This is the question posed on CityNerd video titled “Walkable Cities But They Keep Getting More Affordable”
If you ditched your car, could you afford to leave the suburbs for a great urban neighborhood?
Ray Delahanty answers the question in the 26 biggest US cities.
The analysis assumes the all-in cost of owning and operating a car is $1,000 per month, including purchase, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
In the city, transportation costs might total about $250 per month for transit passes, biking, ride-hailing, and other small expenses.
This results in an effective $750 per month increase in the housing budget for city center residents who do not own a car.
The results of the video are quite interesting, as you can get more m² in walkable areas in most cities
YMMV but if you look around online you’ll see much higher overall costs are more typical and more importantly most people greatly underestimate them
Depends on what you’re able to learn and do yourself and what you buy. I bought a Gen 2 Prius with 160,000 miles on it with a hybrid battery issue. I could buy a nicer one for less money right now than I could back then. It’s currently at 284,000 miles and not showing a hint of slowing down. One of my tpms transmitters went out recently, so that will cost me $100 for 4 new ones next time I replace my tires. I don’t like seeing the yellow light for it on my dash. Lol