Revealed: Commuters Work 54 Days to Cover Cost of Their Commute

The analysis, conducted by employee recognition, rewards, and benefits platform, Rippl, investigated common commuter routes across the UK to reveal how many days employees work just to cover the costs of travelling to and from the office.

Commuters who travel into the office five days per week can expect to lose out on 54 days of pay per year. Those who benefit from hybrid working are slightly better off, working 32 days per year to cover the cost of commuting three times a week.

When it comes to type of travel, those commuting by car are worse off than those relying on trains. The research shows that the average yearly commute by car sets Brits back on average £9,452, whilst the cost of commuting five days a week by train averages £8,275.

The most expensive route analysed was Birmingham to London, which costs an eyewatering £75 per day on average. Oxford to London came in second, costing £56, and Brighton to London took third place, setting commuters back an average of £49 per day.

Compared to average earnings in commuter towns and cities, the analysis shows that those travelling between Birmingham to London are the worst off and could be spending 28% of their salary on the commute alone. By comparison, those travelling from Falkirk to Edinburgh spend 9% of their salary getting to work.

Chris Brown, CEO at Rippl, comments: “Our research paints a stark picture of the financial burden commuting costs are placing on employees, especially as the cost of travel continues to increase. Losing 53 days of pay a year just to get to and from the office is a significant blow to household finances, and it's clear this pressure is especially acute for those with longer commutes or relying on cars. More needs to be done to tackle this.

“While pay rises are welcome, this isn’t always feasible for businesses. However, there are other ways that employers can meaningfully support their staff with the rising cost of working. By offering employee benefits that help offset commuting costs, such as more flexible working policies, travel allowances, public transport season ticket contributions or wider lifestyle discounts, employers can help ease the financial strain for employees.”

The UK’s most expensive commuter routes (as a proportion of average salary):

1. Birmingham to London

2. Worcester to Bristol

3. Oxford to London

4. Liverpool to Manchester

5. Worcester to Birmingham

The UK’s most expensive commuter routes (total (£)):

1. Birmingham to London

2. Oxford to London

3. Brighton to London

4. Canterbury to London

5. Cambridge to London

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