Study: Uber cheaper than owning a car in NYC, DC, LA

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Uber costs are nearly three times higher than personal car ownership in Dallas.

It is cheaper to use Uber than a personal car for commuting in most of the largest US cities, according to Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers annual Internet Trends report.

The study compared UberX and UberPool weekly commute costs versus the cost of owning a car including maintenance, fuel, insurance and parking.

New York City had the highest cost of car ownership at $218 per week, with Uber services $76 lower at $142 per week. Uber was also cheaper in Chicago, Washington DC and Los Angeles, but with a narrower gap of $27-39 per week compared to owning a car.

Notably, Dallas skewed far in the opposite direction with personal car ownership costs of just $65 per week compared to lengthy Uber hauls that totaled $181 per week.

To be fair, the study appears to be focused on getting to work each week rather than transportation costs associated with other travels. It also does not address long-term expectations that Uber might eventually raise its prices to become profitable.