With $10, How Far Can You Travel in a Taxi in Your Country?

In this research, we collected GDP data for different countries in 2021 from the World Bank, and focused on the capitals of the top fifty countries. Using information from NUMBEO, we calculated the distance that can be covered by a taxi with $10 in various capital cities. We also analyzed the relationship between this distance and the per capita GDP from Wikipedia. Additionally, we examined the adjusted net national income per capita for each country to assess the affordability of taxis for local residents.

To compare taxi fares to public transportation, we studied the cost of a 5 km taxi ride in relation to a one-way metro ticket in each capital city. Furthermore, we used data from Tom Tom to understand the level of congestion in taxis across different capitals. We also examined the availability of various taxi apps in each country by assessing the countries covered by mainstream taxi apps.

Key findings:

• In terms of taxi distance with $10, Manila stands out at 38 km while Bern is the lowest at 0.4 km

• The least affordable cities for locals to take a taxi are Abuja, Lima, Islamabad. A 5 km taxi ride costs 99%, 89%, and 74% of the country's per capita income per day, respectively

• The most affordable cities for locals to take a taxi are: Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem. A 5 km taxi ride only costs 5%, 6% and 7% of the country's per capita daily income, respectively

• The cost difference between a 5 km taxi ride and a one way metro ticket is 23.7 times in Lima, but only 4 times in Abuja, Helsinki and Canberra

• London is the most congested capital city worldwide, taking an average of 37.3 mins to travel 10 km

• Certain countries are dominated by a single taxi app, like Didi in China or Grab in Singapore and Malaysia. On the other hand, Japan and the United Kingdom are highly competitive, with 6 and 5 major taxi apps respectively operating simultaneously.

A Taxi ride In Manila covers a significant 38 km with just $10, while in Bern, the same amount only gets you 0.4 km

Manilla has the longest taxi distance among the 50 cities analyzed, with Jakarta and New Delhi also reaching 31 km. In contrast, $10 in Bern only covers 0.4 km.

The lower taxi prices in Manila are mainly due to the lower cost of living in the Philippines and the intense competition in the taxi market there. The abundance of taxis in the city leads to oversupply and drives down prices.

In Dublin, Ireland, with a per capita GDP of $112,248 in 2023, a taxi can only travel 2 km for $10. In contrast, in Islamabad, Pakistan, with a per capita GDP of $1,471 in 2023, taxis can cover 21 km with the same amount. This is because in countries with high per capita GDP, where labor costs are high and public transportation is well-developed, taxis may not be the preferred mode of transportation, resulting in fewer taxis available.

However, there are exceptions to this correlation. For example, in Paris, France, with a per capita GDP of $46,315, $10 allows a taxi to travel 8 km. In contrast, in Wellington, New Zealand, with a per capita GDP of $48,072, $10 can only cover a distance of 3 km. Therefore, higher per capita GDP does not always mean higher taxi rates.

The most unaffordable city for locals to take a taxi is Abuja, Nigeria, where a 5 km taxi ride costs 99% of the country's per capita income per day

During our analysis, we came across cities where the taxi fares do not align with the local GDP, likely due to a strong tourism industry. To gauge the impact, we compared the per capita income and taxi fares to determine the percentage of a day's income spent on a 5 km taxi ride. The findings were surprising.

In cities like Abuja, Lima, and Islamabad, taxi fares significantly burden the locals. For example, a 5 km taxi ride costs 99%, 89%, and 74% of the country's per capita daily income, respectively. This indicates that taxi rides are beyond the financial reach of local residents, as these services primarily target foreign tourists.

The most affordable city for locals to take taxi is Singapore, where a 5 km taxi ride costs 5% of the country's per capita income per day

We also found cities where locals can easily afford taxi rides. Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Jerusalem top the list, as a 5 km taxi ride costs only 5%, 6%, and 7% of the country's per capita daily income, respectively. These cities have high average incomes, and although taxi fares are not exceptionally cheap, they are relatively affordable compared to the residents' incomes.

