Uber can get quite expensive in the Los Angeles area because it's so large and crowded.

Is Uber Expensive In Los Angeles? (What I Prefer To Use Here)

ByHaley Posted on Updated on
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Planning Out Your Trip To Los Angeles & Wondering If Uber Is A Good Way To Get Around Here Or If It’s Just Too Expensive?

My mom’s a Southern California native so I’ve spent tons of time here over the years and used all different kinds of transportation options (including Uber), and while it can be a convenient and safe option for getting around the Los Angeles area, it’s way too expensive in my opinion for anything more than super short distances, so I think it’s best to look at some alternatives.

🤑 Is Uber Expensive In Los Angeles, California?

Nothing is cheap in Southern California, including transportation.

Most people visiting the Los Angeles area also want to venture out further away from the city to see some other popular Southern California locations (like Disneyland, Orange County, Santa Monica, etc.), so using Uber to get around and see all these sights would be way too expensive (although very convenient and less stressful).

Unless you’re only traveling a short distance (I would say no more than a few miles) to get to a restaurant or something, I think Uber is too expensive to use in the Los Angeles and most Southern California areas, and I would instead recommend driving yourself or checking out some local tours (more details on both of these below).

💸 Why Is Uber So Expensive In Los Angeles?

Uber is so expensive in Los Angeles because of the size of the city, the traffic, the number of people, and the lower amount of drivers.

Due to the large physical size and the large population of the Southern California area, Uber can get quite expensive for a few reasons:

  • traffic is basically unavoidable anywhere and anytime in the entire Los Angeles area, which is why sitting in the car for extended periods of time can make Uber so expensive
  • low Uber driver wages also causes a low supply of drivers, but there is a high demand for rides, so prices increase
  • besides traffic, the time it takes to get from one destination to the next because of the physical distance in between places also causes higher Uber prices

Visitors staying in Los Angeles will find that other points of interest like Orange County, The Queen Mary, Disneyland, the Warner Bros Studio, Universal Studios, Pasadena (where you can see Big Bang Theory locations), etc. are very spread out, so it will take time and money to explore everything in the greater Los Angeles area.

💰 Exactly How Expensive Is Uber In Los Angeles?

Uber can get quite expensive in the Los Angeles area because it's so large and crowded.

How expensive Uber will be in Los Angeles does depend on certain factors like the season, the time of day, if there are any nearby events, or the type of Uber you need, but below are some general averages to get an idea of transportation costs in LA:

  • Uber from LAX to downtown LA = around $52-140
  • Uber cost from LAX to Beverly Hills = around $50-176
  • Uber from LAX to Santa Monica Pier = around $42-130
  • Uber from LAX to Venice Beach = around $31-72
  • Uber cost from LAX to Hollywood = around $71-182
  • Uber from LAX to Long Beach = around $59-172
  • Uber from LAX to Anaheim = around $117-300
  • Uber from Los Angeles to Malibu = around $62-110
  • Uber from Los Angeles to Griffith Observatory = around $30-40
  • Uber from LA to Laguna Beach = around $90-130
  • Uber from LAX to Santa Barbara = around $240-700

⭐️ What’s The Best Way To Get Around Los Angeles (Besides Uber)?

Since Uber can get quite expensive in the Los Angeles area, especially if you’re using it every time you go out to explore, here are some alternatives to consider for transportation and exploration in LA:

Taxis

Taxis are typically more expensive in Los Angeles compared to Ubers, but some situations where they might be necessary are when ride-shares go on surge prices or when the wait time to get a ride is too long.

Public Transportation

Public transportation is available all over this area, but it isn't the quickest way to get around.

Public transportation is available in the Los Angeles area and it can be good for those wanting the absolute cheapest option, but the routes are somewhat limited and travel times are at least double that of driving so it’s not ideal for limited vacation time.

Lyft

Lyft is available in the greater Los Angeles area, but it should be fairly similar to Uber prices, though you can check which is cheaper by keeping both apps open to compare for each individual ride.

Driving Yourself

Because Uber is so expensive in Los Angeles, I think the best way to get around is by driving yourself.

Renting a car and driving around the Los Angeles/Southern California area is my personal favorite way to get around here because it’s much easier to explore and do things at your own pace, but some things to consider before renting a car and driving yourself include:

  • high gas prices make things add up quickly
  • paid parking is most common which also adds up quickly
  • rental cars aren’t cheap
  • traffic is heavy, everywhere, (nearly) all the time
  • LA has some crazy drivers
  • directions, traffic, and other drivers can make driving in Los Angeles stressful, hard, and even dangerous

*️⃣ Tip: if you’re short on time, there are a few beaches close to the LAX airport you can visit, but they’re not going to be quite as nice as Orange County beaches (in my opinion)

Tours

Tours are one of the easiest ways to explore this Southern California area.

Besides driving yourself, I think taking tours is the best and most convenient way to get around to multiple sights in the Los Angeles area, especially because you won’t have to worry about parking, gas, or directions.

Los Angeles has tons of options, but here are a few popular ones:

*️⃣ Tip: Southern California has many great places for beginners to learn to surf, but my favorites are Huntington Beach (for its surf culture) and Newport Beach (for its smaller, more consistent waves)

LAX Airport Transportation Options

There are multiple options for transportation to and from LAX.
  • check to see if your hotel offers a free (or even paid) LAX shuttle service
  • Uber can pickup from LAX and it’s typically pretty easy to get one (just expensive)
  • taxis are available at LAX, but they’re usually more expensive than Uber or Lyft
  • public transportation is available from LAX, and there’s even an option to get to Union Station from the airport
  • private transportation is an easy, safe, and convenient way to get from the LAX airport to Los Angeles area hotels

🔁 Sum Up: Is Uber Expensive In Los Angeles?

With the size, both physically and population-wise of the Los Angeles and entire Southern California area, it’s understandable that Uber is quite expensive to use here as a regular transportation option. To avoid paying these super high prices each time you want to go out and explore, I recommend checking out some local tours or getting a rental car to drive yourself during your visit to LA.

Haley

Haley is the owner and author of Adventure Evermore, a travel blog that encourages users to explore, adventure, & bucket list around the world, no matter what anxieties or other difficulties they may have. When she's not writing blog posts about her favorite destinations, she's reading, playing soccer, or watching sports, movies, or TV (especially The X Files).