Petrol, parking, fares and the hours themselves, turned into what the trip costs you a year, and what the job would need to pay to make up for it.
jobtracker.co.nz/commuteExample
$7,207
a year to get to work, all in
Running costs over 9,200km and parking$3,404
230 hours, valued at $16.53/hr (half your $33.07)$3,803
True cost$7,207
This job really pays like $87,793. To beat a job with no commute, it would need to pay about $102,207.
Really pays like $87,793Running costs and parking $3,404Your time $3,803Salary $95,000
An invented $95,000 job: a petrol car, 20km and 30 minutes each way, five days a week, your time valued at half your hourly rate. Put your own in below.
The job
Some people read or switch off on the bus. Some lose the time entirely. Set it honestly.
The commute
Running cost only is the extra you actually spend on the drive, from Inland Revenue's Tier 2 kilometre rate. Full cost of ownership uses the Tier 1 rate, which also includes the fixed costs of owning the car.
Two jobs to compare? Work out each one here, then put the salaries side by side after tax in the Offer Comparer. jobtracker.co.nz does this across every job you are chasing, with the full after-tax breakdown on each.
Vehicle costs use Inland Revenue's kilometre rates for 2025/26, the latest published: Tier 2 (running costs only) for running cost, and Tier 1 (fixed and running costs, first 14,000km) for full cost of ownership. Inland Revenue sets them for business travel; here they are a benchmark. Take-home pay uses 2026/27 PAYE, ACC 1.75%, KiwiSaver and student loan at 12% over $24,128. Indicative only, tax code M. Based on 46 working weeks a year. Tax rates verified 22 August 2026; kilometre rates verified 27 September 2026.
