Uber Eats vs real menu prices – Tested

Ordering food using a delivery app makes life a lot easier, and in some cases it is faster than going to the restaurant and ordering yourself.
It is more expensive than ordering at the venue itself, however, with services like Uber Eats charging a delivery fee and prompting you to tip the driver.
The added convenience is usually worth this extra expense, especially since Uber Eats only charges a delivery fee of R10.00.
However, many users of the Uber Eats app have noticed that pricing can differ substantially compared to the restaurant’s actual menu.
This results in more expensive prices within the Uber Eats app.
To determine whether this pricing difference was consistent across all restaurants, and to get an idea of how much more Uber Eats users are paying, we compared the native menu and Uber Eats prices for five popular restaurants.
We excluded promotions and specials from this comparison and used only the standard pricing.
Below is a comparison of the Uber Eats and standard pricing for multiple menu items from each restaurant.
McDonald’s
Menu Item | Restaurant | Uber Eats | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Big Mac Meal | R47.00 | R41.90 | R5.10 |
McFeast Meal | R63.00 | R71.90 | R8.90 |
Chicken Foldover Meal | R48.50 | R54.90 | R6.40 |
Double Quarter Pounder Meal | R53.50 | R64.90 | R11.40 |
Grand Chicken Meal | R53.50 | R60.50 | R7.00 |
Cheese Burger | R14.50 | R18.50 | R4.00 |
Hamburger | R12.50 | R15.50 | R3.00 |
Average Difference | +12.1% |
RocoMamas
Menu Item | Restaurant | Uber Eats | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Old Skool Burger (150g) | R49.00 | R56.00 | R7.00 |
The Slacker Burger | R89.00 | R102.00 | R13.00 |
Bacon Cheese Guac Burger (200g) | R89.00 | R102.00 | R13.00 |
Mushroom Swizz (150g) | R69.00 | R79.00 | R10.00 |
Small Shoestring Fries | R19.00 | R22.00 | R3.00 |
Beef Ribs (1kg) | R295.00 | R339.00 | R44.00 |
Buffalo Wings (8) | R64.00 | R74.00 | R10.00 |
Jalapeno Bombs (6) | R40.00 | R46.00 | R6.00 |
Average Difference | +14.5% |
Mugg & Bean
Menu Item | Restaurant | Uber Eats | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
The M&B Classic | R54.90 | R54.90 | R0.00 |
The Famous One | R69.90 | R69.90 | R0.00 |
French Butter Croissant | R40.90 | R40.90 | R0.00 |
BBQ Burger | R79.90 | R79.90 | R0.00 |
Grilled Rump Steak | R169.90 | R169.90 | R0.00 |
Classic Caffe Mocha | R33.90 | R33.90 | R0.00 |
Famous Giant Muffin | R39.90 | R39.90 | R0.00 |
Average Difference | +0.0% |
Simply Asia
Menu Item | Restaurant | Uber Eats | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Tom Yum Soup (Chicken) | R49.00 | R59.20 | R1.20 |
Brinjals Stir-Fry (Chicken) | R76.00 | R91.70 | R15.70 |
Steamed Rice | R15.00 | R18.10 | R3.10 |
Vegetable Spring Rolls | R38.00 | R45.90 | R7.90 |
Roasted Duck in Soya Sauce | R119.00 | R143.60 | R24.60 |
Chicken Basil Fried Rice | R62.00 | R74.80 | R12.80 |
Roti with Banana and Condensed Milk | R33.00 | R39.90 | R6.90 |
Average Difference | +20.7% |
Col’Cacchio
Menu Item | Restaurant | Uber Eats | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
Piatto di Salumi | R135.00 | R167.00 | R32.00 |
Carne Antipasto | R125.00 | R154.00 | R29.00 |
Wasa-Bee Salad | R99.00 | R122.00 | R23.00 |
Filetto di Manzo | R215.00 | R265.00 | R50.00 |
Margherita Pizza | R75.00 | R93.00 | R18.00 |
Regina Pizza | R98.00 | R121.00 | R23.00 |
Mozzafiato Pizza | R110.00 | R136.00 | R26.00 |
Smokey Babe Pizza | R160.00 | R197.00 | R37.00 |
Average Difference | +23.4% |
Uber Eats responds
MyBroadband reached out to Uber for more information on the price differences, and the company explained that restaurants determine their own pricing for products in the Uber Eats app.
“Regarding the pricing of meals sold by restaurants via the Uber Eats app/marketplace, each restaurant determines its own pricing for meals that will be sold via the app,” said Uber spokesperson Samantha Fuller.
“Uber Eats does not request or require restaurants to disclose the rationale behind their pricing strategies as this would constitute each restaurant’s proprietary, business-sensitive information,” Fuller added.
A reason why restaurant prices may be higher in the Uber Eats app is due to the service fee charged by Uber for using its platform.
“Uber Eats is a three-sided marketplace, offering: consumers quick and reliable food delivery, restaurants access to new customers, and couriers flexible economic opportunities,” Fuller explained.
“Uber Eats charges each participant a fee for accessing the marketplace. Consumers pay a Delivery Fee, and restaurants pay a Service Fee.”
This service fee is negotiated on a case-by-case basis and varies by market location.
These fees vary depending on market and are implemented to cover various operational costs, such as courier fares, credit card fees, and app support.
“While the service fee, of course, varies between restaurants and locations, ensuring Uber Eats adds value to a restaurants business is a top priority,” Fuller said.