Yes, of course. But that wasn't the point being made by the article. Though even then the math doesn't always hold. I live outside of NYC. A close suburb house costs about 50% more than a mid suburb, which in turn is about 50% more than a further out suburb. That increase in housing costs for close-in is still an order of magnitude more than the decrease and money saved on transporting costs. Just look at the data table the author provides: As housing costs increase, transportation costs decrease, but the total cost of living still increases dramatically