents a mile from July 1, 2026 (Announcement 2026-11). From January 1 through June 30, 2026 it was 72.5 cents. Jobert shows the July rate as a benchmark only on U.S. gallon setups. Many employees cannot deduct unreimbursed commute miles.
Pump prices are baked from public tables, not a paid station API. U.S. states use EIA weekly regular gasoline for the week of the snapshot. If EIA has no weekly series for that state, the form uses the PADD regional average and says so. Canadian cities use Statistics Canada monthly self-serve prices. You can type over any of those defaults. The form does not add wear, insurance, or the value of your time.
Worked examples on this page
Hybrid schedules change the total more than a two-mile difference in the drive. Parking often dwarfs fuel. The first row uses $3.50 a gallon so you can see the parking effect. The second row uses the baked EIA California weekly price. The third row is metric.
| Setup | Distance / year | Fuel | Parking + tolls | Cash total | IRS 76¢ line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. hybrid, 28-mile round trip, $3.50/gal, paid parking | 4,032 miles | $504.00 | $2,592.00 | $3,096 | $3,064 |
| California EIA week price, same hybrid drive | 4,032 miles | $839.09 | $2,592.00 | $3,431 | $3,064 |
| Toronto, 45 km round trip, StatCan pump, paid parking | 6,480 km | CA$926.98 | CA$2,880.00 | CA$3,807 | n/a |
How this fits the other two pages
Take-home pay tells you what hits the bank. Commute cost tells you what leaves the bank to show up. Subtract this cash total from the monthly net on take-home pay if you want a rough leftover, knowing neither page is a budget app.
A city with a lower BEA index can still be expensive once parking is $18 a day. Run cost of living for the salary ratio, then this page for the drive. They are not the same index.