How Hong Kong Taxi Fares Work｜Flag-Fall, Metering, Surcharges and Tunnels Explained

A Hong Kong taxi fare has three parts: the flag-fall, the metered increments charged by distance or waiting time, and surcharges and road charges. The current flag-fall for the first 2 km is $29 for a red taxi, $25.5 for a green taxi and $24 for a blue taxi; after that the meter steps up every 200 m or every minute of waiting at each colour's own rate, then switches to a lower increment once the fare reaches a set amount.

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The Fare Structure: Three Parts

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1. Flag-Fall

Charged the moment you board, covering the first 2 km or any part of it: $29 for a red taxi, $25.5 for a green taxi, $24 for a blue taxi. Even on a very short trip, the flag-fall is the minimum.

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2. Metered Increments

After the first 2 km the meter steps up for every 200 m or part of it, and for every minute or part of a minute of waiting time; once the fare reaches a set amount, the increment drops to a lower rate.

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3. Surcharges and Road Charges

Baggage is $6 per piece, animals and telephone bookings $5 each; wheelchairs and canes are free. Toll tunnels, toll roads and cross-harbour return charges are added under the applicable rules.

The basic formula:
Total fare ≈ flag-fall ＋ (number of increments × amount per increment) ＋ applicable surcharges ＋ applicable tunnel and road charges
What triggers an increment: every 200 m or part of it ／ every minute or part of a minute of waiting time — both count at the same time.

What the Meter Shows Is Not Always What You Pay

The meter mainly shows the fare itself. Baggage, animals, telephone bookings and tunnel or road charges are added separately, so the amount due when you get out can be higher than the figure on the meter. That is one reason many passengers book a flat fare instead.

Current Fare Table for the Three Types of Taxi

Item	Urban taxi (red)	New Territories taxi (green)	Lantau taxi (blue)
First 2 km or part thereof	$29	$25.5	$24
Higher increment: per 200 m or per minute of waiting	$2.1	$1.9	$1.9
Threshold for the lower increment	After $102.5	After $82.5	After $195
Lower increment: per 200 m or per minute of waiting	$1.4	$1.4	$1.6
Per piece of luggage	$6	$6	$6
Per animal or bird	$5	$5	$5
Per telephone booking	$5	$5	$5
Wheelchairs and crutches	Free	Free	Free

The current fares took effect on 14 July 2024. Passengers are required by law to pay the amount shown on the meter, plus the prescribed additional charges where they apply. See the 2026 Taxi Fare Standard and Types of Hong Kong Taxi for details.

What Triggers an Increment? Distance and Time Both Count

Distance Trigger

After the first 2 km, the meter steps up for every 200 m or part of it travelled. Even a short extra stretch can trigger an increment because of that "or part of it".

Waiting-Time Trigger

When the vehicle stops or crawls, the meter steps up for every minute or part of a minute of waiting time. So traffic jams, red lights, picking up and dropping off, and queuing at junctions all push the fare up even when the distance has not changed.

From the Higher Increment to the Lower One

Once the fare reaches the threshold, the amount per increment falls: from $2.1 to $1.4 on a red taxi, from $1.9 to $1.4 on a green taxi, and from $1.9 to $1.6 on a blue taxi. The average cost per kilometre on a long trip therefore tapers off.

Why You Cannot Compare on Flag-Fall Alone

A green taxi's flag-fall is $3.5 lower than a red taxi's, but its lower-increment threshold also arrives earlier. The gap between the two is not fixed across medium and long distances, so you have to work it out from the actual distance and waiting time rather than scaling one figure up.

Navigation Distance Is Not Meter Distance

The distance your phone's navigation app shows is only an estimate for one suggested route. The meter charges for the distance the vehicle actually travels plus waiting time, and diversions, U-turns, pick-ups and drop-offs, one-way streets and road closures all change the final figure.

A Worked Estimate: Roughly How a Long Trip Adds Up

Long-distance estimate for a green taxi (about 46 km):
$25.5 ＋ (46 − 8) × about $7 per km ≈ about $348.5
This assumes the lower-increment threshold arrives at about the 8th kilometre, after which each 200 m costs $1.4 — roughly $7 per kilometre.

The situation	Estimate	Why
Green taxi, meter on distance alone	About $348.5	Before waiting time and surcharges
After the 15% meter discount	About $296	Applied to the final meter reading under the agreed discount
Plus the $8 Route 3 (Tsing Sha) toll section	About $304	Depending on whether the actual route uses that toll section
Plus two pieces of baggage, $12	About $316	At the statutory $6 per piece
Booked flat fare	Confirmed by quotation	Normally includes ordinary baggage and the usual route charges

An Estimate Is a Planning Tool, Nothing More

The figures above are worked out from the statutory fare table and exclude actual waiting time, diversions, pick-ups and drop-offs, and individual road charges. The metered fare that counts is the one on the licensed meter in the vehicle; a flat fare is the one confirmed when you book.

