Adelaide • South Australia taxi fare rules

Adelaide Taxi Rates, Charges & Fare Rules

Clear Adelaide taxi fare guide based on official South Australia government taxi fare information, covering metropolitan tariffs, airport service fee, booking fee, levy, peak period fee, soiling fee and card surcharge rules.

Adelaide metro fares
Tariff 1 to 4 explained
Airport & levy info
Mobile friendly
A

Day Tariff

$2.30/km

Tariff 1 distance rate for 1 to 4 passengers, Monday to Friday from 6am to 7pm.

B

Night / Weekend

$2.60/km

Tariff 2 distance rate for 1 to 4 passengers during nights, weekends and public holidays.

C

Waiting Time

$47.40/hr

Waiting time for Tariff 1 and Tariff 2 Adelaide metropolitan taxi trips.

D

Extra Charges

Airport + Levy

Airport pickup fee, booking fee, $2 levy, peak fee and other approved extras may apply.

Calculate Adelaide Taxi Fare

Adelaide Metropolitan Taxi Fares

Adelaide taxi fares are calculated by adding flagfall, distance rate and waiting time. The tariff used depends on the time of travel and the number of passengers.

Official SA metropolitan tariffs
Tariff Flagfall Distance rate Waiting time When it applies
Tariff 1 $4.00 $2.30 per km $47.40 per hour 1 to 4 passengers • Monday to Friday • 6am to 7pm
Tariff 2 $5.40 $2.60 per km $47.40 per hour 1 to 4 passengers • Monday to Thursday 7pm to 6am • Friday 7pm to Monday 6am • Public holidays
Tariff 3 $5.20 $2.90 per km $60.50 per hour 5 or more passengers • Monday to Friday • 6am to 7pm
Tariff 4 $7.00 $3.40 per km $60.50 per hour 5 or more passengers • Monday to Thursday 7pm to 6am • Friday 7pm to Monday 6am • Public holidays

Tariff 1

Flagfall$4.00
Distance$2.30/km
Waiting time$47.40/hr
AppliesMon–Fri, 6am–7pm, 1–4 pax

Tariff 2

Flagfall$5.40
Distance$2.60/km
Waiting time$47.40/hr
AppliesNights, weekends, public holidays, 1–4 pax

Tariff 3

Flagfall$5.20
Distance$2.90/km
Waiting time$60.50/hr
AppliesMon–Fri, 6am–7pm, 5+ pax

Tariff 4

Flagfall$7.00
Distance$3.40/km
Waiting time$60.50/hr
AppliesNights, weekends, public holidays, 5+ pax
Official SA fare source

How Adelaide Taxi Fare Is Calculated

Simple breakdown of how a metropolitan Adelaide taxi fare is built.

1

Flagfall

The fare starts with the tariff flagfall amount when the trip begins.

2

Distance rate

A per kilometre charge is added while the taxi is moving under the active tariff.

3

Waiting time

Waiting time is charged instead of distance when the taxi is stopped or moving very slowly.

4

Extras

Airport fee, levy, booking fee, peak fee, surcharge or other approved extras may be added.

Estimated fare = Flagfall + Distance + Waiting time + Applicable extra charges

Typical Adelaide Fare Examples

These example trips are shown on the SA government taxi fares page.

Example only
Route Approx. time Tariff 1 Tariff 2
Adelaide Airport to Victoria Square (6.3 km) 15 mins $18.00 to $21.40 $21.50 to $24.80
Adelaide Airport to North Adelaide (8.65 km) 18 mins $23.00 to $30.00 $27.00 to $35.00
Adelaide Airport to McLaren Vale (39.5 km) 44 mins $92.00 to $99.00 $106.00 to $114.00

Extra Charges in Adelaide

Some Adelaide taxi extras appear on the meter and are included in the fare. Booking fee depends on the booking service used.

Approved extra charges
Extra charge Amount When it applies Notes
Adelaide Airport Service Fee $4.50 Pickup from T1 Airport Terminal Taxi Rank $4.00 to Adelaide Airport + $0.50 to state reform initiatives
Booking Fee Varies When pre-arranged with the hirer As charged by the booking service
Point to point transport levy $2.00 Charged once per journey Levy increased on 1 July 2025
Peak period fee $2.40 12:01am to 5:59am on Saturday, Sunday or public holidays Additional peak fee
Soiling fee $88.00 If the vehicle must be cleaned and deodorised Does not appear on taxi meter
Card surcharge Max 5% Debit or credit card payments Maximum non-cash payment surcharge

Extra charges summary

Airport fee$4.50
Booking feeAs charged
Levy$2.00
Peak fee$2.40
Soiling fee$88.00
Card surchargeMax 5%
Official SA extras source

Airport, Booking & Payment Notes

Useful customer-facing notes for Adelaide taxi fare pages.

Airport pickup note

Adelaide Airport Service Fee applies when the taxi trip starts from the T1 Airport Terminal Taxi Rank.

Payment options

Adelaide taxis can usually be paid by cash, EFTPOS, debit card, credit card, Cabcharge and SATSS voucher, with a maximum 5% non-cash surcharge on debit or credit card payments.

Access Taxi & Lifting Fee

Adelaide has a separate lifting fee rule for eligible Access Taxi customers using a wheelchair, scooter or large ride-on mobility aid.

Access taxi information

Lifting fee

$25 Available for eligible South Australian Access Taxi trips where the customer holds a SATSS member ID card or non-SATSS Access Taxi Card.

Important note

The lifting fee replaces waiting time fees for eligible trips and is paid to the driver by the State Government. There is no extra cost to the customer.

Official Access Taxi fare source

Country Trip Rates

If the journey ends outside the Adelaide metropolitan area, separate country trip fares apply.

Country running • up to 4 passengers

  • $1.30 per kilometre each way
  • $47.40 per hour waiting time
  • Applies for country trips ending outside metro Adelaide

Country running • 5+ passengers

  • $1.90 per kilometre each way
  • $47.40 per hour waiting time
  • For larger group country trips

Helpful Adelaide Fare Notes

Simple explanation block for users comparing Adelaide taxi pricing.

Tariff timing rule

Tariff 1 and Tariff 3 are the normal weekday daytime rates. Tariff 2 and Tariff 4 are the higher rates used at night, on weekends and public holidays.

Fare reminder

At the end of the trip, passengers pay the metered fare plus any additional charges or tolls that apply.

Adelaide Taxi Fare FAQs

Short FAQ block for SEO + UX.

Adelaide metropolitan taxis use four tariffs. Tariff 1 and 2 apply to 1 to 4 passengers, while Tariff 3 and 4 apply to five or more passengers.
Tariff 2 applies for 1 to 4 passengers on Monday to Thursday from 7pm to 6am, from Friday 7pm to Monday 6am, and during public holidays.
Yes. A $4.50 Adelaide Airport Service Fee applies for pickups from the T1 Airport Terminal Taxi Rank.
The point-to-point transport service transaction levy is $2 per journey for eligible metropolitan Adelaide trips.
Yes. There is a maximum non-cash payment surcharge of 5% for taxi fares paid by debit or credit card.

Official South Australia Government Sources

These Adelaide taxi fare details are based on official SA government pages.

Disclaimer: This page is a user-friendly summary of Adelaide taxi fares and rules. For the latest tariff amounts, airport service fee, levy, peak fee, access taxi eligibility and other fare conditions, always verify directly from the official South Australia government source pages linked above.