If you live in one of Australia’s urban centres, there are many, many ways you could get to work. The traffic notwithstanding, there has never been a better time to be a commuter: you can drive, take a taxi, catch an Uber, ride a bike or jump on the train.
Let’s admit it, public transport and riding are the best deals available if you are watching your back pocket. But sometimes you just want some space from your fellow humans and biking is a little sweaty.
So if you have decided to splurge on the regular, here is a breakdown of the cost of commuting to and from work in a car, taxi and Uber. We’ve done the annoying maths so you can save some money for your morning coffee.
To work out the cost of commuting five days a week, we chose three random routes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that hovered around the six to seven kilometre mark. In Sydney, the route is Hall Street, Bondi to Reservoir Street, Surry Hills, while in Melbourne it is Chapel Street, Prahan to Collins Street, Melbourne, and then in Brisbane, we will take you from Ekibin Road, Annerley to Victoria Bridge, South Brisbane.
Obviously, your own prices will vary depending on anything from your car model to the length of your commute, but if you’re starting to consider whether it’s worth taking an Uber twice daily, this will start the conversation.
If you live in the city, and don’t have four soccer-playing teens, you probably drive a small car. For the purpose of this test, we chose a 1.8L, five door Toyota Corolla Ascent hatchback as the vehicle. Standard.
The weekly operating cost of hitting the road in the hatch comes to around A$158.34 in New South Wales, A$151.61 in Victoria, and A$160.26 in Queensland. This data come from the National Roads and Motorists’ Association’s (NRMA) calculator, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) and the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ).
But don’t forget parking. If you work in inner-city Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, you might have some super secret parking spot and get out of forking out the big bucks, but if not, it’s devastatingly pricey and you will probably have to give up dining out on Tuesdays.
According to the RACQ, off-street parking costs in 2015 in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were higher than any other Australian city. The average casual rate for eight hours parking a day was A$71.18, A$75.78 and A$65.81 in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, respectively. Horrible.
Here’s how all that could play out:
Sydney: A$158.34 (with the average cost of five days of off-street parking, A$537.24)
Melbourne: A$151.61 (with off-street parking, A$480.66)
Brisbane: A$160.26 (with off-street parking, A$516.16)
Image: MASHABLE
Or you could forgo those horrific parking costs and dial up a taxi.
While the base pricing for taxis in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane looks decent, it’s the wait time when you’re backed up in traffic that will get you.
In Melbourne, according to the Victorian government’s taxi fares, the route could cost as little as A$14.91, but you’ll pay $0.57 per minute in waiting time. This means the cost could hit a high of $20.78, according to the Taxi Fare Calculator.
And finally in Brisbane, the minimum fare would be A$16.57 per the Queensland government’s pricing standards. Taxi Fare Calculator says the fare could get as high as $23.21, when you are paying $0.82 per minute in waiting time.
So if you take the worst case scenario — and it could get even pricier on horror traffic days — travelling to and from work every weekday in a taxi would cost you the following:
Sydney: A$243.50
Melbourne: A$207.80
Brisbane: A$232.10
Image: MASHABLE
Finally, you could give in to the hype and start Ubering like the rest of the world.
While the rideshare platform isn’t yet legal in Melbourne or Brisbane, that doesn’t seem to have stopped locals from jumping on board. It was regulated in Sydney in late 2015.
If you’re in Melbourne or Brisbane, now is also a very nice time to be an Uber passenger. On Feb. 18, Uber began trialling a 20% reduction in UberX fares in Brisbane. Melburnians can also celebrate as the company just announced a 15% reduction in UberX prices in the city.
If you’re making longterm commute plans, just remember, the good times can’t last forever. Unlike taxis, Uber fares are not set by local government and the company can raise or drop them whenever it pleases. You’ve been warned.
In June last year, for example, the company lowered fares by 10% for winter, although it then raised them by 10% in August 2015, after the tax office ruled the company needed to pay the 10% goods and services tax. In other words: Get those good prices while you can.
Using Uber’s helpful fare estimator, taking an UberX along your homeward route at 6.30 p.m. Thursday would cost the following: In Sydney, A$17-A$23, in Melbourne, $14-19, and in Brisbane, A$11-A$15.
To be fair to the taxis, we’ve used the upper end of the fare estimate in each city to calculate the cost of commuting five days a week:
Sydney: A$230
Melbourne: A$190
Brisbane: A$150
Image: MASHABLE
So what did all those numbers prove? In Sydney, it probably ends up being the best deal to keep driving, unless you have to fork over for parking. If you are deciding between an Uber and a cab, you’ll save about A$13 a week by using ridesharing.
The situation is much the same in Melbourne, so for the sake of your wallet, you better hope your workplace offers free off-street parking. For the carless or car haters, Uber will save you about A$20 a week compared to hailing a cab.
In Brisbane, however, it’s cheaper to get an Uber than driving. While the current fare deal lasts, of course.
None of this is as price-friendly as a bus ticket, though. Or perhaps consider a home office?
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