A taxi costs about $3.50 to start, $2.97 a mile, and $0.40–$0.75 a minute when you are stuck in traffic. Put that together for a typical 5-mile city ride and the meter lands between $15.20 and $27.91 depending on the city, with a median of $20.30 before tip.
Those numbers come from the official rate cards of 18 big US cities, not from a fare-estimator app. We pulled each city's meter rates from its taxi regulator or city code on September 14, 2026, then applied them to the same trip in every city. Every row in the tables below links to the source.
- A 5-mile ride: $15.20 (New Orleans) to $27.91 (San Diego). Median $20.30, or about $23–$24 with a tip.
- The meter: a starting fee of $3.50 (median), $2.20–$4.30 a mile, plus a per-minute charge whenever the cab is below about 10–12 mph.
- Per mile, all-in: about $4.06 on a 5-mile trip, falling to about $3.48 on a 20-mile trip as the starting fee gets spread out.
- Cheaper than Uber? Not on a normal day. UberX beat the meter in all 18 cities. Taxis win when surge tops about 1.4x, and on flat airport fares at peak times.
How Much Is a Taxi Ride? The 5-Mile Benchmark
To compare cities fairly, we priced one trip everywhere: 5 miles with 5 minutes of stopped or slow traffic. That is the same benchmark trip the transportation consultant Bruce Schaller used in his Taxi Fares in Major U.S. Cities index, so you can compare our 2026 numbers with his older ones.
What a 5-mile taxi ride costs in 18 US cities
Official meter rates applied to 5 miles with 5 minutes of stopped or slow traffic. Before tip, tolls and airport fees. Median: $20.30.
Source: RideWise calculation from each city's official meter rates (see the city table for links). No tip, tolls, airport fees or night surcharges. New York excludes the Manhattan congestion charges, which add $3.25 to most Manhattan trips.
Three things stand out. First, the spread is wide: the same ride costs 84% more in San Diego than in New Orleans. Second, San Diego beats New York because its meter runs $4.30 a mile, the highest we found. Third, the four cheapest cities (New Orleans, Phoenix, Atlanta, Seattle) all have a meter rate of $2.70 a mile or less.
How does that compare with 20 years ago? Schaller's 2006 index put the same 5-mile trip at $13.10 in New York and $12.70 in Chicago. Today those cities are $25.50 and $18.94. The federal Consumer Price Index for intracity transportation (which covers taxis, ride-hail and local transit) rose 8.5% in the year to August 2026 and is up about 15% since December 2019, so taxi prices are still climbing faster than most things you buy.
How a Taxi Meter Works: Flag Drop, Per Mile and Waiting Time
Every US taxi meter charges the same three things, and every city sets the amounts by law:
- The flag drop (also called the initial charge or drop rate). It is what the meter shows the moment you get in, and it usually covers the first fraction of a mile. In our 18 cities it ranges from $2.60 to $5.50 (Miami prices the whole first mile in steps instead, totaling $7.20).
- The distance rate. The meter ticks up in small steps: 1/5 mile in New York, 1/9 mile in Chicago and Los Angeles, 1/10 mile in Philadelphia. Multiply out and you get the per-mile rate.
- The waiting-time rate. Below a set speed (12 mph in New York, 11 mph in Seattle, 10 mph in Philadelphia) the meter stops counting distance and starts counting time. You never pay both at once for the same stretch of road.
On top of the meter, many cities add required fees to every trip, and some add surcharges at night, in rush hour, or for extra passengers. Here is the full math for our benchmark trip in New York, the city with the most add-ons:
| New York yellow cab, 5 miles + 5 slow minutes | Charge |
|---|---|
| Initial charge | $3.00 |
| Distance: 5 miles × $3.50 ($0.70 per 1/5 mile) | $17.50 |
| Slow traffic: 5 minutes × $0.70 | $3.50 |
| MTA state surcharge + improvement surcharge | $1.50 |
| Metered fare, outer boroughs | $25.50 |
| Add in Manhattan below 96th St: $2.50 congestion surcharge + $0.75 MTA congestion toll | $3.25 |
| Metered fare, Manhattan | $28.75 |
| With a 20% tip | $34.50 |
Source: NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission fare page, rates effective December 19, 2022. Weekday rush hour (4–8 p.m.) adds $2.50 and 8 p.m.–6 a.m. adds $1.
