How are taxi fares calculated in Australia?

That means two trips of the same length can cost different amounts: a clear run charges mostly distance, while the same route in heavy traffic adds waiting time on top. The one figure you always pay is the flagfall — it is charged before the taxi has moved a metre.

1. 01Flagfall — the fixed starting charge when the meter is switched on.
2. 02Distance — a set rate per kilometre while the taxi is moving.
3. 03Waiting time — a per-minute rate that applies when the taxi is stopped or below a slow-speed threshold.
4. 04Surcharges — booking fee, airport access fee, tolls, a state levy and a capped card-payment percentage, added to the metered total.
5. 05Tariff band — the flagfall and per-km figures are higher at night, late night and on public holidays.

Because flagfall is charged once, per trip, it makes short trips feel expensive per kilometre — a 2 km hop is mostly flagfall — and long trips cheaper per kilometre, because the flagfall is spread across more distance.

This is the single most common reason a fare comes in above a rough “kilometres × rate” estimate: any time the taxi is stopped at lights, crawling in traffic or waiting for you, the meter is still ticking on time. Queensland and Victoria in particular charge distance and time concurrently, so their real cost runs above the headline per-km figure.

These are the current daytime figures at the time of writing — always check the state rate page for the live number, each cited to its regulator with a last-verified date. Regional zones in QLD, NSW, SA, VIC and TAS carry their own (usually higher) distance rates.

The practical upshot is the same either way: a slow trip costs more than a fast one over the identical route. It is also why a booked taxi that waits for you can add a few dollars before you have even set off — the meter counts that idle time.

• •Day — the standard weekday rate (for example, NSW urban 6am–10pm).
• •Night — an evening/early-morning band with a higher per-km rate.
• •Late-night / peak — the most expensive band, typically Friday and Saturday nights (NSW adds a flat peak surcharge; Victoria and Queensland use a separate higher schedule).
• •Public holiday — the night or a dedicated holiday rate applies all day on gazetted holidays.

Check the tariff number showing on the meter matches the time of day — a night tariff running at midday is a red flag worth querying. The calculator applies the correct band automatically for the date and time you enter.

• •Booking fee — for a phone or app booking (for example A$1.60 in Queensland); rank and street-hail trips have none.
• •Airport access fee — a pass-through charge at most airport ranks (for example Brisbane A$4.24, Adelaide A$4.50, Darwin A$4.00, Canberra A$3.00).
• •Tolls — road and bridge tolls on your route are added at cost.
• •State levy — a per-trip point-to-point transport levy (A$1.32 in NSW, A$2.00 in SA), funding industry reform.
• •Card surcharge — a capped percentage for paying by card (4% VIC, up to 5% elsewhere).
• •Cleaning / soiling fee — an off-meter charge only if the vehicle needs cleaning after the trip.

Booking apps (including booked taxis, Uber and DiDi) show an upfront price that behaves like a fixed fare for that trip, but it is set by the operator’s pricing algorithm and can surge — it is not the same as the regulated meter. See the fixed-fare-vs-metered guide for when each works out cheaper.

The calculator applies the correct maxi schedule automatically when you select five or more passengers, so a group fare reflects the real higher rate rather than the sedan estimate.

Enter your pickup and destination in the calculator and it applies the correct state tariff, tariff band for your travel time, distance, typical traffic and any airport or fixed-fare rule — returning a full breakdown with the source regulator on every result. For the underlying numbers, each state rate page lists the current flagfall, per-km and surcharges with a last-verified date.