Public Transport vs E-Bike vs Car: Which Commute Wins Your Wallet?
Every weekday morning: suicidal cyclists tear through the streets of Amsterdam streets, trams glide past, and cars creep from traffic light to traffic light. You sit at your dining table, coffee in hand, and wonder: What’s the smartest way to get to work, cost-wise and sanity-wise?
This isn’t just a math problem, it’s about aligning your commute with your wallet, your values, and your lifestyle. Of course, we’re mostly concerned about your budget, so we have created a calculator to show you the impact of each.
Public Transport vs E-Bike vs Car: Which Is Most Cost-Efficient?
Find your cheapest and most sustainable route to work in the Netherlands
📍 Your Commute Details & Public Transport
🚲 E-Bike Ownership
🚗 Car Usage
Note: Defaults are based on average costs in the Netherlands (2025 estimates). E-bikes are often the most sustainable option due to low emissions. Weather conditions may require backup transport options during winter months.
Public Transport: Seamless, Subsidized, but Rising in Cost
Public transport in the Netherlands isn’t exactly known for efficiency, until you try Public Transport in the UK or Italy, that is. You can hop on a train, tram, or bus, sometimes for as little as €120 per month with a subscription. Yet, recent years have seen fares climb and trams getting fuller.
Nonetheless, if you’re living near a train station it might be more relaxing to hop on a train with a book in the morning and a cheeky beer on the way back, than to spend your time navigating traffic.
E-Bike: Efficient, Green, and Increasingly Popular
The Dutch live and breathe cycling. Infrastructure is tailored for two wheels: protected paths, direct routes, and prioritization in city planning.
E-bikes offer a serious edge. They’re zero‐emission, highly energy‐efficient, and cheaper than cars or buses when you crunch per-km energy usage.
Costs sit low too. Some data suggests annual e-bike operating costs can be as little as €200, versus over €3,000 for ownership of a not very new or luxurious car.
However, you might already own that car (or at least we think you are in our calculator) and 15k every morning is a long way – especially when it rains.
Car: Comfort at a Hidden Price
Cars offer freedom and you might have one anyway because you’ve also got to drive your kids and their friends to football, pick up logs for the fireplace and want the freedom to go to the Efteling whenever you feel like it.
But they come with a cost: insurance, taxes, parking permits and fuel are the obvious ones, but driving more will also mean higher maintenance costs and depreciation is the real killer. Of course, not of is that is tied to your commute, so for our calculations we will only calculate additional deprecreciation and maintenance from extra miles.
Compare Your Commute Costs
Curious what really fits your lifestyle and budget? Plug your commute distance, travel days, and costs into our calculator. Instantly see the monthly cost of public transport, e-bike ownership, and car travel, so you can choose what makes sense for you.
Final Thought: The Commute That Works, for You and Your Wallet
Your best commute balances cost, convenience, and the environment, and it’s different for everyone. Maybe it’s the predictability of a train, the agility of an e-bike, or the comfort of a car. The smart move isn’t the cheapest or trendiest, it’s the one you’ll use consistently and guilt-free.
