Uber isn’t even 10 years old, but since picking up their first customer in San Francisco in July 2010 it’s changed everything, including the convenience of getting from here to there without having to park and all the hassles that go with having a car.
Should you just chuck the car?
Not if you’re in it for the money, says AAA Texas. “On average, across the United States, it’s about $20,000 a year to use a ride-hailing service, versus about$10,000 to own a vehicle,” says AAA Texas’ Daniel Armbruster. Yep, ride-sharing is twice as expensive.
They looked at the average annual cost of a ride-share service in 20 U.S. cities:
Atlanta - $17,741
Nashville - $26,397
Austin - $19,821
New York - $21,279
Baltimore - $19,917
Philadelphia - $23,201
Boston - $27,545
Phoenix - $17,436
Chicago - $22,020
Pittsburgh - $18,940
Cleveland - $20,091
Salt Lake City - $18,866
Dallas - $16,944
San Diego - $17,316
Denver - $20,434
San Francisco - $21,972
Los Angeles - $17,951
Seattle - $23,951
Miami - $17,339
Washington, D.C. - $21,093
Owning a car, even with insurance, gas, maintenance, tolls, oil, repairs and the myriad of expenses involved in keeping four tires going round and round is half what you’d pay to use your phone as your primary means of transportation.