Sydney commuters at a York Street bus stop / Getty

Driving to work five days a week costs Australians twice what car owners who choose to take public transport spend, and almost $10,000 a year more than the costs of those who don’t own a car.

Data from the Southern Cross University and Australasian Railway Association (ARA), reported on the Guardian this week, reveals that Australian CBD-dwellers spend an average of $11,031 on driving to work five days a week.

That includes the cost of fuel, vehicle maintenance, registration, insurance, depreciation, interest, and parking. Parking is most expensive in Perth, where unreserved parking is estimated to cost $276 a month, and in Sydney.

Meanwhile, car owners who choose to leave their cars at home on weekdays in favour of the bus, train, ferry or occasional taxi ride spent an average of $5,010 across the country, while people who did not own a car commuted to work on $1,296 a year.

Canberra is Australia’s cheapest city for commuters, with drivers paying 37% less than in Perth, and the car-less paying 44% less than in Brisbane.

There’s more in the Southern Cross University’s full report.

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