How Much Does Lyft Cost?

The actual price of a Lyft ride varies based on variables such as location, day of the week, time of day, ride duration, and ride distance.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Amy Bobinger
Lyft calculates fare based on a number of variables, and the cost of any given Lyft ride includes various combinations of fares, fees, and surcharges. According to Ridester.com, the average Lyft fare in 2022 is $35–$36.
Rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber are referred to as “transportation network companies” (TNCs), and they have had a significant effect on how people get around in American cities. But for these ridehailing apps to continue surviving in the era of inflated gas prices and
car insurance
costs, they’ve had to do so by significantly raising prices. While a Lyft was once the cheaper and more convenient option over regular cabs, that’s not always the case anymore.
In this article we’ll use Lyft’s very own
fare estimate tool
to provide examples of how much a Lyft ride would cost in different cities. Then we’ll break down the different fares, fees, and surcharges that make up an average Lyft fare.
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds
icon4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars
icon4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

How much does Lyft cost?

Let’s start by taking a look at some hypothetical fares for common trips you might take in a few larger U.S. Lyft cities.

How much does Lyft cost in Los Angeles?

Let’s start with
Los Angeles
, which won the
2019 Lyftie award
for being the city that uses the ride-sharing service the most. According to LAist.com, 2019’s most popular hotel Lyft destination in LA was the Ace Hotel, and the most popular venue drop-off was the Hollywood Bowl.
Let’s use the Ace Hotel as our pickup location and the Hollywood Bowl as the drop-off location. Outside of Prime Time, it would cost about $20 to $30 for a regular Lyft. If you plan on going extra bougie and want room for up to six passengers, a Lux Black XL will cost $60 to $70. During Prime Time (which usually occurs during rush hour), these prices could be increased by up to $20 or more depending on demand.

How much does Lyft cost in New York?

New York City
was the top tipping city on Lyft in 2019, and in 2018, Lyft revealed that Elsewhere in Brooklyn was the most visited bar. So let’s say, hypothetically, that you’re staying at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan, and you want to go clubbing in
Brooklyn
. Even if you leave extra early, let’s say around 8:30, you’re looking at a base Lyft fare of about $90 to $100. To be fair, it’s a long trip! And don’t forget that this price depends on the day and time. You can expect higher evening fares on weekends.

How much does Lyft cost in Chicago?

Let’s use
Chicago
as our third and final example. In this hypothetical situation, you’re a diehard Chicago Bears fan taking a Lyft from your home in Lincoln Park to Soldier Field to go watch the Bears lose another game.
You can expect your base Lyft fare to be around $15 to $25, depending on the day and time. With a 20% tip, you're looking at up to $29. In Chicago, all regular Lyfts charge a base fare of $1.77. Cost per mile is $0.81, and cost per minute is $0.29.

Breakdown of Lyft prices

So now that we’ve seen a few examples of how much a Lyft ride can vary depending on city, trip length, and how busy Lyft is at a given time, let’s break down some of the main factors that affect Lyft rates in general.

Base fare

As you may have already noticed, not every Lyft has a base fare. In many cities, a standard Lyft will have a $0 base fare, but this isn’t always the case. However, as you move up your list of upgraded car service options, base fares increase.
No matter how far you’re going or how long it takes, your Lyft’s base fare charge will be whatever you see below. Here’s a table comparing Los Angeles,
San Francisco
, New York City, and Chicago base fares depending on Lyft ride type:
Los Angeles
San Francisco
New York City
Chicago
Lyft base fare
$0.00
$2.24
$0.00
$1.77
Lyft XL base fare
$1.00
$3.00
$0.00
$3.00
Lyft Lux base fare
$5.00
$5.00
N/A
$4.00
Lux Black base fare
$8.00
$8.00
$6.95
$7.00
Lux Black XL base fare
$15.00
$15.75
$13.24
$14.75
Are you overpaying for your car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees
icon4.717k Ratings
5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged

Service fees

In some cities, Lyft charges a service fee. These function similarly to a base fare, as they’re affected only by city and Lyft service type—they don’t change based on the duration or distance of the ride. Service fees rarely exceed $5.00, and they actually get slightly lower if you choose an upgraded ride.

Cost per mile

Cost per mile also varies between cities, but this is one of the most significant variables that will affect the cost of your trip. According to EstimateFares.com, the average fee per mile for a standard Lyft is $0.90.

Cost per minute

The other thing that will most significantly impact the cost of the ride is the cost per minute, which also varies depending on what city you’re in. The per-minute charge is less than the distance charge—an average of $0.09 for a non-upgraded Lyft. Take note that the cost per minute is not based on the actual duration of the trip. Instead, it’s based on Lyft’s time estimate, which is calculated prior to the trip when you make your ride request.

Prime Time

Trying to get somewhere during busy traffic? That’s what Lyft calls Prime Time (known to Uber drivers as “surge pricing”), and it’s then that you’ll pay an extra percentage of your base fare. Just how much Prime Time will add to your ride price is a question of complicated algorithms that take into account how many people are requesting rides and how many Lyft drivers are available.

Tolls

If your driver has to pay a toll during your ride, you’ll pay for it as a surcharge.

Airport Fees

If you’re taking a ride to or from the airport, there are variable airport fees that will be applied to your trip price, depending on traffic, date, and time of day.

Tips

While you aren’t required to tip, you should always consider the effect that tipping has on the lives of our rideshare drivers! Customers who tip are the difference between a good night and a bad night of gig driving.

Cancellation fees

If you request a Lyft and cancel it after a certain period, you’ll be charged a cancellation fee. These fees vary depending on the ride, but canceling a scheduled ride too late will result in incurring a base cancel penalty.

Minimum fares

Each city will also have a minimum fare that you’ll have to pay, even if you’re just requesting a very short trip.

Shared rides

If you want to save on your next Lyft ride, you can sometimes request a shared ride, meaning you’ll join a rider who was picked up near you and/or has a drop-off near yours.

How to get a Lyft fare estimate

You can use the
fare estimate
tool on the Lyft website or the Lyft app to get a price estimate for your trip. Unfortunately, the online tool does not allow you to receive estimates for specific dates or times, only the current time.
You can see the breakdown for your particular cities fares, fees, and surcharges on Lyft’s
Find Your City
page.
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Find insurance savings

FAQs

On average, no. The average Lyft cost in 2021 was $27, compared to the average Uber cost of $20 in the same year.
However, as with any service, it's a good idea to compare your options. The savviest of ride hailers check both Uber and Lyft to see which rideshare company is offering a better fare for their specific trip.
No, you cannot directly pay for a Lyft ride with cash. You can pay for Lyft with money loaded into your account or a debit/credit card linked to your account. However, as an initiative to make Lyft more accessible for cash-preferred customers, you can now take your phone to a participating store—such as Walmart—and
load cash into your Lyft account
. You can also purchase a Lyft gift card and load money into your account that way.
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
Try Jerry

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings