--- title: "EV Charging Cost per Month by Daily Commute" description: "A 40-mile round-trip commute in a typical EV costs about $52.72 a month to charge at 18.16¢/kWh. See 10 to 80 miles a day, by state price." url: https://evchargecosts.com/guides/ev-charging-cost-per-month-by-commute/ updated: 2026-10-26 --- # EV Charging Cost per Month by Daily Commute A 40-mile daily round trip, five days a week, uses about 290 kWh a month in a typical EV (33.5 kWh/100 mi), which costs **about $52.72 a month** at the U.S. average price of 18.16¢/kWh. A 30 mpg gas car would spend about **$123.76** on the same commute. By [EV Charge Cost Editorial Team](https://evchargecosts.com/about/). Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026. ## How we calculated it The table assumes the commute happens five days a week, about 260 days a year, and that you charge at home. Monthly cost = daily miles × 260 ÷ 12 × kWh per 100 miles ÷ 100 × price per kWh. Weekend and errand driving come on top. The round-trip figure is what matters, not the one-way distance. A job 20 miles from home is a 40-mile row in the table. If you charge at work as well as at home, count only the miles your home charger actually has to replace. We use a typical EV at 33.5 kWh/100 mi and three prices from EIA's August 2026 data: the cheapest state, [Nevada](https://evchargecosts.com/states/nevada/) (12.72¢/kWh); the U.S. average (18.16¢/kWh); and the most expensive, [Hawaii](https://evchargecosts.com/states/hawaii/) (47.18¢/kWh). ## Monthly charging cost by round-trip commute **Monthly home charging cost for a weekday commute (33.5 kWh/100 mi EV)** | Round trip per day | kWh per day | Nevada | U.S. average | Hawaii | Level 1 time per night | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10 mi | 3.4 | $9.23 | $13.18 | $34.24 | 2 h 20 min | | 20 mi | 6.7 | $18.47 | $26.36 | $68.49 | 4 h 39 min | | 30 mi | 10.1 | $27.70 | $39.54 | $102.73 | 6 h 59 min | | 40 mi | 13.4 | $36.93 | $52.72 | $136.98 | 9 h 19 min | | 50 mi | 16.8 | $46.16 | $65.91 | $171.22 | 11 h 38 min | | 60 mi | 20.1 | $55.40 | $79.09 | $205.47 | 13 h 58 min | | 70 mi | 23.5 | $64.63 | $92.27 | $239.71 | 16 h 17 min | | 80 mi | 26.8 | $73.86 | $105.45 | $273.96 | 18 h 37 min | The last column is how long a standard 120 V outlet at 1.44 kW needs to put back one day's commute. Anything that fits in the hours your car sits at home overnight works without a Level 2 charger. ## What the table tells you - **Cost scales in a straight line.** Every extra 10 miles of daily round trip adds about $13.18 a month at the national average. - **Location can matter as much as distance.** A 40-mile commute in Hawaii costs about as much as a 148-mile commute in Nevada. - **Level 1 covers more than people think.** If the car sits plugged in for 10 hours a night, a 1.44 kW outlet puts back about 43 miles, which covers the shorter rows of the table. Beyond that, or with a short off-peak window, a Level 2 charger starts to matter. See [Level 1 vs Level 2 charging](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/level-1-vs-level-2-charging/). ## Adding the rest of your driving Commuting is rarely all of it. If you drive 13,500 miles a year in total, a common planning figure, a 40-mile weekday commute accounts for 10,400 of them, leaving about 3,100 miles for weekends, errands and trips. At 18.16¢/kWh that remainder adds about $15.72 a month, for a household total near $68.44. A simple way to estimate your own total is to take two odometer readings a month apart. Multiply the miles by 33.5 ÷ 100 for kWh (or use your car's own rating) and then by your price per kWh. ## Compared with a gas car At $4.284 a gallon (EIA U.S. regular, week of 2026-10-19) and 30 mpg, the 40-mile commute costs $123.76 a month in gasoline against $52.72 in electricity, a difference of $71.04 a month. The [EV vs gas calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/ev-vs-gas/) runs the comparison with your car and state. ## Adjusting for your commute - **Highway-heavy commutes** use more energy than the EPA combined rating, especially above typical highway speeds. See [highway speed and EV efficiency](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/highway-speed-and-ev-efficiency/). - **Winter** adds cabin and battery heating. Preheating while plugged in helps. See [cold weather charging cost](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cold-weather-ev-charging-cost/). - **Workplace charging**, free or paid, can cover part or all of the commute. Subtract those kWh from your home estimate. - **Hybrid or remote schedules** reduce the day count. Three office days a week cuts the table's numbers by about 40%. - **Your own rate** can differ from the state average. Use your bill's price in the [calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/). ## Run your own numbers - [Charging cost calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/) - [EV vs gas calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/ev-vs-gas/) - [Charging time calculator](https://evchargecosts.com/charging-time/) - [Cost in your state](https://evchargecosts.com/states/) - [How we calculate](https://evchargecosts.com/methodology/) ## Related guides - [How Much Does It Cost to Charge an EV at Home?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge-an-ev-at-home/) - [Time-of-Use Rates and EV Charging](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/time-of-use-rates-ev-charging/) - [How Much Will an EV Raise My Electric Bill?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/how-much-will-an-ev-raise-my-electric-bill/) - [How Much Does It Cost to Fully Charge an Electric Car?](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/cost-to-fully-charge-an-electric-car/) - [Public Fast Charging vs Home Charging: Cost Compared](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/public-fast-charging-vs-home-charging-cost/) - [How to Find Your Electricity Rate per kWh on Your Bill](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/how-to-find-your-electricity-rate/) [All 59 guides](https://evchargecosts.com/guides/) ## Questions people ask ### How much does it cost to charge an EV for a 30-mile commute? A 30-mile round trip five days a week in a 33.5 kWh/100 mi EV costs about $39.54 a month at 18.16¢/kWh. ### Can I charge for my commute on a regular 120 V outlet? Often, yes. Ten hours on a 1.44 kW outlet adds about 43 miles to a typical EV, and a 40-mile day needs about 9 h 19 min on a 1.44 kW outlet. --- Source page: https://evchargecosts.com/guides/ev-charging-cost-per-month-by-commute/ Data: EIA (electricity August 2026, gasoline 2026-10-19), EPA fueleconomy.gov. License: CC BY 4.0.