Is a higher-paying role worthwhile if most of the raise disappears into getting there?

The monthly pay looked $300 higher on my comparison sheet. Then I added $90 for the train and $120 for the extra childcare the new hours would require. The difference became $90.

This is an internal move to work I would like to learn. My current role lets me start after school drop-off and work from home two days a week. The proposed role would require five office days and about forty-five more minutes of travel each working day. The childcare arrangement has been quoted, but the $300 after-deductions figure is still my rough estimate, not a confirmed take-home amount.

My partner says career opportunities shouldn't be judged only by the first month's budget. I agree. I also don't want to label the extra time and coordination 'an investment' just because the job title sounds better. Nobody has promised another pay rise or a later return to flexible hours.

What would you clarify before saying yes? I'm torn between a role that interests me and a current arrangement that makes the rest of the week work.