NEW YORK — Whether it’s spent behind the wheel or on a bus, time is money.
Workers spend 200 hours annually at a cost of nearly $2,600 on their daily commute, according to Citi’s ThankYou Premier Commuter Index released Wednesday.
That breaks down to about $10 a day being spent on getting to and from work.
People in Los Angeles face the highest daily roundtrip costs at $16, with New Yorkers coming in second at $14. Commuters in Chicago and San Francisco pay $11 a day, according to the survey.
Nationally, 60% of survey respondents said their commuting costs have increased and 19% reported a decrease.
The average commute in the U.S is 45 minutes, with New Yorkers having the longest trek to work with an average 73-minute commute. Chicagoans came in second spending 64 minutes a day commuting, followed by San Francisco residents with 56 minutes, while those in Los Angeles have an average 55 minute commute.
Workers vary on how they spend their travel time: 76% of full-time workers relax, while 24% strive to be productive.
The survey is based on responses from 3,500 consumers across the U.S.
Gas is the biggest budget eater for commuters with 77% of respondents using their car to shuttle between home and work.
While gas prices are down from last year, the national average is currently $2.80 a gallon, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The bus was the second most popular mode of transportation at 21%, and 9% of commuters use a subway system.
