# Is cheaper rent worth a longer commute?

**$44** saved for every extra hour you travel

Living farther out saves $1,010 a month and costs you 23 hours of travel.

- Rent saved**$1,010 a month**
- Commute cost from farther out**$0 a month**
- Extra travel**23 hours a month**
- Extra travel over 12 months**277 hoursHow it’s calculated**

The extra travel is the difference between the two one-way trips, doubled, times your round trips a week, over an average month of 4.3 weeks.

The saving is the rent difference minus what the longer commute costs you each month. Dividing it by the extra hours gives what each hour of travel saves.

**Sources 2 sources**

- [Field Guide: rent and commute by UT neighborhood](https://utaustin.guide/research/texas/ut-neighborhood-rent-and-commute)
- [Field Guide: walk time against rent](https://utaustin.guide/research/texas/walk-vs-rent)

[Rent and commute by neighborhood](https://utaustin.guide/research/texas/ut-neighborhood-rent-and-commute)[UT shuttle and bus routes](https://utaustin.guide/ut/buses)[Apartments on the map](https://utaustin.guide/housing/map)

By [Sulayman Bowles](https://sulayman-bowles.dev/about) · Checked Nov 12, 2026

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Source: https://utaustin.guide/tools/rent-vs-commute · Checked 2026-11-12 · Field Guide: UT Austin