If you have ever watched a New York meter jump while the cab sat at a red light, that is the $0.70-a-minute waiting rate at work. Twelve minutes of gridlock costs the same as 2.4 miles of open road.
Taxi Rates by City: Official 2026 Meter Rates for 18 Cities
This is the core table. Each row is the current legal meter rate for a standard sedan cab, taken from the regulator named in the last column. The 5-mile fare is our benchmark trip computed from those rates. Cities are sorted from most to least expensive.
| City | Flag drop | Per mile | Waiting (per min) | 5-mile fare | Rates effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | $4.00 (first 1/10 mi) | $4.30 | $0.57 | $27.91 | 2026 maximum | San Diego MTS |
| Las Vegas, NV | $5.50 | $3.34 | $0.54 | $25.65 | Apr 9, 2026 | Nevada Taxicab Authority |
| Portland, OR | $3.80 | $3.50 | $0.75 | $25.55 | Sep 2026 (company) | Radio Cab / PBOT |
| New York, NY | $3.00 | $3.50 | $0.70 | $25.50 | Dec 19, 2022 | NYC TLC |
| San Francisco, CA | $4.15 (first 1/5 mi) | $3.25 | $0.65 | $23.00 | Nov 17, 2022 | SFMTA |
| Miami, FL | $7.20 (first mile) | $3.30 | $0.40 | $22.40 | Jul 19, 2022 | Miami-Dade County |
| Boston, MA | $3.80 (first 1/8 mi) | $3.20 | $0.53 | $22.07 | Mar 28, 2024 | Boston Police Rule 403 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $2.70 (first 1/10 mi) | $3.00 | $0.48 | $21.10 | Nov 1, 2025 | Philadelphia Parking Authority |
| Los Angeles, CA | $3.10 (first 1/9 mi) | $2.97 | $0.54 | $20.30 | 2023 rate sheet | LADOT |
| Houston, TX | $3.72 (first 1/11 mi) | $2.97 | $0.40 | $20.30 | Dec 17, 2025 | Houston Code §46-31 |
| Washington, DC | $4.00 (first 1/8 mi) | $2.56 | $0.42 | $20.07 | Aug 2, 2024 | DC DFHV |
| Denver, CO | $3.50 | $2.80 | $0.40 | $19.50 | Sep 2026 (tariff) | DEN + Metro Taxi tariff |
| Dallas, TX | $3.00 | $2.80 | $0.40 | $19.00 | Jun 14, 2023 | Dallas City Code 47A |
| Chicago, IL | $3.25 (first 1/9 mi) | $2.79 | $0.41 | $18.94 | Jul 1, 2026 | Chicago BACP |
| Seattle, WA | $2.60 (first 1/9 mi) | $2.70 | $0.50 | $18.30 | Aug 6, 2025 | King County / Seattle rule |
| Atlanta, GA | $3.50 (first 1/8 mi) | $2.40 | $0.40 | $17.20 | Jun 14, 2023 | Atlanta Code §162-118 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $2.75 | $2.20 | $0.60 | $16.75 | Sep 2026 (company) | Yellow Cab AZ / City Code 4-83 |
| New Orleans, LA | $3.50 (first 1/8 mi) | $2.40 | not published | $15.20 | Sep 15, 2022 | New Orleans Ground Transportation Bureau |
Flag drops that include a first fraction of a mile are marked. Miami's first mile is priced in steps and totals $7.20, so it is shown as a first-mile charge. Las Vegas includes the $0.19-a-mile fuel surcharge in force since April 2026 and a 3% state excise tax on the whole fare. Denver, Phoenix and Portland leave street rates to the companies, so those rows show the largest fleet's posted rates.
Two big cities are missing on purpose. Orlando sets its meter rate by a city council resolution that is not posted online, and the airport bans flat fares, so we could not verify a number. Minneapolis publishes its $2.50 flag drop and $0.40-a-minute waiting rate, but the per-mile rate is set administratively each year and is not on the city site either. If you know the current figure, send it our way.
A few of these pages disagree with themselves, which is why we cite the binding document rather than the summary page. Boston's police department web page still shows a 2008 schedule; the current Rule 403 is $3.80 to start and $3.20 a mile. Houston's city web page shows 2019 rates; the December 2025 ordinance raised the meter 28%. Chicago raised its meter for the first time since 2016 on July 1, 2026, adding a $2.50 rush-hour fee and a $1 overnight fee.
