The Time Tax of Distance: Housing Affordability and Commuting Burdens in the Capital Region

In the Seoul Capital Region, where one lives increasingly determines not only access to employment but also control over time. This study examines how workplace housing costs shape commuting outcomes, linking spatial housing inequality to temporal inequality. Using anonymized LTE/5G mobility data merged with district–month apartment prices, we estimate route-level and destination-level fixed-effects models for 2020–2026. Three patterns emerge: higher workplace housing prices relative to home-district prices lengthen commutes, particularly from home to work; price pressure in job-rich districts widens inbound–resident time gaps; and rising workplace prices increase reliance on inbound workers from more distant, lower-cost areas. These results reveal a reinforcing mechanism through which housing market pressures restructure labor catchments and intensify time inequality. The findings highlight the need for integrated policies that expand affordable housing in employment hubs, promote polycentric job distribution, and improve high-capacity transit from peripheral zones.