[apostate]

Home is where the heart is. Most long commuters I know do it because they have a significant other at home, and that seemed to be the case with many of the subjects in the article.

There are far fewer cases in the developed world of a long commute resulting from a disparity between rents at home vs near the job site. It's not unheard of however, as evidenced by the one guy who lived 3 hours outside the city and commuted in because the cost of renting in London is the same as travel (and presumably cost of living would provide additional savings, even at such a high opportunity cost).

My situation is a bit odd because I have a good job in the suburbs but I enjoy living in the city with my SO, so I reverse commute. It is cheaper and less crowded, but it still takes time, and combined with study, side projects, and enjoying life, it makes for long days, and I feel it beginning to wear me down after two years so I may look for other work. I feel like a wimp compared to the people in the article however however, as my commute is a mere 3 hours round trip.