Taxi fare calculator (official meter rates)
Uses the published meter rate for the city you pick. Tolls and tip are not included. The meter is the legal maximum, so a real trip should land at or below this figure.
| Initial charge | $3.00 |
| Distance ($3.50 per mile) | $17.50 |
| Waiting time ($0.70 per minute) | $3.50 |
| Required fees (MTA state surcharge, improvement surcharge) | $1.50 |
| Same trip by UberX (RideWise estimate, ~15 min, no surge) | $16.98–$21.62 |
Meter rates: NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, rates effective December 19, 2022 (source). Airport fees, tolls and extra-passenger charges are listed in the city table above. UberX figure is a non-surge estimate from the RideWise rate card, not a live quote.
Taxi Fare per Mile: Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities
"How much is a taxi per mile" has two honest answers. The meter rate is the distance charge on the rate card: $2.20 in Phoenix up to $4.30 in San Diego, median $2.97. The effective rate is what you actually pay per mile once the flag drop, waiting time and required fees are folded in: about $4.06 on a 5-mile trip, and about $3.48 on a 20-mile trip.
Taxi meter rate per mile by city
The distance rate printed on each city's official rate card. Median: $2.97 a mile.
Source: each city's official rate card, September 14, 2026. Las Vegas includes the active $0.19-a-mile fuel surcharge. San Diego shows the 2026 maximum for cabs without a card reader.
The gap between the two answers is the fixed cost of getting in. In Phoenix the meter rate is only $2.20 a mile, but the $2.75 flag drop means a 1-mile hop still costs $5.55. Short rides are where taxis are least competitive; see our guide to Uber minimum fares on short trips for the rideshare side of the same problem.
For comparison, UberX distance rates in the same cities run about $0.85–$1.75 a mile in the RideWise rate card, roughly half the taxi meter, with a booking fee and a per-minute charge that runs the whole trip rather than only in slow traffic. Our Uber cost per mile guide breaks that down city by city.
How Much Is a 20-Minute Taxi? Fares by Trip Length
People rarely know how many miles they are going, but they usually know how long it takes. The table converts trip time into a fare using a city average of about 20 mph, with a quarter of the time billed at the waiting rate. A 20-minute taxi covers roughly 6.7 miles and costs $19.28–$35.22, median $25.35.
| Trip time | Median (18 cities) | Range | New York | Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes (~3.3 mi) | $14.46 | $11.12–$19.18 | $17.80 | $13.17 | $13.91 |
| 15 minutes (~5 mi) | $19.72 | $15.20–$27.20 | $24.63 | $18.43 | $19.63 |
| 20 minutes (~6.7 mi) | $25.35 | $19.28–$35.22 | $31.45 | $23.68 | $25.35 |
| 30 minutes (~10 mi) | $36.32 | $27.20–$50.82 | $44.75 | $33.92 | $36.48 |
| 60 minutes (~20 mi) | $69.53 | $51.20–$98.07 | $85.00 | $64.89 | $70.20 |
RideWise calculation from official meter rates. Assumes ~20 mph average speed and 25% of trip time at the waiting rate; no tip, tolls or surcharges. New York excludes Manhattan congestion charges.
Notice that an hour in a cab ($69.53 median) costs less than four 15-minute rides ($78.88). You pay the flag drop once, and the meter only charges for distance or time, never both. Heavy traffic flips that logic: a 60-minute crawl at 8 mph in New York bills $0.70 a minute the whole way, or $46.50, for a trip that might be only 8 miles. Uber charges by time and distance together; our 20-minute Uber cost guide shows how the two systems diverge.
Is Uber Cheaper Than a Taxi?
