The 2026 tariff, in full
Istanbul taxi fares are not negotiated and not set by the driver. They are fixed by UKOME (Ulaşım Koordinasyon Merkezi), the transport coordination board of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the same numbers apply to every licensed yellow taxi in the city.
On 20 July 2026 UKOME raised taxi and public transport tariffs by 10 percent. These are the rates now programmed into every meter:
| Component | Before 20 July 2026 | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Opening fee (açılış ücreti) | ₺65.40 | ₺71.94 |
| Per kilometre | ₺43.56 | ₺47.92 |
| Minimum fare (indi-bindi) | ₺210 | ₺230 |
| Waiting time, per hour | ₺544.45 | ₺598.90 |
How the meter builds your fare
The taksimetre starts the moment the trip begins, showing the opening fee. From there it charges by distance while the taxi is moving and by time while it is not — which is why a jam on the Bosphorus bridge costs you money even though the odometer barely moves.
The minimum fare works as a floor rather than an extra. If the meter reads less than ₺230 at the end of a short trip, you pay ₺230. If it reads more, you pay the meter.
- Opening fee — charged once, at the start of every trip.
- Distance — ₺47.92 for each kilometre travelled.
- Time — the hourly waiting rate applies when the taxi is stationary or crawling.
- Minimum — the fare never settles below ₺230.
There is no night tariff in Istanbul
This is the single most useful thing to know. The separate night rate was scrapped in 2017, and one tariff has run around the clock ever since — a 3am ride out of Sabiha Gökçen is billed at exactly the same rate as a 3pm one.
If a driver tells you the night rate is double, or points at a laminated card showing a higher after-midnight price, the tariff is being invented. The meter itself will show the correct fare.
What can legitimately be added
Very little. Tolls are the main one, and they are real: the Eurasia Tunnel, the Bosphorus bridges and the northern motorway all charge per crossing, and the driver pays them on your behalf.
Everything else that gets asked for at the end of a ride — a luggage fee, an airport fee, a “motorway supplement”, a rounding-up because the driver has no change — is not part of the official tariff.
| Charge | Legitimate? |
|---|---|
| Bridge and tunnel tolls | Yes — passed through at cost |
| Airport parking exit fee | Yes — small, charged at the barrier |
| Luggage handling | No |
| Night surcharge | No — abolished in 2017 |
| Extra passenger charge | No |
| “Fixed price” instead of the meter | No — the meter is mandatory |
What that means for an airport trip
The arithmetic is simple: opening fee plus distance, plus whatever the traffic adds in waiting time, plus tolls. Working from the current tariff, a trip from Sabiha Gökçen to Taksim covers about 45 km, so the distance component alone comes to roughly ₺2,156, before the opening fee, tolls and any time spent stationary.
That figure is a floor, not a quote. Istanbul traffic routinely adds twenty to forty minutes of waiting time to a cross-Bosphorus trip, and the hourly waiting rate is charged in proportion. This is the structural difference between a meter and a fixed price: the meter transfers traffic risk to you.
| Route | Distance | Distance component |
|---|---|---|
| Sabiha Gökçen → Kadıköy | 40 km | ≈ ₺1,917 |
| Sabiha Gökçen → Taksim | 45 km | ≈ ₺2,156 |
| Sabiha Gökçen → Sultanahmet | 45 km | ≈ ₺2,156 |
| Istanbul Airport → Taksim | 40 km | ≈ ₺1,917 |
Meter or fixed price — which is actually cheaper?
Honestly: it depends, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. On a short, off-peak, Asian-side trip a metered taxi is usually the cheaper option and we would say so. On a cross-Bosphorus run at rush hour, with tolls and a stationary meter, the gap narrows or reverses.
What a fixed price actually buys is certainty — a number agreed before you land, tolls included, that does not move when the traffic does. Whether that certainty is worth paying for depends on the trip and on how much you enjoy watching a meter climb in a jam.
How to check the rate yourself
Tariffs change more than once a year. Before you travel, the current figure is worth a thirty-second check, and there are three places to look.
- The tariff card inside the taxi — every licensed vehicle must display the current rates.
- The meter itself, which shows the opening fee the moment the trip starts.
- Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality announcements, which is where UKOME decisions are published before they take effect.
Frequently asked
How much does a taxi cost in Istanbul in 2026?
Since 20 July 2026 the meter opens at ₺71.94 and adds ₺47.92 per kilometre, with a minimum fare of ₺230. Waiting time is charged at ₺598.90 per hour. Bridge and tunnel tolls are added on top.
Do Istanbul taxis charge more after midnight?
They should not. The separate night rate was scrapped back in 2017, so one tariff now runs around the clock. A driver quoting a higher after-dark rate is simply overcharging you.
What is the minimum taxi fare in Istanbul?
₺230 as of 20 July 2026. If the meter reads less than that at the end of a short trip, you still pay ₺230 — it is a floor rather than an additional charge.
Are tolls included in the taxi meter?
No. Bridge, tunnel and motorway tolls are charged separately and added to the metered fare. That is legitimate. Luggage fees, airport supplements and night surcharges are not.
How much is a taxi from Sabiha Gökçen to Taksim?
The distance alone is about 45 km, which at ₺47.92 per kilometre comes to roughly ₺2,156 before the ₺71.94 opening fee, tolls and any waiting time. Cross-Bosphorus traffic can add substantially to that, which is why the final metered figure is not knowable in advance.
Who sets Istanbul taxi prices?
UKOME, the transport coordination board of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Rates are city-wide and identical for every licensed yellow taxi; drivers cannot set their own prices.
Where these figures come from
Fares and timetables in Istanbul change more than once a year. Every figure above is traceable to a source below — check them yourself before you travel, and tell us if you find something out of date.
- Sabah — İstanbul'da taksi ücretlerine yüzde 10 zam
The 20 July 2026 tariff: opening ₺71.94, ₺47.92/km, ₺230 minimum, ₺598.90 hourly waiting.
- Bigpara / Hürriyet — İstanbul zamlı taksi tarifesi 2026
Independent confirmation of the same figures and the previous ₺65.40 / ₺43.56 / ₺210 rates.
- İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi
The authority that publishes UKOME tariff decisions before they take effect.