Free tool
NYC Taxi & Uber Fare Estimator
Know roughly what a yellow cab should cost before you get in — airport runs, cross-town hops and trips to Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, with every surcharge spelled out.
A yellow cab from JFK to Manhattan is a flat $70 plus surcharges, tolls and tip — usually about $90–$100 all in. Everywhere else the meter runs: $3 to start, then 70 cents per fifth of a mile (or per minute in slow traffic), plus a 50-cent MTA surcharge, a $1 improvement surcharge, $2.50 below 96th Street and 75 cents below 60th Street.
How a New York cab fare is built
Yellow cab fares are set by the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, not the driver, and every licensed cab runs the meter. The pieces are:
- $3.00 the moment the meter starts.
- 70 cents per unit — a unit is one fifth of a mile when the cab is moving faster than 12mph, or 60 seconds when it is crawling or stopped. That works out at $3.50 a mile in free-flowing traffic.
- 50 cents MTA State Surcharge and $1.00 Improvement Surcharge on every trip.
- $2.50 on weekday rides from 4pm to 8pm, or $1.00 from 8pm to 6am.
- $2.50 New York State congestion surcharge if the trip begins, ends or passes through Manhattan south of 96th Street.
- 75 cents MTA congestion pricing toll in the Congestion Relief Zone — Manhattan at and below 60th Street.
- Airports: JFK to Manhattan is a $70 flat fare ($5 extra at rush hour). LaGuardia is metered plus $5. Newark is metered plus $20 and tolls. Pickups at JFK and LaGuardia add a $2 airport access fee.
Tolls and the tip are always extra. There is no charge for luggage, extra passengers or paying by card.
When the subway is the better answer
For most trips inside Manhattan and to the brownstone parts of Brooklyn, the subway is faster at rush hour and a fraction of the price — tap a contactless card or phone at the turnstile. From JFK, the AirTrain to Jamaica plus the LIRR or subway is the budget option. Cabs earn their money late at night, with luggage, with small children and when you are going somewhere the subway does not reach well.
Hungry when you land? Our guides cover where to eat in every borough — and the tip & tax calculator handles the bill.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from JFK to Manhattan?
The yellow cab fare between JFK and anywhere in Manhattan is a flat $70, set by the Taxi & Limousine Commission. On top of that come the 50-cent MTA surcharge, the $1 improvement surcharge, the $2.50 congestion surcharge (below 96th Street), the 75-cent congestion pricing toll (below 60th Street), a $2 airport access fee on pickups at JFK, $5 extra from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays, any tolls and the tip — so most people pay roughly $90 to $100 all in.
How much is a taxi from LaGuardia to Midtown?
LaGuardia runs on the meter, not a flat fare. A typical off-peak ride to Midtown meters somewhere around $35 to $45 before extras, then add the $5 LaGuardia surcharge, the $2 airport access fee, the MTA, improvement and congestion surcharges, any toll and the tip. Heavy traffic on the Grand Central Parkway or the Queensboro Bridge pushes it up quickly, because the meter also charges by the minute in slow traffic.
Is Uber cheaper than a yellow cab in NYC?
Sometimes. Uber and Lyft quote an upfront price that moves with demand, so off-peak they can be close to a cab and at rush hour, in rain or after a big event they can be far higher. App rides also carry their own surcharges — a $2.75 state congestion surcharge and a $1.50 congestion pricing charge in Manhattan's zone — plus sales tax and the Black Car Fund fee. The honest answer is to compare the app's upfront price with this estimate before you book.
What is the congestion pricing charge on NYC taxis?
Since January 2025 the MTA has charged a congestion pricing toll on trips in the Congestion Relief Zone — Manhattan south of and including 60th Street. For yellow and green cabs it is 75 cents per trip, added to the fare. It is separate from the older $2.50 New York State congestion surcharge, which applies to yellow cab trips that begin, end or pass through Manhattan south of 96th Street.
How much should I tip a New York taxi driver?
Tipping is customary — 15% to 20% of the fare is standard, and the payment screen in the back of the cab usually offers preset options. Round up for help with heavy luggage. There is no extra charge for paying by card, for extra passengers or for bags.
How accurate are these estimates?
They are estimates, not quotes. The meter charges by distance when the cab moves faster than 12mph and by time when it is crawling, so the same route can cost very different amounts at 6am and 6pm. Use the range as a sanity check, and use the official TLC fare page for the authoritative rules.
Rates from the NYC TLC taxi fare page, checked October 2026.
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