Airports With the Most Expensive Uber and Lyft Rides

To find the most affordable airports for rideshares, our team requested Uber and Lyft rides from every major airport in the U.S. to each city’s most popular tourist area. With this data, we were able to find the cities where passengers can expect to pay the highest prices, and where each rideshare service (Uber or Lyft) offers the most cost savings.

Any rideshare customer knows that getting from the airport to a city center can be costly. But prices vary depending on how far out the airport is, the market price for rideshares in the city itself, and even the time of day.

Key findings

• On average across the U.S., rideshares from airports into major cities cost $30.48.
• Lyft and Uber cost about the same ($30.60 vs. $30.36), though costs vary significantly between the two services in some cities.
• Most expensive airports:
  • Overall: JFK International (NYC) has the most expensive rides into the city of any airport in the U.S. ($79.96).
  • Per mile driven: San Diego International has the most expensive Uber/Lyft rides when factoring in the distance to its city center ($7.56 per mile)

Airports with the most and least expensive rideshares

Rideshares tend to cost more or less in different cities due to things like demand, tolls and fees, and other factors that are outside of the rider’s control. At the same time, rider needs, such as ride distance, also influence final costs. So, are rideshares just more expensive in some locations, or does distance make them cost more?

Overall cost

No matter which rideshare you choose, getting a ride from a New York City area airport will cost you. Three of the five most expensive rideshare rides, including the two most expensive overall, are from NYC area airports.

JFK is the most expensive in the nation, with an average cost of $79.96 for the 17.3 mile trip into Manhattan. Newark is second at $65.96 (16.6 miles), while LaGuardia is fourth at $51.96 (8.6 miles). The other most expensive rides in the country are from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to the famed Pike Place Market ($59.38, 8.6 miles) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Millennium Park ($47.47, 19.7 miles).

The most affordable airport ride is found at San José Mineta International Airport in San Jose, California. The 4.4 mile ride from the airport to the city’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez costs just $15.21 on average. On the other end of the country, the ride from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the nation’s capital, to the National Mall (3.3 miles) is the second-least expensive with an average cost of $15.47.

Airport rideshare costs per mile

Of course, cities with airports that are farther away from city centers and top tourist attractions will cost more. Cities with airports located near major points of interest generally cost less. To account for these discrepancies, we also calculated rideshare costs from each airport on a per-mile basis.

Despite being just 2.9 miles away, it costs $22.45 on average to get an Uber or Lyft ride from San Diego International Airport to the city’s famed Gaslamp Quarter. This equates to $7.74 per mile, the most expensive per-mile ride of any airport.

Only one other trip is within a dollar of SD’s per-mile cost. The three-mile trip from Harry Reid International Airport to the Las Vegas Strip costs $7.14 per mile. The ride from LaGuardia to Times Square costs $6.04 per mile on average, making it the third most expensive in the country. No other airport ride in the country costs even $5 per mile.

The 13.3 mile trip from Indianapolis International Airport to downtown Indianapolis’ Indiana Convention Center is the least expensive ride. It costs just $1.58 per mile on average. Going from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Moore Square in downtown Raleigh is just a few cents more expensive, at $1.60 per mile, while a trip from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to the city’s Discovery Green park costs just $1.63 per mile, the third-lowest total of any airport.

Differences between Uber and Lyft in different cities

Differences in pricing systems and rider availability between Uber and Lyft mean that a rider requesting an identical trip on both apps will almost always need to pay different fares. In fact, only one airport (Tampa International) had exactly the same cost on both services. So are you better off taking Uber or Lyft in your city? We compiled lists of each to help riders determine which app to use at each airport.

Cities where Uber is cheaper

Uber is the more affordable option at 21 of the airports evaluated, including 10 where users can save at least $3. The biggest savings are for rides originating at JFK International in New York, as rides from that airport to Times Square cost $13.98 less for Uber riders compared to Lyft.

Uber users can save $11.03 on rides from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the second-biggest savings of any airport. Beyond those two, there are five more airports where there is a price difference of at least five dollars in favor of Uber.

Cities where Lyft is cheaper

Lyft is the more affordable option for airline passengers flying into 23 different major airports, including 11 with savings of at least $3. The airport where using Lyft saved the most money was at Denver International Airport, where a Lyft ride was $12.05 cheaper than an Uber to the same destination in downtown Colorado.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the only other airport where using Lyft resulted in a savings of more than $10, as a ride from that airport to Millennium Park is $10.95 less expensive than using an Uber. In addition to those two, there were four more airports where Lyft was at least $5 less expensive than Uber.

The full data

How to save on travel of all kinds

No matter where your travel takes you, there are always ways to save money on transportation costs. Some top tips for saving include:

• Use a top travel credit card to get rewarded on the go. From airline tickets to hotel rooms and rideshare costs, using one of the best travel credit cards is a great way to earn points and other rewards on travel spending.
• Make your miles go farther when you use a rideshare app. Certain cards offer users specific rewards when they use ride apps that the card issuer partners with. Using one of the best credit cards for Uber rides or one of the best credit cards for Lyft is a great way to get bonus value the next time you book a ride.

Methodology

We collected the data shown above by requesting rides on Uber and Lyft from each major U.S. airport to a major tourist destination or downtown area in each city. All rides were requested between 9 and 10 a.m. local time. Pricing data was collected for the standard or default ride offering from both Uber and Lyft. Ride mileage is based on Google Maps results for the shortest possible drive for each trip based on distance. All data was collected in July 2023.

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