Taxi trips in Bucharest, among cheapest in the world

A 3-km trip by taxi in cheaper in Bucharest than in the Bulgarian, Polish, and Hungarian capitals, according to the 2017 Taxi Price Index by Carspring, an online platform for buying used cars in the UK. To compile the Taxi Price Index, the company took into account the cost of hailing a taxi, the cost per kilometre, the cost of waiting time, and the typical fare for a taxi from the airport to the city centre. It also looked at what car model is most popular with taxi drivers in each city. In Bucharest, a 3-km trip by taxi costs USD 1.47, similar to the cost in Jakarta, Indonesia, the report shows. Only Mumbai (India) and Cairo (Egypt) have lower costs, of USD 1.40, and USD 0.55 respectively. On the other hand, the most expensive 3-km trips are in Zurich (Switzerland) – USD 25.25, Geneva (Switzerland) – USD 17.53, and Tokyo (Japan) – USD 15.95. Similar trips in Sofia (Bulgaria) – USD 1.94, Warsaw (Poland) – USD 4.04, and Budapest (Hungary) – USD 4.93 are also more expensive than in the Romanian capital. However, when it comes to the cost of a taxi ride from the airport to the city center, Bucharest is no longer in the top ten cheapest cities. The Romanian capital ranks 18th, with a cost of USD 16.53. The cheapest airport – center rides are in Cairo – USD 4.20, Mumbai – USD 4.44, and Tunis – USD 4.49, while the most expensive are in Tokyo – USD 189.91, Milan – USD 101.62, and Oslo – USD 86.51. The cost per km in Bucharest is USD 0.35, placing the Romanian capital at number nine in the ranking. Cairo, Bangkok, Moscow, Mexico City, Jakarta, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Beijing have lower fees per km than the Romanian capital, while cities such as Sofia, Lisbon, Warsaw and Athens have higher costs. Bucharest also has some of the cheapest waiting costs per hour, namely USD 3.45, ranking after cities such as Bangalore, Cairo, Hanoi, Mumbai, and Jakarta, but before Barcelona, Sofia, Warsaw, Prague, and Budapest. The typical cab model in Bucharest is the locally-produced Dacia Logan, the report also shows. In Sofia, Bulgaria, the most popular car model among taxi drivers is Hyundai Sonata, in Budapest and Barcelona – Skoda Octavia, in Warsaw – Ford Mondeo (similar to Moscow, Manchester and Dublin), and in Prague – Mazda 6. Find the entire ranking here. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com