---
title: "In Some Cities, It’s Cheaper to Just Take an Uber Than Own a Car, Data Show"
description: "In 2017, 9 percent of car owners ditched their vehicles for Uber. That number is expected to grow."
date: "2018-06-11"
modified: "2018-06-11"
authors:
  - name: "Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/alejandra-oconnell-domenech"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/21424/in-some-cities-its-cheaper-to-just-take-an-uber-than-own-a-car-data-show"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "budget"
  - "ride sharing"
  - "trends"
  - "Uber"
---

# In Some Cities, It’s Cheaper to Just Take an Uber Than Own a Car, Data Show

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/06/uber_image.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

In some of the nation’s largest cities, it is more cost-effective to take an [Uber](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/21086/pittsburgh-mayor-had-no-idea-uber-wanted-to-bring-back-its-self-driving-cars>) everywhere than to own a car, according to the 2018 [Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report](<https://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends>).

Uber's pricing has inspired some to sell their personal cars and rely solely on the ride-sharing app, according to [*Reuters*](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-rideservices-poll/some-uber-and-lyft-riders-are-giving-up-their-own-cars-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN18L1DA>).

“My mom didn’t think I could do it,” said Wally Nowinski, a New York resident who gave up his car in exchange of taking Ubers and riding a bike, to [*Reuters*](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-rideservices-poll/some-uber-and-lyft-riders-are-giving-up-their-own-cars-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN18L1DA>). “She thought I would buy a car in six months.”

According to [*Reuter’s* reporting](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-rideservices-poll/some-uber-and-lyft-riders-are-giving-up-their-own-cars-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN18L1DA>), Nowinski’s car budget dropped from $820 per month to $250.

Now, there is [quantifiable evidence](<https://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends>) that if you live in New York City, Washington D.C, Chicago or Los Angeles it is cheaper to take [Uberx or UberPOOL](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/20265/judge-guts-lawsuit-against-uber-for-alleged-driver-tracking>) on a weekly basis than to own your own car.

Mary Meeker put together a chart to illustrate that in [New York](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21382/cadillac-confirms-it-will-stay-in-new-york-despite-leadership-change>), the average weekly commute cost for someone with a personal car is $218, while those that took UberX or POOL spent an average of $142 on transportation by car.

In Chicago, the average weekly commute cost with a personal car is $116 while the cost of using ride-hailing apps averaged $77 a week.

In Washington D.C., taking UberX or POOL averages $96 while the commute cost of taking a personal car is $130.

In Los Angeles, commute costs with a personal car averaged $89 and with Uber they average $62.

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