On a normal day, yes, and by more than most people expect. We priced the same 5-mile, 15-minute trip on UberX using the RideWise rate card for each metro (no surge) and set it against the metered taxi fare. The taxi was more expensive in all 18 cities, by a median of 41%.
| City | Taxi (meter) | UberX estimate | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $27.91 | $14.08–$17.92 | 74% more by taxi |
| Las Vegas | $25.65 | $12.28–$15.62 | 84% more by taxi |
| Portland | $25.55 | $12.36–$15.74 | 82% more by taxi |
| New York | $25.50 | $16.98–$21.62 | 32% more by taxi |
| San Francisco | $23.00 | $14.87–$18.93 | 36% more by taxi |
| Miami | $22.40 | $11.44–$14.56 | 72% more by taxi |
| Boston | $22.07 | $14.34–$18.26 | 35% more by taxi |
| Philadelphia | $21.10 | $13.07–$16.63 | 42% more by taxi |
| Los Angeles | $20.30 | $12.85–$16.35 | 39% more by taxi |
| Houston | $20.30 | $10.82–$13.78 | 65% more by taxi |
| Washington | $20.07 | $13.77–$17.53 | 28% more by taxi |
| Denver | $19.50 | $11.13–$14.17 | 54% more by taxi |
| Dallas | $19.00 | $10.52–$13.38 | 59% more by taxi |
| Chicago | $18.94 | $13.16–$16.74 | 27% more by taxi |
| Seattle | $18.30 | $13.33–$16.97 | 21% more by taxi |
| Atlanta | $17.20 | $10.82–$13.78 | 40% more by taxi |
| Phoenix | $16.75 | $10.38–$13.22 | 42% more by taxi |
| New Orleans | $15.20 | $10.66–$13.56 | 26% more by taxi |
Taxi: official meter rates, 5 miles + 5 slow minutes. UberX: RideWise rate card, 5 miles / 15 minutes, no surge, ±12% band. Neither includes tip. The gap compares the taxi fare with the middle of the UberX band.
So when does the cab win?
- Surge. The meter never surges. In New York a 5-mile UberX overtakes the cab once surge reaches about 1.4x; in Chicago about 1.3x. Bar closing time, stadium let-outs and bad weather all get there. Our surge pricing guide covers the timing.
- Flat airport fares on busy days. A $70 JFK flat fare or a $51.15 LAX–downtown flat holds steady when the apps are quoting double. See the airport table below.
- Taxi stands after events. When 20,000 people open the app at once, the cab line at the venue moves faster and costs the meter.
- Very short trips in cities with a low flag drop. Seattle ($2.60) and Philadelphia ($2.70) cabs can tie UberX on a 1-mile hop because UberX has a $7–$9 minimum fare of its own.
Everywhere else, the app is cheaper. For the three-way view with Lyft, read Uber vs Lyft vs taxi, or price your own route with the ride cost calculator.
Airport Taxi Fares and Flat Rates
Airports are where the meter gets replaced by a rule book. Some cities set a flat fare between the airport and downtown; most add a pickup fee or a minimum fare; and New York charges a flat $70 to JFK but the meter to LaGuardia. The table lists every airport rule on the 18 rate cards.
| City | Rule | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York | JFK to or from Manhattan | $70.00 flat; plus $5 rush-hour surcharge weekdays 4–8 p.m., surcharges and tolls |
| New York | Airport access fee | $2.00 — pickups at JFK and LaGuardia |
| New York | LaGuardia surcharge | $5.00 — trips to or from LaGuardia |
| Chicago | O'Hare to downtown, shared ride | $30.00 flat; per person at the shared-ride stand |
| Chicago | Midway to downtown, shared ride | $22.00 flat; per person at the shared-ride stand |
| Chicago | Illinois airport departure tax | $4.00 — trips leaving O'Hare or Midway |
| Los Angeles | LAX to or from downtown LA | $51.15 flat; plus the $4 LAX surcharge when leaving the airport |
| Los Angeles | LAX surcharge | $4.00 — trips starting at LAX; $16.50 minimum from LAX |
| San Francisco | SFO pickup fee | $6.00 — trips starting at SFO; no fee for drop-offs |
| Las Vegas | Airport to the south Strip (Zone 1) | $22.25 flat; Sunset Rd to Tropicana Ave; plus 3% tax and the airport fee |
| Las Vegas | Airport to the central Strip (Zone 2) | $26.25 flat; Tropicana Ave to Flamingo Rd |
| Las Vegas | Airport to the north Strip (Zone 3) | $30.25 flat; Flamingo Rd to the Strat |
| Las Vegas | Harry Reid airport fee | $2.40 — pickups at the airport |
| Boston | Tunnel toll to Logan | $2.75 — trips from Boston proper to Logan Airport |
| Philadelphia | PHL to or from Center City | $32.00 flat; plus $1 per extra passenger when leaving the airport |
| Philadelphia | Airport egress fee | $1.50 — metered trips leaving PHL; $13 minimum from the airport |
| Miami | Airport and PortMiami minimum | $15.00 — trips starting at MIA or the cruise port pay at least $15 |
| Houston | "Six in the City" downtown flat | $6.00 flat; any trip entirely inside the central business district |
| Dallas | Love Field to downtown Dallas | $26.00 flat |
| Dallas | DFW Airport to downtown Dallas | $55.00 flat |
| Dallas | Love Field minimum | $10.00 — trips leaving Love Field; $22 minimum leaving DFW |
