Aussie cities with the most expensive commutes revealed

Australians who drive to work are losing a staggering 212 million hours a year sitting in traffic, the equivalent of 8.8 million working days and about $9.7 billion in lost time.

Analysts at iSelect used ABS, census and congestion data to find out how long Australians were spending stuck in rush hour traffic, and how much it was costing them in terms of lost earnings and fuel costs.

Melbourne has the worst driving commute in the country, losing the equivalent of $4628 a year.

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In second place among the captials was Sydney ($4568), followed by Perth ($3496), Brisbane ($3447), Adelaide ($3377), Canberra ($2244), Hobart ($1856), and Darwin ($1390).

Some regional centres also notched up high totals, including Newcastle ($2587) and the Gold Coast ($2443).

Across Australian cities, the average driver spends roughly $2788 a year due to congestion.

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Different professions also bear different costs.

Medical practitioners spend more than four extra days a year in traffic, iSelect found, which was the equivalent of $6784 a year.

Other high-cost occupations include air and marine transport professionals, who spend more than three days a year in traffic, translating to a combined cost of $5436. Health diagnostic and promotion professionals spend $5418.

The full research can be found here.

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