Taxi Fares In Brazil

Patrick Bruha

Staff Writer
The Brazil Business

Updated

8 January 2015

In Brazil, getting a taxi may be a good idea in order to quickly get from one place to another, but it may prove to be an expensive transport alternative. In this article, we will take a look at different taxi fares in Brazil.

It is important to note that all taxi fares are as of December 2014.

Overview

When compared to other countries, Brazilian taxis are considered relatively cheap. While a 10km ride costs around BRL 39 in New York and around BRL 41 in Paris, the most expensive 10km ride in Brazil, in the city of Cuiabá, costs BRL 33. However, when compared to other developing or neighbouring countries, Brazil’s taxis can be considered expensive. A 10km taxi ride costs around BRL 10 in Beijing and around BRL 27,50 in Buenos Aires.

How the pricing works

Taxi fares in Brazil are made up of two different charges:

• A fixed value for the ride that is charged to the passenger when entering the taxi
• A value that grows as the mileage goes up

The value of the ride is constantly increasing on the taximeter as the taxi goes along its route. These taximeters need to be certified by Inmetro, in order to reduce the possibility of fraud.

Different values depending on the hour or day of the ride

It is important to state that there are two different taxi fares for each city, called Bandeira 1 and Bandeira 2. Their general meaning and use differ little from city to city:

• Bandeira 1 for morning and afternoon rides from Monday to Saturday
• Bandeira 2 for late night, early hours, Sundays and public holidays

Here are the different conditions that determine when Bandeira 2 is charged to passengers:

• Belo Horizonte - Bandeira 2 is applied from 22:00 to 6:00 on working days, from 14:00 on Saturdays to 6:00 on Mondays and on public holidays
• Brasília - Bandeira 2 is applied from 20:00 to 8:00 on working days, on weekends, on public holidays and for rides outside of the city perimeter
• Curitiba - Bandeira 2 is applied from 20:00 to 6:00 on working days, from 13:00 on Saturdays to 6:00 on Mondays, on public holidays and during the month of December
• Fortaleza - Bandeira 2 is applied from 20:00 to 6:00 on working days, from 13:00 on Saturdays to 6:00 on Mondays, on public holidays and during the month of December
• Manaus - Bandeira 2 is applied from 22:00 to 6:00 on working days, on weekends, on public holidays, for rides outside of the city perimeter and during the month of December
• Natal - Bandeira 2 is applied from 22:00 to 5:00 from Monday to Saturday, on Sundays, on public holidays and for rides outside of the city perimeter
• Porto Alegre - Bandeira 2 is applied from 20:00 to 6:00 on working days, from 15:00 on Saturdays to 6:00 on Mondays and on public holidays
• Rio de Janeiro - Bandeira 2 is applied from 21:00 to 6:00 from Monday to Saturday, on Sundays and public holidays. Bandeira 2 can also be charged at any time when going to areas with steep slopes
• Salvador - Bandeira 2 is applied from 21:00 to 6:00 on working days, from 14:00 on Saturdays to 6:00 on Mondays and on public holidays. Bandeira 2 is also charged during the month of December and for trips to and from the airport at any time
• São Paulo - Bandeira 2 is applied from 20:00 to 6:00 from Monday to Saturday, on Sundays and public holidays

Additional tariffs

An additional tariff for journeys out of town may apply when the passenger is going one way and not making a return trip. The cities where taxis apply this special tariff are described below:

• Belo Horizonte - additional 50% on top of the fare of the ride
• Curitiba - additional 30% on top of the fare of the ride
• São Paulo - additional of 50% of the fare of the ride

Rides from the airport to the city

From most capital cities’ airports there are fixed fares for certified taxis to take passengers to each part of town. From Rio de Janeiro’s international airport, Galeão - Tom Jobim - to Copacabana beach, for example, the fixed fare is BRL 63. From São Paulo’s international airport, Guarulhos, to the city center, the fixed fare ranges between BRL 100 to BRL 110, depending on the destination. From Fortaleza’s international airport, Pinto Martins, the fixed fare ranges between BRL 20 to BRL 40, depending on the destination. From Manaus’ international airport, Eduardo Gomes, the fixed fare ranges between BRL 38 to BRL 105, depending on the destination.

Variations between cities

As the decision to set taxi fares is the responsibility of the municipality, there is a significant variation between taxi fares in different cities. In the following table, the different taxi fares for conventional taxis in the principal capital cities in Brazil are described:

More expensive taxis

In São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro there are different categories of taxi that practice different tariffs. As the tariffs for conventional taxis are already stated above, this part will only cover non-conventional taxi tariffs in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

In São Paulo, there are two different categories other than the conventional taxi: the special and the luxury. Special taxis are larger, must have air-conditioning, a sound system, communication via radio and be a four-door car. Also, the drivers wear uniforms and attend special training courses in order to best suit the passenger’s needs. In addition to the benefits offered by special taxis, luxury taxis are not necessarily white and must have ABS brakes and front airbags for both the passenger and the driver.

The Price per hour for the taxi to wait for a passenger is BRL 41,25 for special taxis and 49,50 for luxury taxis. The price of the ride is BRL 5,13 for special taxis and 6,15 for luxury taxis. The price per km is BRL 3,13 for Bandeira 1 and BRL 4,07 for Bandeira 2 for special taxis, and BRL 3,75 for Bandeira 1 and BRL 4,88 for Bandeira 2 for luxury taxis. Also, if the taxi was ordered by phone, without an appointed hour, there is an additional tariff charge of BRL 5,13 for special taxis. If the taxi was ordered by phone with an appointed hour, an additional tariff of BRL 10,25 is charged for special taxis.

In São Paulo there is a special category of taxis that can only be ordered by phone, called Radio Taxi. There is an additional tariff for them, although many taxi companies now have apps that make it possible to order a cab without paying for this tariff:

• Without an appointed hour: BRL 4,10
• With an appointed hour: BRL 8,20

In Rio de Janeiro, special taxis operate with a tariff that is on average 80% more expensive than those used in conventional taxis. Special taxis in Rio de Janeiro can not pick passengers in the middle of their journey, as they are ordered by phone. The price for a special taxi to wait for a passenger is in Rio de Janeiro is BRL 42,84. The price of the ride is BRL 6,30 and the price per km is BRL 3,40.