It is important to note that the estimated taxi fares provided by Numbeo are based on user-uploaded data. Therefore, they primarily represent the base price during non-peak hours and do not include additional charges. For example, in Singapore, there are several costly surcharges such as booking fees, peak-hour fees, surcharges for specific tourist spots, credit card payment fees, and so on. These surcharges can even double if you book a taxi through the platform in urban areas. Additionally, we did not consider waiting time cost as traffic congestion varies greatly across countries. If traffic is heavier in your area, you will likely experience longer waiting times, resulting in higher costs.

Lima has the highest cost difference in the world between a 5 km taxi ride and a one-way metro ticket

We compared the cost of a 5 km taxi ride and a one-way metro ticket in different countries to find the top 5 most expensive and cheapest cities for taking a taxi compared to public transportation.

Lima and Buenos Aires emerged as the most expensive cities, with the cost of a 5 km taxi ride being $12.3 and $5.0 respectively. On the other hand, the average price of a one-way metro ticket in these cities is just $0.52 and $0.25. This means that the cost of a 5 km taxi ride is over 20 times higher than public transportation.

The cheapest cities, in terms of taking a 5 km taxi compared to public transportation, are Abuja and Abu Dhabi. In these cities, a 5 km taxi ride costs around three times more than the local public transportation. We mentioned earlier that in Abuja, a 5 km taxi ride costs 99% of the country's per capita daily income. However, public transportation in Abuja is also pricey, making overall transportation expenses in the city quite high.

London is the most congested city in the world, taking an average of 37.3 mins to travel 10 kms

We obtained the Traffic Index from Tom Tom for 40 capital cities and found that London is the most congested. The worst times are on Thursday afternoons between 5-6 pm, where a 10 km taxi ride takes 47.2 mins. Other cities with high congestion include Dublin, Lima, Bucharest, and Manila, where a 10 km taxi ride takes more than 27 mins.

Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, is the least congested capital city. On average, you can take a taxi for a 10-km ride in just 9.2 minutes.

DiDi is the main taxi app for traveling within China, while Grab is the main app for Singapore and Malaysia.

We analyzed 13 taxi apps and identified the countries where only one mainstream app is available. DiDi dominates the Asian market, specifically in China. Grab is the sole app for Singapore and Malaysia. Uber has the widest coverage in Europe, operating in 26 countries including niche markets like Turkey and Andorra. Japan has the highest number of mainstream taxi apps, with 6 options including Uber, DiDi, Grab, GO Taxi, Fulcul, and Katao T. The UK follows closely with 5 mainstream apps: Uber, Bolt, Free-now, Ola, and Gett.

Methodology

First, we obtained GDP data from WITS to determine the GDP of each country in 2021. From there, we selected the capitals of the top 50 countries. Using NUMBEO , we determined the distance a taxi can travel in each capital city for $10. In cases where taxi fares were too high, we researched some local taxi companies or pricing rules set by the government transportation department as well.

We also gathered information on the per capita GDP of each country in 2023 from Wikipedia and ranked them from highest to lowest. This allowed us to examine the relationship between taxi fares and per capita GDP.

Furthermore, we collected data from NUMBEO on the cost of a 5 km taxi ride in each capital city, along with the Adjusted Net National Income per capita from the World Bank. By comparing the cost of a taxi ride to the country's per capita income per day, we assessed the affordability of taxi rides for the local residents.

Finally, we analyzed One-way Metro Ticket Prices from NUMBEO to determine the cost of public transportation in different countries. By comparing the cost of a 5 km taxi ride to a one-way metro ticket, we identified which countries have relatively expensive or inexpensive taxi fares compared to public transportation.

Additionally, we gathered information from Tom Tom on the average travel time per 10 km in 40 national capitals. This data helped us gauge the level of congestion in taxis across different capitals.

Finally, we analyzed the availability of various taxi software in each country by examining the countries covered by mainstream taxi apps.

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