If you live in any of these 20 cities, you spend the most time stuck In traffic…

Expat life
20 Apr 2023
4 mins read
Written by Team Instarem

Sitting behind the wheel and looking at a bevvy of vehicles inching their way forward on the highway – if this scenario sounds a bit too familiar, you are one of the millions of people who drive to and from work each day (Kudos to you!). 

In an era where companies are vying to grab the consumer’s attention with the sleekest of gadgets, the fastest of cars and the promise of saving time, it’s ironic that people end up spending a big chunk of their day stuck behind the wheels daily.  

How does traffic congestion affect society?

Ah, traffic congestion, is the bane of every commuter’s existence. It’s like standing in line for the roller coaster at Disneyland, except you don’t get a thrill at the end. All you get is frustration, increased travel costs, and an overwhelming desire to scream at the top of your lungs.

But it’s not just your sanity that suffers. No, no. Your city’s economic growth takes a hit and noise pollution levels go through the roof. And let’s not forget about the ever-present driver stress and decreased mental satisfaction.

Now, let’s look at the world’s worst cities where an average commuter spends anywhere between 1 hour and 1.5 hours stuck in traffic.  

20 worst cities to commute in the world

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Lagos, Nigeria

68.2

2

San Jose, Costa Rica

64.0

3

Colombo, Sri Lanka

61.8

4

Los Angeles, CA, United States

61.0

5

Dhaka, Bangladesh

61.0

6

Kolkata, India

59.8

7

Delhi, India

57.3

8

Mumbai, India

54.9

9

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

54.7

10

Nairobi, Kenya

53.8

11

Manila, Philippines

53.6

12

Tehran, Iran

52.9

13

Bangalore, India

52.7

14

Bogota, Colombia

52.3

15

Mexico City, Mexico

52.1

16

Jakarta, Indonesia

51.7

17

Istanbul, Turkey

51.7

18

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

51.3

19

San Francisco, CA, United States

51.0

20

Lima, Peru

50.9

Let’s look at how cities fare continents wise… 

Africa

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Lagos, Nigeria

68.2

2

Nairobi, Kenya

53.8

3

Cairo, Egypt

50.2

4

Pretoria, South Africa

45.5

5

Cape Town, South Africa

42.9

6

Johannesburg, South Africa

40.7

7

Durban, South Africa

26.1

North America

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Los Angeles, CA, United States

61.1

2

San Francisco, CA, United States

51.0

3

Detroit, MI, United States

45.1

4

Boston, MA, United States

45.0

5

Toronto, Canada

44.8

6

New York, NY, United States

43.6

7

Miami, FL, United States

43.1

8

Seattle, WA, United States

42.7

9

Houston, TX, United States

41.9

10

Atlanta, GA, United States

41.7

11

Chicago, IL, United States

41.6

12

Honolulu, HI, United States

41.2

13

Washington, DC, United States

40.5

14

Philadelphia, PA, United States

40.1

15

Montreal, Canada

40.1

16

Nashville, TN, United States

39.0

17

San Jose, CA, United States

38.8

18

Pittsburgh, PA, United States

38.5

19

Mississauga, Canada

37.9

20

Oakland, CA, United States

37.7

South America

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Bogota, Colombia

52.3

2

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

51.3

3

Lima, Peru

50.9

4

Sao Paulo, Brazil

50.1

5

Buenos Aires, Argentina

49.2

6

Recife, Brazil

46.5

7

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

43.3

8

Quito, Ecuador

40.9

9

Medellin, Colombia

38.5

10

Montevideo, Uruguay

37.8

11

Santiago, Chile

37.0

12

Caracas, Venezuela

34.1

13

Curitiba, Brazil

32.4

14

Porto Alegre, Brazil

31.3

15

Brasilia, Brazil

30.1

Asia

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Colombo, Sri Lanka

61.8

2

Dhaka, Bangladesh

61.0

3

Kolkata, India

59.8

4

Delhi, India

57.4

5

Mumbai, India

54.9

6

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

54.7

7

Manila, Philippines

53.6

8

Tehran, Iran

52.9

9

Bangalore, India

52.7

10

Jakarta, Indonesia

51.7

11

Istanbul, Turkey

51.7

12

Chennai, India

47.3

13

Coimbatore, India

47.2

14

Shanghai, China

46.7

15

Bangkok, Thailand

45.6

16

Pune, India

43.7

17

Beijing, China

43.4

18

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)

42.7

19

Karachi, Pakistan

42.5

20

Seoul, South Korea

42.3

Europe

Rank

City

Time Index

(in minutes)

1

Moscow, Russia

50.5

2

Saint Petersburg, Russia

48.2

3

London, United Kingdom

44.4

4

Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine

43.1

5

Rome, Italy

41.8

6

Paris, France

41.5

7

Bucharest, Romania

41.0

8

Manchester, United Kingdom

40.5

9

Dublin, Ireland

40.4

10

Novosibirsk, Russia

40.0

11

Belfast, United Kingdom

39.1

12

Budapest, Hungary

39.0

13

Tirana, Albania

38.5

14

Athens, Greece

38.2

15

Kharkiv, Ukraine

38.2

16

Antwerp, Belgium

37.8

17

Yekaterinburg, Russia

37.8

18

Brussels, Belgium

36.7

19

Odessa (Odesa), Ukraine

36.6

20

Belgrade, Serbia

36.2

Source: https://www.numbeo.com/traffic/rankings.jsp 

You Might Also Want To Read: Visiting Ireland? Over 80 Slangs & Phrases You Might Want to Know

Before you go…

Let’s face it, being stuck in traffic is one of those situations that makes you want to scream, cry and pull your hair out all at once. It’s the perfect storm of frustration, anxiety and boredom. But instead of dwelling on your misery, why not take advantage of the situation?

Instarem is the perfect solution for you to send money overseas without having to physically be there.

send money with Instarem

*Rates are for illustration purposes only.

You can complete the entire process from the comfort of your car – well, as long as you’re not driving of course! So while you’re stuck in traffic, don’t let the stress get to you. Just download the app and send some money back home. It’s the perfect distraction from all those honking horns.

Try Instarem for your next transfer by downloading the app or sign up here.

*Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only. All details are accurate at the time of publishing. Instarem has no affiliation or relationship with products or vendors mentioned.

About Instarem

Instarem stands at the forefront of international money transfer services, facilitating fast and secure transactions for both individuals and businesses. Our platform offers competitive exchange rates for popular currency pairs like USD to INR, SGD to INR, and AUD to INR. If you're looking to send money to India or transfer funds to any of 60+ global destinations, Instarem makes it easy for you. We are dedicated to simplifying cross-border payments, providing cutting-edge technology that support individuals and businesses alike in overcoming traditional fiscal barriers normally associated with banks. As a trusted and regulated brand under the umbrella of the Fintech Unicorn Nium Pte. Ltd., and its international subsidiaries, Instarem is your go-to for reliable global financial exchanges. Learn more about Instarem.