This City Spends The Most On Takeout Food — And Holy Macaroni (And Cheese)

Even if you love to cook at home, you can’t deny the beauty of takeout food. It can be an actual lifesaver when you don’t have time — or energy — to make a meal. Maybe you just came home from a long day at work or you’re recovering from a nasty cold. Or, perhaps you were just on vacation and have nothing but hot sauce in your kitchen. Whatever the reason, ordering takeout certainly has its perks, and the popularity of takeout apps only makes the process easier. There’s just one problem, though: it can get real expensive, real fast.

Just ask the residents of Seattle, Washington. According to research by VitaGene, a DNA testing company, the Emerald City spends the most money on takeout and restaurant food each year. The folks at VitaGene determined this by analyzing government consumer data, and their findings will make your piggy bank cringe.

On average, Seattleites spend $210 a month on takeout, which equals $2,520 a year. This adds up to a 10-year cost of $25,200 and a lifetime cost of $151,200. (VitaGene calculated a “lifetime” based on 60 years.)

At $199 a month, Pittsburgh came in second. San Francisco took third place at $195 a month, while Austin stole fourth place at $189 a month. San Jose, where folks spend an average of $188 a month on takeout, stole fifth place.

As you can imagine, ordering takeout is more common in bigger cities.

Often, the selection is deliciously diverse, and delivery employees can easily hop on a train or bike and show up at your door.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that apps like UberEats, Seamless, and GrubHub are literally at our fingertips.

The food scene in Seattle is also ah-mazing.

Aside from rainy days and the Space Needle, Seattle is known for its legendary coffee scene.

It is home to the one and only Starbucks, after all.

The Emerald City is also known as a mecca for pho.

Is there anything better than a bowl of pho on a rainy day?

Oh, and we can’t forget about the seafood, too.

Seriously, Seattle is a must for seafood lovers.

You can’t go wrong with a classic meal of fish and chips, too.

There’s also the Seattle dog, or a cream cheese hot dog.

It sounds strange, but apparently, it’s delicious.

Like most major cities, tasty vegan bites are also easy to find.

To be honest, we don’t blame Seattleites for spending so much on takeout!