Lyft recently decreased its fare by up to 20% in many cities. This was due to a $250 million increase in funding from investors. I use Uber quite often, but only used Lyft once. My impression of Lyft was that it is a friendlier Uber, but probably less professional than Uber. Lyft was also a bit more expensive than Uber at the time, but now that rates have decreased, I wanted to compare both of the current rates now that Lyft decreased fares to compete with Uber.
Uber in Los Angeles currently costs:
- $1.61 base fare
- $1.25 per mile
- $0.29 per minute
Lyft in Los Angeles now costs:
- $1.00 base fare
- $1.00 trust and safety fee
- $1.25 per mile
- $0.29 per minute
Cheaper Lyft Prices in Los Angeles Now
As you can see, Lyft and Uber have the same per mile and per minute cost. However, Uber has a $0.29 less base fare than Lyft. I really think this difference is immaterial between Lyft and Uber. However, one practical situation I faced was when Uber had surge pricing of 3.0X! I checked Lyft and it had 2X surge pricing (+100% tip). In this case, Lyft was cheaper than Uber. It’s a good practice to check both apps to see which one will have a lower surge pricing in high-demand times.
I use both Lyft and Uber, but I think it all matters on preference. Do you want to be social and talk to the driver? Choose Lyft. Do you want get from point A to point B without talking to anyone? Choose Uber. From my experience, Lyft drivers are usually the young and hip generation and Uber drivers are immigrants who have been here for a few years. Nonetheless, both Lyft and Uber get me from point A to point B.
It doesn’t hurt to get some free credit for yourself from both Uber and Lyft. My Uber link will earn you $20 free credit and the Lyft link will earn you $25 free credit.
