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    Uber vs Driving Cost Calculator

    Would Uber actually cost you less than driving or owning a car? Compare one trip, keeping your current car, or buying a car — using costs that reflect your situation.

    What are you deciding?

    Uber or drive this trip?

    mi
    Round trip?

    Round trip doubles the driving distance only.

    $

    Enter the whole cost of the trip — both directions if you are going and coming back. Nothing is doubled for you.

    $/gal
    mpg
    $
    $

    Drive and save about $29.56

    Uber
    $32.00
    Driving
    $2.44
    • Fuel — 20.0 miles at $0.12/mile$2.44
    • Uber fare$32.00
    What would flip the decision?

    The fare would need to be about $2.44 or less to match driving.

    Or parking and tolls would need to rise by about $29.56 for the Uber to win.

    Related decisions

    Content last updated: September 22, 2026

    How this calculator works, assumptions, and sources

    How this calculator works
    Formula

    Quick trip: fuel cost per mile = gas price ÷ MPG; driving cost = trip miles × (fuel per mile + optional wear per mile) + parking + tolls, compared with the total fare you enter. Keep a car / buy a car: alternatives per year = rides per week × (fare + tip) × 52 + annualised transit, rental and other transport; car per year = fuel + insurance + maintenance + parking + fees, plus optional vehicle value loss and optional financing interest. Break-even rides per week = (annual car cost − annual other transport) ÷ (52 × fare including tip). Buying: annual value loss = (purchase price − expected resale) ÷ years kept, and financing interest is taken from an amortising schedule over the ownership period.

    Assumptions
    • Loan principal is never counted as an economic ownership cost when vehicle value loss is included — repaying principal buys equity in the car, and losing that value is already counted as depreciation.
    • A single trip is charged only the costs it causes: fuel, parking, tolls and optional per-mile wear. Insurance, registration, financing and annual depreciation are excluded from the trip comparison because they continue whether or not the trip is made.
    • Rides are assumed to repeat at the same weekly frequency and fare for 52 weeks; transit, rental and other transport entries are treated as steady monthly amounts.
    • Vehicle value loss and financing interest are included only when you enter them; nothing is inserted on your behalf.
    Default values & where they come from
    • Starting gas price reflects the EIA weekly retail gasoline survey; editable.
    • Starting fuel economy of 27 MPG is the fleet-average figure published by EPA / DOE FuelEconomy.gov; editable.
    • The optional wear-and-maintenance allowance of $0.10 a mile is a conservative running-cost figure drawn from AAA's per-mile maintenance and tyre components; editable and off by default.
    • Every other figure — fares, insurance, parking, resale value, loan terms — comes from you.
    Limitations
    • Surge pricing, waiting time and ride availability are not modelled; a fare you enter is treated as typical.
    • Resale value and next-year vehicle value are your own estimates, not valuations.
    • The break-even assumes your other transport costs stay fixed as ride frequency changes.
    • A one-week reality test is a sample of your travel, not a reliable annual pattern.
    When not to rely on this calculator
    • Not a vehicle-purchase recommendation.
    • Not advice on whether to sell a car; released equity is shown separately and is not a recurring saving.
    Sources

    Corrections welcome — see our corrections policy and editorial policy.

    Uber, driving and car ownership questions

    Is Uber cheaper than driving yourself?
    For a single trip it depends almost entirely on distance, fuel price and what you pay to park. The quick trip mode on this page compares the fare you were quoted with the fuel, parking, tolls and optional wear that the same journey would cost in your own car, and tells you the fare at which the two would be equal.
    Is Uber cheaper than owning a car?
    That is a different question, and it turns on how much you travel rather than on any national average. Keep-my-car mode adds up what your car actually costs you in a year and compares it with the rides and other transport you would use instead, then shows how many rides a week you could take before the car becomes the cheaper option.
    Should I buy a car or use Uber?
    This page will not tell you to buy or not buy. Buy-a-car mode works out the yearly economic cost of the car you are considering — value loss, financing interest and running costs — and puts it next to the rides and other transport you would otherwise pay for, with the upfront cash shown separately.
    How does the calculator compare Uber with keeping a car?
    Both sides are converted to a yearly figure. Rides are frequency times fare plus tip times 52, and any transit, car share or other transport you enter is annualised. The car side adds fuel, insurance, maintenance, parking and fees, plus vehicle value loss and financing interest if you choose to include them.
    Does the calculator include depreciation?
    Only if you provide it. You can enter your car's current value and what you expect it to be worth a year from now, or type an annual value-loss figure directly. If you leave it out, the result says so rather than inserting an estimate on your behalf.
    How are car loan payments handled?
    Only the interest counts. The principal part of a loan payment buys equity in the vehicle, and the loss of that value is already counted as depreciation — adding both would charge you twice for the same car. So the calculator asks for the balance, rate and remaining term and includes only the interest.
    What if I use public transit or rentals as well as Uber?
    Add them. Living without a car rarely means taking a ride everywhere, so there are optional monthly fields for transit, car share or rental, and anything else. They are included in the comparison and in the break-even calculation.
    Can I use this if I'm thinking about selling my car?
    Yes — keep-my-car mode has an optional section for a sale value and remaining loan balance that shows the equity a sale would release. It is kept apart from the yearly comparison, because a one-off amount released is not the same thing as a recurring saving.