I make $140K and just got an offer for a new job at $170K — but here’s the catch: I have to transition from remote to hybrid work. Is the extra cash worth commuting again?

The scenario

Say you’re currently making $140K with a 10% performance bonus. Your new offer has a base salary of $170K with a 15% bonus. However, you’ll be leaving a fully-remote role for a mandatory hybrid working arrangement, with three days a week in-office.

The extra salary could help you afford a down payment on your own home, which is your major financial goal.

So what would the extra salary look like on your monthly paycheck? If you live in California, for example, your total income after taxes would be $114,921, not including deductions for health insurance or any contributions to retirement accounts. In contrast, your current take-home pay at your $140,000 salary is $97,119. So the difference is $17,802, or $1,483.50 per month. When you consider your health care and retirement savings costs, you can target about $1,000 extra per month in income — which isn’t bad, but might not be enough to get you meaningfully closer to your goal of homeownership.

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Additional costs for your new role

If you choose to transition back to working in-office, you’ll have to consider your transportation costs. As a remote worker, you may not have a car, or you may not use your car very often. With potentially long commutes ahead of you, you’ll need a reliable vehicle, a healthy gas budget, and some savings set aside in case of accidents or repairs. You may also need to consider whether your current auto insurance will be sufficient for your needs. If you work in the city, parking might also become a monthly expense you’ll need to factor in.

Many office workers prefer the convenience of having their lunches or even dinners at restaurants. Even if you brown bag it two out of the three days you’re in the office, your food budget can balloon when you’re surrounded by options for meals on the go. It’s also true that you’ll feel more tempted to treat yourself to social drinks or dinners with colleagues after work, or other activities that can take a bite out of your entertainment budget each month.

But there’s something to be said for the value of that informal off-the-clock socializing, especially if you’re hoping to climb the ranks at your new workplace.

You just need to be prepared for these added costs because the temptation for lifestyle creep could be a real concern. When you feel like you’re earning more, regardless of what the numbers in your bank account say, you may be tempted to splurge on luxuries like extra vacations, a new car or even more frequent discretionary purchases like clothes shopping and dining out. These costs could quickly eat up your extra $1,000 per month, and even leave you with less money for saving than you had before.

The bottom line

While it may sound as if we’re advising you against taking a new role, the truth is that it’s almost always a good idea. Your role is likely to be additional good experience you can add to your resume and help you in the future in your career.

If you’re feeling underutilized in your current role, or you’re not growing, a new role can break you out of your rut, and also make you more competitive in the job market. In today’s layoff-heavy climate, staying relevant with new skills and better titles is a must.

You can also look at the role as an experiment — if you find that the commuting and lifestyle changes aren’t worth it after six months to a year in the role, you can hit the job market again and find something that suits you better, hopefully this time with even more skills to aid you in your search.