How long is your commute to work?

Commuting to work: maybe you see it as a dreaded, yet essential part of your day, or valuable time to catch up on reading, podcasts, or pending work. Whether you drive, take public transportation, or use another less conventional method to get to the office, your commute is a big aspect of your day, and can affect how satisfied you are with your current job.

For many job seekers, the distance from the office to home can be a deciding factor in whether or not they accept the job. Depending on how important work-life balance is for you, a long commute might be the opposite of what you’re looking for.

How important is the length of your commute?

What should you do when you get a good job offer, but the office is really far from home? That’s an important question to ask yourself during the hiring process. How much is your time worth? If you’re really interested in the job, it’s something you can negotiate on when going through the salary negotiation phase. Perhaps a slightly higher base salary would compensate for time lost, or maybe a transportation allowance will make the offer more enticing.

Average commuting times in Malaysia

What’s a reasonable amount of time to spend commuting ever day? It depends on several factors including your location, whether you live in a city or smaller town and your mode of transport.

If you’re wondering if the time you’re spending on your commute is normal or not, the following infographic that shows average commute times for major cities in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Johor Baharu. It also shows how commutes stack up around the world in various cities including Tokyo, Shanghai and Bangkok.

Have a look at the commuter infographic here.