TULSA, Okla. — Ordering food through delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub can increase the cost of a $12 meal to more than $20 — an 80% markup that's hitting American wallets hard, according to new research from LendingTree.
The convenience of having restaurant meals delivered directly to your door comes with a significant price tag that many consumers don't fully realize until after they've placed their order.
"About 40% of Americans say they're ordering food delivery once a week or more... there's not a whole lot of us that can afford to add an extra 80% onto our food budgets," Matt Schulz from LendingTree said.
The study analyzed delivery orders from five major restaurant chains across the 10 largest U.S. cities and surveyed 2,000 people about their delivery habits. Researchers found that on average, ordering food delivery costs 79.5% more than picking up the same meal in person — an additional $9.30 per order.
When compared to other dining options, the markup becomes even more dramatic.
- Delivery is 279.9% more expensive than buying a similar frozen meal at the grocery store
- 601.7% more expensive than cooking a comparable meal at home.
Regional differences in delivery costs
The markup varies significantly by city.
- Atlanta has the highest average markup between delivery and pickup at 92.2%
- New York at 89.1%
- Philadelphia at 82.8%
- Chicago at 71.8%
- Miami at 69.3%
- Houston offers the smallest markup at 67.0%
Schulz says the significant up-charge consumers pay for delivery convenience is often an afterthought, especially for busy parents wanting a hot meal on the table at the end of a long day or workers who don't have time to step out for lunch.
"This could be a little bit of a wake-up call to help you rethink if you may be doing this a little more often than you should," Schulz said.
Who's ordering delivery most often
The study reveals:
- 38% of Americans order delivery each week
- 24% doing so at least a few times weekly
- Parents of young children are particularly frequent users, with 60% ordering at least once a week and 43% ordering multiple times per week.
Generational differences also emerge in delivery habits.
- Millennials (56%)
- Gen Zers (50%) get delivery at least once a week.
- Men order delivery more frequently than women, with 49% of men ordering weekly compared to 28% of women.
The bottom line: convenience costs money. Before placing your next delivery order, make sure you understand exactly what you're paying for those extra fees, tips and markups that can nearly double your meal cost.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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