| Atlanta | Airport to downtown zone | $36.00 flat; plus $2 per extra passenger |
| Atlanta | Airport to Midtown zone | $38.00 flat |
| Atlanta | Airport to Buckhead zone | $48.00 flat |
| Atlanta | Airport initial fare | $1.50 — trips starting at Hartsfield-Jackson |
| Seattle | Sea-Tac minimum | $20.00 — any trip starting at the airport pays at least $20 |
| Denver | DEN to downtown Denver (Zone A) | $72.04 flat; includes the access fee |
| Denver | DEN to Denver Tech Center (Zone B) | $80.04 flat |
| Denver | DEN to Boulder (Zone C) | $115.04 flat |
| Denver | DEN access fee | $6.04 — every metered trip from the airport |
| Phoenix | Sky Harbor to downtown Phoenix | $20.00 flat; capped at $20 by city code |
| Phoenix | Sky Harbor minimum | $18.00 — airport pickups: $7 for the first mile, $2.60 a mile after, $18 minimum |
| San Diego | Airport trip fee | $3.56 — trips starting at San Diego International |
| New Orleans | MSY airport to the French Quarter or CBD | $36.00 flat; for one or two riders; $15 per person for three or more |
Source: the regulator rate card linked in the city table for each city. Tolls and tips are extra on every flat fare.
A flat fare is a price ceiling for a long trip and a price floor for a short one. Chicago is the clearest example: the O'Hare shared-ride stand charges $30 a person to downtown, while a metered cab on the same roughly 18-mile run comes to about $61 including the $4 state departure tax. A solo traveler who agrees to share pays $30 instead of $61, about half.
For the app-versus-cab decision at specific airports, see our guides to JFK to Manhattan, LAX and Las Vegas, or the 47-airport rideshare comparison. Rideshare airport pickup fees are covered in Uber and Lyft airport fees.
Taxi Surcharges: Night, Rush Hour, Extra Passengers and Card Fees
Surcharges are where the rate card and the receipt part ways. Night surcharges exist in 3 of our 18 cities (New York, Chicago, Houston), rush-hour surcharges in 2 (New York and Chicago), and extra-passenger charges in 8. A few cities also add a card fee or a fuel surcharge that moves with gas prices.
| City | Night | Rush hour | Extra passengers | Required fees and other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $1.00 (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) | $2.50 (weekdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., except holidays) | — | $0.50 MTA state surcharge on every trip; $1.00 improvement surcharge on every trip; NYS congestion surcharge: $2.50 (any trip that starts, ends or passes through Manhattan south of 96th St); MTA congestion toll: $0.75 (trips in Manhattan at or below 60th St) |
| Chicago | $1.00 (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) | $2.50 (3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) | $1.00 (ages 12–64; $0.50 for each passenger after that) | Electronic payment fee: $0.50 (card or app payment) |
| Los Angeles | — | — | — | — |
| San Francisco | — | — | — | — |
| Las Vegas | — | — | — | Credit or debit card fee: $3.00 (paying by card) |
| Boston | — | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | $1.00 (one charge no matter how many extra riders) | $0.50 passenger surcharge on every trip; $1.00 emergency fuel surcharge on every trip; Phone dispatch fee: $2.00 (rides booked by phone); Snow emergency: $15.00 (declared snow emergencies) |
| Philadelphia | — | — | — | $1.30 fuel surcharge (September 2026) on every trip |
| Miami | — | — | — | SUV or van surcharge: 30% (added to the meter for larger vehicles) |
| Houston | $1.00 (8 p.m. to 6 a.m., when the drop rises to $4.72) | — | — | Fuel surcharge: $0.50 (per trip for every $0.50 that Houston regular gas averages above $3.00) |
| Dallas | — | — | $2.00 (up to the vehicle's rated capacity) | Gasoline surcharge: $0.50 (per trip for every $0.50 that Texas regular gas averages above $2.00) |
| Atlanta | — | — | $2.00 (children under 6 ride free) | Fuel surcharge: $2.00 (per trip while Atlanta regular gas averages $2.90–$4.39) |
| Seattle | — | — | $0.50 (per person beyond two, children under 12 free) | — |
| Denver | — | — | $1.00 (per extra rider) | — |
| Phoenix | — | — | — | — |
| San Diego | — | — | — | — |
| New Orleans | — | — | $1.00 (after the first rider) | Special-event rate: $7.00 (per person, or the meter, around Superdome and arena events) |
| Portland | — | — | $1.00 (per extra rider) | $0.50 City of Portland trip surcharge on every trip |
Source: regulator rate cards linked in the city table. Fuel surcharges in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta switch on and off with the local gas price and are not included in our benchmark fares. Washington's $1 emergency fuel surcharge is included because it was still listed on the DFHV fare page on September 14, 2026.
