Comparing the Price of Uber and Car Ownership

Kyle Hill compares the cost of exclusively riding Uber to owning a car in the car-centric city of Los Angeles.

1 minute read

September 3, 2014, 6:00 AM PDT

By Maayan Dembo @DJ_Mayjahn


Lyft

Alfredo Mendez / Flickr

As reported by Ryan Lawler in TechCrunch, Hill calculated the cost of owning a car based on gas mileage, cost of gas, length of one's commute, and general parking costs. On average, driving and owning a mid-sized sedan in the US was about $8,876. Factoring in annual traffic and parking ticket cost, along with an "opportunity cost" of driving versus a mode of public transportation (where, presumably, you can answer emails and "get stuff done"), Hill estimated car ownership to be around $12,744.

Using U.S. Census Bureau estimates of number of trips and time spent in their cars each year, based on the cost of UberX in Los Angeles, Hill found that a user would pay $18,115 per year if riding Uber exclusively. Hill used the base fare and mileage costs for Los Angeles, and these costs vary greatly depending on the market. More importantly, the model does not factor surge pricing, mostly active during peak commute hours.

For the average Uber rider in Los Angeles, the crossover point when Uber is cheaper than owning a car is around 9,481 miles a year.

Monday, September 1, 2014 in TechCrunch

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA