# Why does water cost more than soda? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051 "2003-07-22T00:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/1 "2003-07-22T00:41:51Z")
You can buy a 20 ounce Coke or Pepsi for less money than you can buy a 20 ounce Dasani(bottled water from Coca Cola) or Aquafina(bottled water from Pepsi). Why does the bottled water cost more? I would think it should cost less since it has less ingredients and requires less processing than the soda. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/2 "2003-07-22T00:56:50Z")
Prices are determined by the interaction between supply and demand, not by the cost of production. Coca Cola and Pepsi charge more for bottled water than sode simply because they _can_: consumers are willing to pay more for water than carbonated drinks. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/3 "2003-07-22T00:58:42Z")
Because people are ‘Evian’ spelled backwards. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/4 "2003-07-22T01:00:14Z")
Then do what I do. Refill the water bottles from the tap six or seven times. It is a pretty good price for a convenient bottle. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/5 "2003-07-22T01:01:26Z")
And gasoline costs less than soda (in the US). ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_Amundsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@Brad\_Amundsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_Amundsen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/6 "2003-07-22T01:02:34Z")
I Agree with Narrad^^^^^,but I also believe that it cost more because the facilities for bottling and labeling water are fewer than that of soda ,less production capacity=more cost. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/7 "2003-07-22T01:30:50Z")
Re: supply and demand. I’ve done a bit of travelling, and bottled water is much cheaper in some countries. In Egypt, for instance, the domestic water supply is not drinking quality, and everyone relies on bottled mineral water for their drinking water. You can get large bottles of water for less than one egyptian pound, which is equivalent to about 16 American cents, and you can buy them in almost every type of shop. I think its down to overheads. In Ney York, there isn’t that large a market for bottled water, compared to Egypt. It might cost, say, $100 to make a delivery of water. In New York, there might be a market of 200 bottles, so thats 50 cents per bottle. In Egypt, there might be a market of 10,000 bottles, so its only 1 cent per bottle. (I’m just using these figures as an example, I don’t know the actual cost). In America there is a much larger market for soda than water, so the overheads per item are much smaller. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/8 "2003-07-22T01:49:21Z")
Supply and demand isn’t such a simple thing after all. Marketing and demand push the price up, but the price still has to remain low enough to move a significant volume. Because when it comes to a consumable, if you don’t move any of it, you lose prestige as well as market share. Your product has to be in the hands of people on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Nomadic\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Nomadic\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nomadic_One)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/9 "2003-07-22T01:50:16Z")
Supply and demand and good marketing. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/10 "2003-07-22T02:02:21Z")
About supply and demand, the difference in the Egyptian market is that it’s a commondity product from a utility. They could charge 50 cents per bottle, but there would be riots and running street battles from thirsty people. Compare this to US/UK/Aus/NZ bottled water, which the company can charge however much they like and the poor people drink tap water (I’ve heard about the poor water quality in LA, but bear with me). They could charge lower, but then it begins to lose its exclusiveness and some of its snob factor (eg Perrier [sp?]). The input costs to ‘produce’ bottled water is ridiculously low and the transportation costs are the same as any other beverage company. Yeap, the bottling companies are making megabucks. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/11 "2003-07-22T02:21:11Z")
I worked very closely with Poland Spring in Maine, around 1995-1997. They made mega-expansion over the few years I was there. I didn’t get into their financial knickers, but their profit margin was VERY healthy. ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/12 "2003-07-22T02:32:58Z")
Yes, supply and demand. Todays public is plain stupid. Simple as that. Everyone thinks drinking tap water will poison you. The public has been brain washed on pollution and environmental issues. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/13 "2003-07-22T02:38:31Z")