Two of these are easy to avoid. The $3 card fee in Las Vegas disappears if you pay cash, and the Chicago rush-hour fee only applies from 3:30 to 7 p.m., so a 7:15 p.m. pickup saves $2.50. The New York rush-hour and overnight surcharges apply to the JFK flat fare too.
How to Pay Less for a Taxi
- Check the app price first. Curb, the Taxi option in the Uber app, and city apps like Arro show an estimate before you book, and in several cities they can charge a fixed upfront fare. If the upfront quote is higher than the meter math above, ask for the meter; Seattle's rules say you can refuse an upfront price.
- Know when the flat fare beats the meter. From JFK, LAX or Philadelphia International, the flat fare is usually a good deal in traffic and a bad one at 5 a.m. on a Sunday. Ask the driver to run the meter when the roads are clear and the flat fare is optional.
- Use the shared-ride stand at big airports. Chicago's $30-a-seat O'Hare shared ride is the best-known example.
- Time your pickup around surcharge windows. Chicago and New York both have rush-hour and overnight fees with hard start times.
- Skip the card fee where it exists. Las Vegas ($3) and Chicago ($0.50) charge for paying by card.
- Take a rideshare when surge is off. UberX was cheaper in all 18 cities on a normal day. Compare both before you decide: the ride cost calculator prices Uber and Lyft for your exact route.
How Much to Tip a Taxi Driver
The US norm is 15–20% of the metered fare, rounded up on small rides. On our $20.30 benchmark that is $3.04–$4.06; on a $70 JFK flat fare it is $10.50–$14. New York's in-cab card readers suggest 20%, 25% and 30%, but you can type any amount, and the screen suggestions are calculated on the fare plus surcharges. Drivers who load luggage, wait while you run an errand, or drive in bad weather typically earn the top of the range.
Tipping rules differ between cabs and apps: rideshare tips go through the app after the ride, and only about a quarter of riders tip at all. Our rideshare tipping guide has the numbers.
Methodology and Sources
We collected the current meter rate for a standard sedan taxi in 18 large US cities from the city or county regulator, or from the codified ordinance where the regulator's web page was out of date. Where a state leaves street rates to the companies (Colorado, Arizona, Oregon), we used the largest licensed fleet's posted rates and say so in the table. All pages were loaded on September 14, 2026.
The benchmark fare applies each city's flag drop, per-mile rate, waiting-time rate and required per-trip fees to a 5-mile trip with 5 minutes of stopped or slow traffic. Optional surcharges (night, rush hour, extra passengers, airport fees, tolls, gas-price-triggered fuel surcharges) are excluded from the benchmark and listed separately. UberX comparisons use the same RideWise rate card that powers our calculator, with no surge. The calculator on this page runs the identical meter math.
What we could not verify: Orlando and Minneapolis per-mile rates (not published online); whether Washington's emergency fuel surcharge was formally extended past August 2026; and how many San Diego cabs have adopted the optional 2026 maximum rates.
Sources
- New York, NY: NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission — rates effective December 19, 2022.
- Chicago, IL: City of Chicago Business Affairs & Consumer Protection — rates effective July 1, 2026.
- Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Department of Transportation — LADOT rate sheet dated 2023 (current as of September 2026).
- San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency — rates effective November 17, 2022.