You can compare for yourself with the standard meter calculator, the 15%-off fare calculator and the fare calculator.

Surcharges, Tunnels and the Cross-Harbour Return Charge

Item	Current arrangement	What to ask when booking
Luggage	$6 a piece	Whether the flat fare already includes ordinary baggage
Animal or bird	$5 each	Pets must be mentioned in advance
Telephone booking	$5 per trip	Whether it is already in the confirmed total
Wheelchairs and crutches	Free	You can give the dimensions so space can be confirmed
Toll tunnels and roads	By the actual route	Whether the usual route charges are included
Cross-harbour return charge	When you do not board at a cross-harbour taxi stand, a return charge generally applies	Whether it applies and how it is worked out
Payment platform fee	Some platforms charge one; it is not part of the fare	Whether your payment method carries a platform fee
Airport parking or pick-up area	A meet-and-greet pick-up can involve costs	Whether it is included and how long the free waiting is

Not Every Trip Has a Cross-Harbour Charge

Trips to the airport from Sha Tin, Tai Po, Kwun Tong or Mong Kok, for example, normally stay on the road network north of Victoria Harbour and do not use the Cross-Harbour, Eastern Harbour or Western Harbour tunnel, so there is no harbour tunnel toll and no return charge. A trip from Hong Kong Island to the airport normally does cross through a harbour tunnel.

The full explanation is in the Tunnel and Surcharge Guide.

Flat Fares, Meter Discounts and the Statutory Meter

Compared on	Statutory meter	Meter discount	Booked flat fare
You know the total before departure	No	You only know how the discount works	Yes
Traffic and waiting	The meter keeps running	Discount applied to the final meter reading	Normally unchanged once confirmed
Luggage charge	Charged per piece as the law provides	You need to confirm whether it is included	Ordinary baggage is normally included
Tunnel and road charges	By the actual route	To be confirmed under the agreement	Itemised in the quotation
Extra stop en route	By the actual meter reading	Calculated under the agreement	Must be confirmed again
Best for	Hailing on the street	Clear traffic, little baggage	Early flights, lots of baggage, peak hours

You Cannot Switch a Street Hail to a Flat Fare Mid-Trip

For an unbooked trip hailed on the street or taken from a taxi stand, the passenger pays the meter plus any applicable surcharges. If you need a fixed total, it has to be agreed through a proper booking before the trip starts.

To Compare Discounts, Look at the Final Total

A "15% off" does not necessarily cover tunnels, baggage or the telephone booking fee, and a flat fare still needs airport parking, waiting and a second stop confirmed. Ask for the final amount and what it includes in writing, then compare.

Why the Real Fare Can Come Out Higher Than Expected

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Waiting Time on the Meter

Traffic, red lights, queues at junctions and picking up or dropping off all step the meter up by the minute or part of a minute, so the fare rises even when the distance does not.

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The Baggage Surcharge

The meter does not show the baggage charge. Several large pieces will make the amount due higher than the meter reading.

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Tunnel and Road Charges

Different routes use different toll tunnels and roads, and a diversion can change the charge.

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The Cross-Harbour Return Arrangement

If you did not board at a cross-harbour taxi stand and ask to cross the harbour, a return charge generally applies.

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Telephone Booking Fee

A telephone booking is $5 per trip, and the meter does not show it automatically.

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Payment Platform Fee

Some electronic payment platforms charge a platform fee. That is the platform's charge, not part of the fare.

One Question Worth Asking Before You Get Out

If there is anything on top of the meter, just ask: "What is there besides the meter?" and ask for a machine-printed receipt, which makes it easy to check and to follow up later.

Checklist Before Boarding and Before Getting Out

Before Boarding

Confirm the type of taxi — red, green or blue — and whether it may lawfully go to your destination.
Confirm how the fare is worked out: statutory meter, meter discount or booked flat fare.
Confirm what is included: tunnels, baggage, telephone booking, parking and waiting.
Confirm every stop en route and the order you want them in.
Confirm which payment methods you can use.

Before Getting Out

Look at the amount on the meter.
Check each surcharge and the reason for it.
If you are paying electronically, check the final amount and whether there is a platform fee.
Ask for a machine-printed fare receipt; if the printer fails, ask for a handwritten one.
Check the seat, the footwell and the boot before you leave the vehicle.