Most bottled water comes from municipal tap water supplies. They charge as much for it as they do because people are silly enough to buy it instead of drinking tap water. New York City, for as dirty as its reputation is, has some of the best tap water on the planet, so I’m happy to drink that. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/14 "2003-07-22T03:57:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrFidelius \* > \*\*Then do what I do. Refill the water bottles from the tap six or seven times. It is a pretty good price for a convenient bottle. \*\* Don’t refill it too much… According to [this article](http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/11282001_nw_waterbottles.htmlhttp://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/11282001_nw_waterbottles.html) that’s a surefire way to create a germ factory. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/15 "2003-07-22T04:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brad Amundsen \* > \*\*I Agree with Narrad^^^^^,but I also believe that it cost more because the facilities for bottling and labeling water are fewer than that of soda ,less production capacity=more cost. \*\* Decidedly not true. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co. use the excess capacity in their bottling plants to produce AquaFina and Dasani. Both start with the same purified tap water that they use in their soft drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/16 "2003-07-22T06:04:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Most bottled water comes from municipal tap water supplies. They charge as much for it as they do because people are silly enough to buy it instead of drinking tap water. > > New York City, for as dirty as its reputation is, has some of the best tap water on the planet, so I’m happy to drink that. \*\* Citeroo? I’m unaware that “most” bottled water is sourced from tap water supplies. FTR, people are “silly” enough to buy it because often when one is out and about, the choice is between paying for (a) sugary carbonated crap; (b) sweetened reconsitututed fruit juice; or © bottled water. Tap water is not always available. Myself, I choose © because I’d prefer paying for a healthy re-hydrating drink than some diluted sugar concentrate I don’t even like the taste of. Water bottles can also be washed and reused. Call it naive, but many people consider the manufacturer’s cost of production quite irrelevant when they are purchasing goods or services. Production cost is unimportant; consumer _utility_ and price are all. ---
**Author:** ![Thaumaturge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@Thaumaturge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thaumaturge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/17 "2003-07-22T06:50:22Z")
I re-use my water bottles for months on end, which no ill-effects. Once a week I just fill it with a bleach solution for a few hours, then thoroughly rinse it out. I re-fill it using a Brita filter-pitcher. 25cents per gallon beats 25 cents per ounce, or whatever the current overcharge for bottled water is. And the Brita water even tastes better and has less micro-organisms, lead, and other impurities! New York City’s Tap water consistantly beats bottled water in taste tests, sorry no cites. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/18 "2003-07-22T07:45:45Z")
Ha, marketing **creates** demand. Look at our consumer culture. If the bottling plants use the same water for the sodas and the bottled water, perchance do they have to treat the bottled water more to get the clean taste? The carbonation, sugar, and flavorings in soda could hide some pretty blah water. So the same plant could have more costs for the water for removing stuff, than the costs for the soda for adding stuff. But I agree, it’s the market forces that sets the prices. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/19 "2003-07-22T07:46:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Narrad \* > Citeroo? I’m unaware that “most” bottled water is sourced from tap water supplies. From [The NRDC](http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/nbw.asp), which is usually fairly good about such things: > [@](#): > > In fact, about one-fourth of bottled water is actually bottled tap water, according to government and industry estimates (some estimates go as high as 40 percent). And FDA rules allow bottlers to call their product “spring water” even though it may be brought to the surface using a pumped well, and it may be treated with chemicals. But the actual source of water is not always made clear – some bottled water marketing is misleading, implying the water comes from pristine sources when it does not. In 1995, the FDA issued labeling rules to prevent misleading claims, but while the rules do prohibit some of the most deceptive labeling practices, they have not eliminated the problem. Furthermore, FDA-regulated bottled water is subject to far inferior safety and contaminate regulations, compared to EPA-regulated municipal water supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051/20 "2003-07-22T08:10:09Z")
While Aquafina and Dasani are as expensive as Coca-Cola here, I can also get a gallon of water at the supermarket for half the price of a 20-oz. Coke. It’s not “natural” or anything, but it’s markedly potable. When people refer to “bottled water” are they including this stuff? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-water-cost-more-than-soda/190051.md?page=2)