- Las Vegas, NV: Nevada Taxicab Authority — Taxicab Authority order effective April 9, 2026.
- Boston, MA: Boston Police Hackney Carriage Unit (Rule 403) — Rule 403 revised March 28, 2024.
- Washington, DC: DC Department of For-Hire Vehicles — rates effective August 2, 2024.
- Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia Parking Authority — rates effective November 1, 2025.
- Miami, FL: Miami-Dade County Passenger Transportation Regulatory Division — Resolution R-700-22, adopted July 19, 2022.
- Houston, TX: City of Houston Code of Ordinances, Sec. 46-31 — Ordinance 2025-1050, passed December 17, 2025.
- Dallas, TX: Dallas City Code, Chapter 47A — Ordinance 32467, effective June 14, 2023.
- Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Code of Ordinances, Sec. 162-118 — Ordinance 2023-19, adopted June 14, 2023.
- Seattle, WA: King County and City of Seattle joint taxi rate rule — joint rule effective August 6, 2025.
- Denver, CO: Denver International Airport and Metro Taxi PUC tariff — DEN and Metro Taxi rate pages, September 2026 (company or tariff rates; see note in the city table).
- Phoenix, AZ: Yellow Cab Arizona rate card; Phoenix City Code 4-83 for airport trips — company rate page, September 2026; airport rates per City Code 4-83 (2025) (company or tariff rates; see note in the city table).
- San Diego, CA: San Diego MTS For-Hire Vehicle Administration — 2026 maximum rates (MTS hearing February 27, 2026).
- New Orleans, LA: City of New Orleans Ground Transportation Bureau — city rate page last updated September 15, 2022.
- Portland, OR: Radio Cab rate card; Portland City Code 16.40.140 — company rate page, September 2026 (company or tariff rates; see note in the city table).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U intracity transportation index — August 2026 release.
- Schaller Consulting, Taxi Fares in Major U.S. Cities — 2006 index used as the historical baseline and the source of the 5-mile, 5-minute benchmark trip.
- Uber, Book local taxi rides with Uber — upfront pricing for taxis booked in the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a taxi per mile?
Official meter rates run $2.20 a mile (Phoenix) to $4.30 a mile (San Diego), with a median of $2.97 across 18 big cities. That is only the distance charge. Add the starting fee (about $3.50), waiting time and required surcharges, and a typical 5-mile ride works out to about $4.06 per mile all-in.
How much should a 20-minute taxi cost?
About $19.28 to $35.22 before tip, with a median of $25.35, assuming a 20-minute city trip covers roughly 6.7 miles with a quarter of the time in slow traffic. New York comes to about $31.45, Chicago $23.68 and Los Angeles $25.35.
How much is 5 miles in a taxi?
$15.20 to $27.91 in the 18 cities we priced, median $20.30, for 5 miles with 5 minutes of stopped or slow traffic. New Orleans is the cheapest and San Diego the most expensive. Add 15–20% for the tip.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi?
Usually, yes. On a 5-mile trip with no surge, an UberX estimate came in below the metered taxi fare in all 18 cities, typically by about 41%. Taxis win when Uber surge climbs past roughly 1.4x in New York or 1.3x in Chicago, and on regulated airport flat fares during peak travel.
How much is a taxi from JFK to Manhattan?
The yellow-cab fare is a flat $70 in either direction, plus a $0.50 state surcharge, a $1 improvement surcharge, the $2.50 congestion surcharge, and a $5 rush-hour surcharge on weekdays from 4 to 8 p.m. Tolls and tip are extra, so most riders pay about $85–$95 all-in.
Do taxis charge for waiting in traffic?
Yes. When the cab is stopped or crawling, the meter switches from distance to time. Rates run $0.40 to $0.75 a minute in the cities we checked; New York charges $0.70 per minute below 12 mph, Chicago $0.31 every 45 seconds.
Can I get an upfront price for a taxi?
Often. Taxi apps such as Curb and the Taxi option inside the Uber app show an estimated fare before you book, and some cities let those apps charge a fixed upfront price instead of the meter. In a street-hailed cab you pay the meter, which is the legal maximum.
How much do you tip a taxi driver?
15–20% of the metered fare is standard in the US, so $3.04 to $4.06 on a typical $20.30 ride. Card readers in New York cabs suggest 20%, 25% or 30%, but you can type in any amount.
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