People living in Dubai can find several options to get around the city. However, using a car is one of the easiest options to reach your destination. Cab culture is quite common in Dubai. Whether you don’t own a car to get to your workplace or are looking for a convenient ride to brunch, cabs are an everyday part of life. You can either book Careem or Uber or hail a local RTA Taxi for the safest ride. To help you in figuring out which one is affordable out of Careem vs Uber vs taxi, we have compiled a comparison among them.
Breakdown of Careem vs Uber vs Taxi Rides in Dubai
Careem Dubai, Uber, RTA Taxi and Hala apps are some of the most useful public transport Apps in Dubai. The fare of Uber, Careem or Taxi depends on the following factors:
- Base fare or starting fee: The starting fare of the ride. The cost depends on the time of day.
- Minimum fare: The minimum charges of the ride.
- Cost per kilometre: This includes the charges of the distance covered during a ride.
- Waiting charges: These are the charges that usually incur in Uber and Careem. It starts once the driver reaches the pickup point or they have to wait for the customer. The waiting charges in Careem start after three minutes, while in Uber it starts after five minutes.
- Cost per minute: These are the charges that are applicable when your ride stops along the way. The charges include waiting time during traffic jams or at traffic signals.
- Booking charges: It deducts when you pre-book a ride via call or app.
- Other charges: May include Salik toll charges, peak rates and Value Added Tax (VAT).
Now let’s briefly discuss the charges of Dubai taxi, Uber and Careem in Dubai. We take three common types of service into the account:
- Economy: The most affordable
- Business: Rides in luxury cars
- Max/Van: Cars for up to six passengers
How Much Careem Costs in Dubai
Careem is one of the two main ride-hailing services in Dubai. Their Economy cars include the Toyota Previa, Chevrolet Impala and the Lexus ES-350. If you go for the Business service you get more high-end, luxury cars. The MAX option provides six-seater cars to accommodate a group. Here’s a look at the fares for these Careem rides in Dubai
Careem Rates in Dubai
Ride Type | Base Fare | Minimum Fare | Additional Cost Per kilometre | Waiting fare per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Base Fare AED 7 | Minimum Fare AED 19 (AED 5 included as a regulatory fee) | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 2.35 | Waiting fare per hour AED 46 |
| Limo | Base Fare AED 9.5 | Minimum Fare AED 20 (AED 5 included as a regulatory fee) | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 2.75 | Waiting fare per hour AED 63 |
| MAX | Base Fare AED 8 | Minimum Fare AED 26 (AED 5 included as a regulatory fee) | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 2.70 | Waiting fare per hour AED 60 |
Hala Taxi by Careem
Apart from these three service types, Careem also offers Hala Taxi service. These are the Dubai taxis that can be booked by using Careem App. You can download the Careem app from Google Play or Apple Store to book Hala Taxi.
Hala Taxi Fare
- Starting fare: 8 AED
- Minimum ride fare 12 AED
- Charges per km: 1.91 AED
- Waiting (below 16 km/h): AED AED 0.50 per min
These rates can change anytime; therefore, it is important to check with them to confirm the latest rates.
How Much Uber Costs in Dubai
Uber is another popular option if you want to move around the city by using a cab service. The service offers several ride options. The ones we will discuss here are:
- Black: Premium rides in luxury cars
- Select: Premium rides in luxury cars
- UberXL: Premium rides in luxury cars
Here are the prices for Uber rides in Dubai.
Uber Rates in Dubai
Ride Type | Base Fare | Minimum Fare | Additional Cost Per kilometre | Additional Cost Per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Base Fare AED 10.17 | Minimum Fare AED 20.34 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 1.93 | Additional Cost Per Minute AED 0.81 |
| Select | Base Fare AED 5.40 | Minimum Fare AED 15 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 2.38 | Additional Cost Per Minute AED 0.20 |
| UberXL | Base Fare AED 13.22 | Minimum Fare AED 25.43 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 2.70 | Additional Cost Per Minute AED 0.81 |
It is important to note here that these rates can change anytime; so, always check with them to confirm the latest rates.
How Much Dubai Taxi Cost in Dubai
Regular public taxis in Dubai are considered one of the most economical options. You can also book a public taxi via Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC).
DTC works under RTA and offers several services such as Hatta Taxi, DTC Limousine Service and Airport Taxi. Out of these three, DTC Limousine Service offers luxury chauffeur-driven vehicles from Business Professionals to Government clients. Next comes Hatta taxis that can be booked alone or share the ride with up to 6 passengers.
You can download the Uber App from Google Play or Apple Store and book a ride from here.
Here are the rates of these taxi services in Dubai:
Dubai Taxi Fares
Ride Type | Base Fare | Minimum Fare | Additional Cost Per kilometre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Taxi | Base Fare AED 5 (6am to 10pm) and AED 5.50 (10pm-6am) | Minimum Fare AED 10 to AED 12 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 1.82 |
| DTC Limousine | Base Fare AED 7.5 (outside the Airport) | Minimum Fare AED 12 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 3.25 |
| Hatta Taxi | Base Fare AED 5 (6am to 10pm) and AED 5.50 (10pm-6am) | Minimum Fare AED 10 to AED 12 | Additional Cost Per kilometre AED 1.91 |
These rates can be changed anytime; therefore, it is important to check with them.
The charges of each service may vary if you are booking a ride from Dubai International Airport. For instance, the charges of Airport taxis starts from AED 25 and later on the rate is calculated at AED 1.96 per km. Also, the rate of DTC Limousine from the Dubai Airport starts from AED 25, while AED 3.25 will be calculated per km.
Careem vs Uber vs Taxi Rates in Dubai: Which Is the Cheapest?
To answer which one offers the cheapest among Careem vs Uber vs Taxi, we have listed down the base fare, minimum fare and per km cost of each of them. Also, you can expect the additional AED 4 while crossing each toll gate.
Moreover, the RTA taxi booking in Dubai is quite convenient via the RTA S’hail app, Careem App and Dubai Taxi Corporation. Besides, those who want to explore public transportation can opt for RTA buses in Dubai. There are several options when it comes to public transportation in Dubai such as Dubai Metro, public buses, Dubai Tram etc.
On the contrary, nothing is better than the freedom of having your car. Having said that, a range of used cars in Dubai are available on dubizzle at market competitive rates. The popular options include:
- Used BMW for sale online in Dubai
- Second-hand Ford in Dubai for sale online
- Used Mercedes-Benz for sale in Dubai
- Second-hand Toyota in Dubai for sale
This completes our guide on Careem vs Dubai taxi vs Uber prices in Dubai. We hope that you will find it useful while planning your trips in Dubai.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s auto blog to find more about the transportation and commute system in the Emirates.
Related Posts
