Key takeaways
- Breakeven rides = monthly pass price ÷ single fare
- Calgary: 31.5 rides; Winnipeg: about 38.5; Vancouver 1 zone: about 41
- Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton cap your fares, so you never need to choose
- A 5-day commuter takes about 43 rides a month
The breakeven rule
The math is simple:
Breakeven rides = monthly pass price ÷ single fare
If you take more rides than the breakeven in a month, the pass is cheaper. If you take fewer, paying per ride is cheaper. Always use the fare you would really pay: the card or app fare, not cash.
Breakeven by city (adult, October 2026)
| City | Single fare | Monthly pass | Breakeven rides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | $4.00 | $126.00 | 31.5 |
| Montreal (Zone A, 10-trip rate) | $3.50 | $110.00 | 31.4 |
| Halifax | $3.00 | $90.00 | 30.0 |
| Vancouver, 2 zones (Compass) | $4.20 | $156.70 | 37.3 |
| Winnipeg (peggo e-cash) | $3.10 | $119.35 | 38.5 |
| Vancouver, 3 zones (Compass) | $5.40 | $211.65 | 39.2 |
| Vancouver, 1 zone (Compass) | $2.85 | $117.20 | 41.1 |
| Mississauga (PRESTO) | $3.50 | $145.00 | 41.4 |
Fare-cap cities work differently. In Toronto you stop paying after 47 paid fares. In Ottawa your PRESTO charges stop at $138.50 (about 34 rides at $4.10). In Edmonton your Arc card charges stop at $102 (34 rides at $3.00). You never have to decide in advance.
Worked example
Raj works in downtown Calgary 4 days a week and from home 1 day. He rides 8 times a week, about 35 rides a month.
- Pay per ride: 35 × $4.00 = $138.67
- Monthly pass: $126.00
35 is more than the 31.5 breakeven, so the pass saves him about $12.67 a month. If he moved to 3 office days, he would ride about 26 times a month and paying per ride ($104) would be cheaper.
How to count your rides
A “ride” here means a paid trip: the first tap that starts a transfer window. Count it like this:
- Write down your normal week: work, school, English classes, shopping, places of worship.
- Count each one-way trip as 1 ride. A trip to work and back is 2 rides.
- Do not count a change between bus and train inside the transfer time. In Toronto that window is 2 hours, in Calgary and Vancouver 90 minutes, and in Montreal 120 minutes.
- Multiply your weekly rides by 4.33 to get an average month.
Be honest about the weeks when you ride less, such as holidays, sick days or days working from home. A pass bought for a month when you are away for two weeks rarely pays off.
Things that change the answer
- Transfers: in most cities a transfer within 90 minutes to 2 hours is free, so it does not count as a ride.
- Day passes and daily caps: on heavy days (many short trips), a day pass or daily cap lowers your cost.
- Holidays and travel: a pass covers a calendar month. If you will be away for a week, check the numbers again.
- Discounts: student, senior and low-income passes have a much lower breakeven. Calgary’s youth pass ($92) pays off after about 35 youth rides ($2.65 each).
For a full picture with discounts and caps, use the transit cost calculator.