Your DoorDash Order Could Cost You More in These Cities

Ordering delivery is more expensive than cooking at home or opting for pick up, but your location can drastically impact how high of a bill you run up.

In a new report from Casinos.us, certain cities saw significantly higher prices from DoorDash, with residents in Honolulu, Hawaii, seeing the priciest delivery rates.

Meanwhile, those in New Orleans saw the lowest DoorDash charges overall. The standard order basket was $128.88, compared to Honolulu’s $278.10.

Some of the other cheapest cities on the list were Elko, Nevada, Grand Island, Nebraska, Cedar City, Utah, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

On the other end, large cities like Chicago, New York and Charleston, South Carolina, saw some of the highest prices after Honolulu, reflecting the higher cost of living in those areas.

Newsweek reached out to DoorDash via email for comment.

“While some match what your opinions would more than likely be, there are some entries that are head-scratchers,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. “Cities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia are no surprise for being more affordable, as prices in general are cheaper given the lower median income of those living in those states.”

The timing of your order could make a big difference, as well, as Casinos found noon was the cheapest order time, while midnight could throw your budget for more of a loop, likely because of the smaller number of drivers on the road.

Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and founder/CEO of 9i Capital Group, said it comes down to supply and demand.

“The larger the population, the higher the demand for the service,” Thompson told Newsweek. “Much like surge pricing, the same can be said about population. Price has to meet where supply/demand meet equilibrium. So, prices are generally higher in big cities and large metro areas.”

Beene said the cost of living in your area is just one component of what decides your final DoorDash price, but you can also increase or reduce your price based on the timing, demand and restaurant you’re ordering from.

“Whether you’re in one of the most or least expensive cities to order from DoorDash in, the wisdom to take away from studies like this is to have a better game plan as to when to order and where to order from,” Beene said. “A little research and learning from experience could save you more than a few dollars later on.”