For payment details see Hong Kong Taxi Payment Methods and the Payment Methods Guide.

If You Think the Fare Is Not Right

Get a fare receipt first: it records the trip and the vehicle details.
Note the key details: vehicle registration number, the driver's name and driver identity plate number, the date, the time, and where you boarded and got out.
Note exactly what is in dispute: the meter amount, baggage, a tunnel, the telephone booking fee, or a payment platform fee.
Keep the electronic records: the booking conversation, screenshots of the quotation, and the payment transaction record.
Use the proper channel: non-urgent service complaints can go to the Transport Complaints Unit, 1823 or the police non-emergency hotline.
Call 999 for immediate danger: where personal safety, a crime or a serious incident is involved, call the police first.

Do Not Let It Escalate Inside the Vehicle

Safety comes first. If there is a dispute, secure the evidence and follow it up through the proper channel rather than arguing at length in the vehicle or blocking traffic.

For safety advice see the Night Taxi Safety Guide and Watch Out for Illegal Taxis.

Hong Kong Taxi Fares: Frequently Asked Questions

For the first 2 km or any part of it: $29 for a red taxi, $25.5 for a green taxi and $24 for a blue taxi. The current fares took effect on 14 July 2024.

After the first 2 km the meter steps up for every 200 m or part of it, or every minute or part of a minute of waiting time. A red taxi charges $2.1 ($1.4 after $102.5), a green taxi $1.9 ($1.4 after $82.5) and a blue taxi $1.9 ($1.6 after $195).

Yes. The meter charges for distance and waiting time at the same time, and steps up every minute or part of a minute while the vehicle is stopped or crawling.

Once the threshold is reached, each increment costs less, so the later part of a long trip rises more slowly. The thresholds are $102.5 for a red taxi, $82.5 for a green taxi and $195 for a blue taxi.

$6 per piece of baggage, $5 per animal or bird, $5 per telephone booking; wheelchairs and canes are free. Tunnel, road and cross-harbour return charges are added under the rules as they apply.

Because baggage, animals, telephone bookings and tunnel or road charges are added separately. You can ask for a receipt and check each item.

When you do not board at a cross-harbour taxi stand and ask to cross the harbour, you generally pay an amount equivalent to the return toll on top of the outbound toll. The actual treatment depends on where you boarded, which tunnel is used and the rules in force.

Hong Kong's statutory taxi fares include no general night or holiday surcharge. A flat fare is handled on the time slot and amount confirmed when you book.

An unbooked trip should be paid on the meter plus any applicable surcharges. If you need a fixed total, it has to be agreed through a proper booking before the trip starts.

It depends. At peak hours, with a lot of baggage or when you are chasing a flight, a flat fare is easier to budget; with clear traffic and light baggage a meter discount may come out lower. Compare the totals once everything is counted in.

Yes. Taxis are required to carry receipt-printing equipment and passengers may ask for a machine-printed receipt; if the printer fails, you should be given a handwritten one. It is best to ask before you arrive.

The fare is worked out under the statutory rates, but an individual payment platform may charge a platform fee. That fee is charged by the platform and is not part of the fare. Check the final amount before you pay.

Get a receipt first and note the registration number, the driver's details, the date and time and exactly what is in dispute, then follow it up through the Transport Complaints Unit, 1823 or the police non-emergency channel; call 999 if there is immediate danger.

The total fare, how it is worked out, tunnel and road charges, ordinary baggage, the telephone booking fee, airport parking and waiting, and how a second stop is charged — ideally all confirmed in writing.

Reference Fares by District

Sources and disclaimer: Hong Kong taxi fares are calculated at the rates specified in the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, and passengers are required by law to pay the amount shown on the meter plus the prescribed additional charges where they apply. The current fares took effect on 14 July 2024: an urban taxi charges $29 for the first 2 km, then $2.1 per 200 m or per minute of waiting, dropping to $1.4 per increment after $102.5; a New Territories taxi charges $25.5, then $1.9, dropping to $1.4 after $82.5; a Lantau taxi charges $24, then $1.9, dropping to $1.6 after $195. Baggage is currently $6 per piece, while each animal or bird and each telephone booking is $5; a wheelchair or cane a passenger depends on to move about is free. Tunnel and road charges, the cross-harbour return arrangement and electronic payment platform fees may be adjusted, so the latest announcements from the Transport Department and the operators concerned prevail. The worked estimates on this page are for trip planning only: the metered fare that counts is the one on the licensed meter in the vehicle, and a flat fare is the one confirmed in writing when you book. Last updated: 31 August 2026.