Global Commuter Index
Ranking the Best Cities for Green Commuting & Commuter Wellbeing
Traffic delays. Rail fare increases. Air pollution. The list goes on. Commuting really is far from a
stress-free experience.
Some might see their commute as simple as just getting from A to B, but we know the effect your daily
commute can have on your wellbeing both physically and mentally.
In fact, recent scientific research has shown that a reduced journey time is imperative in improving
happiness. It also goes without saying that a reduction in transport cost offers greater financial
stability and living in a less polluted city will only decrease our risk of respiratory illness.
So where is the best city to live to improve your commute? Using a variety of factors that we know
affect a commuter's experience, we have created this very comprehensive index showcasing 114 cities
across the globe.
Time Spent Commuting in Minutes
Time Spent Waiting at a Train Station
Time Spent in Traffic
Cost of Petrol
Cost of Monthly Travel Pass in Dollars
Gender Pay Gap Ranking
Happiness Rating
Average Walking Distance
Work-Life Balance
Pollution Ranking
EV Charging Stations Per Capita
Cycle Ways Per Capita
10 = best score/shortest time
10 = best score/lowest cost
10 = highest score/shortest walking distance
10 = lowest pollution score/highest no. of charging stations
methodology
For each category, we filtered through the internet for the most recent and reputable data. Because the data sources vary in format, min-max normalisation values were used to standardise the data into a score between 0 and 10. The overall rankings are then determined by a cities’ overall average score.
Please note
For the following data points, a score of 10 means they were the best in their category and had the
lowest cost/time/distance calculated.
- Time spent commuting
- Time spent waiting at a train station
- Time spent in traffic
- Cost of petrol
- Cost of monthly travel pass
- Average walking distance
- Pollution ranking
Time Spent Commuting in Minutes
Average time spent commuting in each city per day.
Dalia Research
Data related to country
Time Spent Waiting at a Train Station
Average time spent waiting at a train station in each city.
Moovit
Data related to city
Time Spent in Traffic
Average time spent waiting in traffic in each city.
Numbeo
Data related to city
Cost of Petrol
Average cost of petrol in each city per gallon (in dollars)
Numbeo
Data related to city
Cost of Monthly Travel Pass in Dollars
Average cost of a monthly travel pass in each city.
Numbeo
Data related to city
Gender Pay Gap Ranking
Examines gender parity in each city.
Data taken from Table 3, 2018
The Global Gender Gap Report 2018
Data related to country
Happiness Rating
Examines each countries’ happiness which in turn has been applied to each city
World Happiness Report
Data related to country
Average Walking Distance
Average walking distance during one trip in one direction.
Moovit
Data related to city
Work-Life Balance
Looks at the number of employees who work very long hours (more than 50 per week).
OECD Better Life Index- Employees working very long
hours (percentage figure)
Data related to country
Pollution Ranking
Examines each city’s carbon emissions.
Numbeo
Data related to city
EV Charging Stations Per Capita
Number of electric car charging stations per capita.
Open Charge
Map (API)
Data related to city
Cycle Ways Per Capita
Examines the amount of cycle ways per capita.
Overpass-turbo
Data related to city