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CalculateTaxiFare

San Diego · US · verified Apr 9, 2026

Taxi Fare in San Diego

Real OpenStreetMap routing meets the official San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration tariff. See the base fare, every surcharge and a min–median–max range so you know what to expect on the meter.

Base fare
$2.80
Per mile
$3.00
Per minute
$0.40
Currency
USD

01Definition

What is a taxi fare in San Diego?

A taxi fare in San Diego is the metered price of a regulated for-hire car ride within the city limits. San Diego taxi rates are set by San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration and combine three components: a base fare of $2.80 (the amount on the meter when the trip begins), a distance rate of $3.00 per mile, and a slow-traffic rate of $0.40 per minute that applies when the cab is stopped or moving slowly. Surcharges, taxes and tip can shift the final amount by another 10–30%.

02Attributes

San Diego taxi tariff at a glance

Below is the live San Diego taxi tariff exactly as published by San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration. Every figure is dated; the most recent verification was on 2026-04-09. Use the calculator above to apply these numbers to your specific trip.

San Diego taxi tariff attributes
Base fare
$2.80
On the meter when the ride begins
Per-mile rate
$3.00 / mile
Charged for distance travelled
Per-minute rate
$0.40 / min
Slow-traffic switch speed: 17 km/h
Minimum fare
Not specified
Floor that the meter cannot fall below
Currency
USD
Distance unit
mile
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Vehicle classes
1
standard

03Calculator

Calculate your fare in San Diego

Type any pickup and destination inside San Diego. We pull the real OpenStreetMap distance and apply the tariff above.

Calculate a fare in San Diego

Local addresses, the San Diego tariff applied automatically.

05Airport routes

San Diego airport ↔ city centre

Airport ↔ city-centre rides are the most predictable taxi trips in San Diego because their distance is fixed. Where the regulator imposes a flat fare, the meter is bypassed and the price is locked. Otherwise the standard tariff applies and the estimate below reflects realistic departure-hall waiting plus the metered ride.

06Vehicle classes

San Diego vehicle classes and rates

San Diego licenses 1 vehicle class (standard). Larger vehicles command higher base or per-mile rates because their fuel and licensing costs are higher. Ride-sharing apps also offer parallel categories (UberXL, Lyft XL) that compete with the licensed taxi minivan tier.

Vehicle classes and rates in San Diego
Vehicle classBasePer milePer minMin fare
Standard sedan
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. $2.80 + $3.00/mi.
$2.80$3.00$0.40—

07Surcharges & taxes

Every extra charge on a San Diego taxi fare

On top of the base meter, San Diego taxi fares can include no extra surcharges or taxes. Every charge below is reproduced verbatim from San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration, with the trigger condition (time, day, equipment) shown alongside.

Surcharges, taxes and fees on San Diego taxi fares
ChargeWhen it appliesAmountCategory
Flat fare SAN ↔ DOWNTOWNRegulator-imposed, bypasses the meter$18.00Flat fare

08Tipping

Tipping etiquette in San Diego

Basic

15%

Functional service — you got there.

Standard

18%

What most riders give for ordinary service.

Excellent

20%

Helpful with bags, smooth driving, knew the route.

Tipping is expected in San Diego. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 20% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.

09Side by side

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft in San Diego

Rideshare apps (Uber, Lyft and local equivalents) compete with metered taxis in San Diego on price, but their tariffs swing with surge multipliers. A taxi’s price is fixed by the meter and the regulator — there is no surge. For routine rides our data typically shows rideshare 10–25% cheaper than taxi outside surge windows, and 20–60% more expensive at peak. Airport routes are the exception: many cities (including San Diego where applicable) cap airport ↔ centre as a flat fare that beats both.

Reference ride: a 8 km / 15-minute trip in San Diego. Numbers below combine the live tariff (taxi) and crowdsourced per-city rate sheets (rideshare). Apps surge in real time, so we surface min · median · max.

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft fare comparison in San Diego
ServiceProductMedianRange
Metered taxiStandard cab$19.21$17.71$24.51
Rideshare comparison data is not yet seeded for San Diego.

10FAQ

San Diego taxi fare — frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi in San Diego?
San Diego taxis charge a $2.80 base fare plus $3.00 per mile of distance and $0.40 per minute of slow-traffic time. A typical 5-mile ride costs roughly $19.00 excluding surcharges and tip.
What is the base fare for a San Diego taxi?
The drop charge — the amount on the meter when your ride begins — is $2.80. This is set by San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration and is identical for every licensed cab in the city.
Are San Diego taxi fares metered or negotiated?
San Diego taxis are metered. The regulator requires drivers to use the meter on every trip; negotiating off-meter is generally illegal and unwise. Flat fares apply only on a small list of pre-approved airport routes (see the airport routes section above).
Do I tip taxi drivers in San Diego?
Tipping is expected in San Diego. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 20% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.
How do night and weekend rates work in San Diego?
San Diego does not impose an explicit night surcharge — the meter rate is the same 24/7.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi in San Diego?
In free-flow conditions, Uber and Lyft are usually 10–25% cheaper than San Diego taxis. During peak demand, surge pricing can push rideshare 20–60% above the metered taxi fare. For airport runs, regulated taxi flat fares often beat both. Use the rideshare comparison above to see today's typical numbers.
Can I trust the calculator above?
Yes. We compute distance and duration from real OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and apply the published San Diego tariff straight from San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration. We always show a min–median–max range so you see how traffic affects the final price.
How long does a 5-mile taxi ride take in San Diego?
In free-flow traffic, a 5-mile ride in San Diego takes roughly 13 minutes on average city streets. Heavy traffic can double that, which is why our maximum estimate uses a 60% slow-time assumption.
Are credit cards accepted in San Diego taxis?
Card acceptance varies by operator. Many regulated taxis in San Diego accept major credit and debit cards; always carry cash as a backup, particularly for short journeys. Confirm with your driver before starting the trip, and contact San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration for the current official requirement.
Where do I find the official San Diego taxi rates?
The authoritative rate sheet is published by San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration at https://www.sdmts.com/inside-mts/taxicab-administration (last verified 2026-04-09). Every figure on this page is reproduced from that source.
Is there a flat airport taxi fare in San Diego?
Yes. The route SAN ↔ DOWNTOWN has a regulator-mandated flat fare of $18.00 (excluding tip and tolls). Other airport pairs in San Diego default to the metered tariff.

11Sources & verification

Sources, last verified

Every figure on this page is reproduced from San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration, the recognised authority that sets San Diego taxi rates. We re-verify each record at least every 180 days; the timestamp below confirms when this page was last reconciled with the primary source.

Primary source

San Diego MTS Taxicab Administration

Last verified
April 9, 2026
Verification cadence
Every 180 days
Routing data
OpenStreetMap via OSRM

Spotted an inaccuracy? Report it and we will reconcile within 48 hours.