Waymo doesn’t have a single price list. When you enter a pickup and destination in the Waymo app, it shows the fare before you book, and that fare is built from a minimum fare plus trip distance and trip time, then adjusted for things like demand, time of day and airport fees, according to Waymo’s pricing help page. Las Vegas is the only city where Waymo publishes the rate: $9.49 base plus $1.23 per mile and $0.45 per minute.
In San Francisco, independent price tracking put the average Waymo trip at $19.69 in late 2025, compared with $17.47 on Uber and $15.47 on Lyft. Details are below.
How Waymo calculates your fare
The pricing page lists what goes into the number you see:
- Base parts: a minimum fare on every trip, plus distance and duration. The price assumes the most direct route, so if the car re-routes on its own, your price doesn’t change.
- Timing and demand: when you request, how busy it is, and how many cars are near your pickup and drop-off. The Waymo FAQ notes that nights and weekends can cost more.
- Booking ahead: scheduling a ride in advance can change the price.
- Extras: tolls and surcharges such as an airport access fee, plus promotions.
- Things you do: changing the destination mid-trip, adding stops, late cancellation, a no-show, or dirtying or damaging the car.
Once you book, the quoted price holds unless you change the ride, according to Waymo’s terms of service. Taxes and fees shown in advance are estimates, and payments are generally non-refundable.
Fees that can surprise you
- No-show: the car waits for a countdown at pickup. If you don’t reach it in time, it leaves and you may be charged, per Waymo’s pickup help page. Opening the door pauses the countdown.
- Cancellation: a late cancellation can carry a fee. Waymo doesn’t publish the amount or the time window.
- Cleaning or damage: the terms allow a charge if the car needs cleaning or repair.
Waymo’s pricing page, FAQ and terms don’t mention tipping.
Is Waymo more expensive than Uber or Lyft?
Usually a little, based on the only large public comparison. Obi, a ride-price comparison company, tracked San Francisco prices twice:
- March 25 to April 25, 2025: about 90,000 price records. Average trip cost was $20.43 on Waymo, $15.58 on Uber and $14.44 on Lyft (TechCrunch, June 12, 2025).
- November 27, 2025 to January 1, 2026: about 94,000 simulated requests. Waymo averaged $19.69, Uber $17.47 and Lyft $15.47. Average wait was 5.74 minutes for Waymo, 3.15 for Uber and 5.14 for Lyft (TechCrunch, January 27, 2026).
That puts Waymo about 13% above Uber and 27% above Lyft in the later sample, down from roughly 31% above Uber earlier in 2025. Both studies cover San Francisco only, so they don’t tell you prices in Phoenix, Los Angeles or newer cities. The reliable way to compare is to enter the same trip in each app at the same moment.
Where you can ride Waymo (October 2026)
Waymo’s rides page lists 15 places it’s serving riders, checked October 19, 2026:
- In the Waymo app: Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area and Tampa.
- Through Uber only: Austin and Atlanta. You request an Uber and may be matched with a Waymo; you can’t book a Waymo directly there.
- Early access: Las Vegas. The page asks you to download the app to be among the first riders, so it isn’t fully open yet.
Several newer cities opened in stages with limited service areas, so your address may be outside the zone even if your city is listed. Waymo’s list of upcoming cities includes Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington, DC, London and Tokyo, without launch dates.
Airports: Waymo began serving San Francisco International on January 29, 2026, to and from the Rental Car Center only, reached by AirTrain, starting with select riders (Waymo blog). Terminal pickups there were planned for later. Expect an airport access fee on airport trips.
How to get a ride
- Download the Waymo app and create an account.
- Enter your destination. The app shows the fare and picks the pickup and drop-off spots.
- Confirm the ride. You’ll get alerts when the car is a minute away and when it arrives.
- Unlock the car with the app, buckle up and tap Start Ride.
Up to four passengers can ride. Riders generally need to be 18 or older. Teen accounts, set up by a parent, are available only in metro Phoenix, and younger riders can travel as an adult’s guest. Children under 8 need a car seat or booster in the back seat, per the FAQ.
If a remote person ever helps the car, that’s remote assistance, not someone driving it. Our explainer on robotaxi remote assistance vs remote driving covers the difference, and our Tesla Cybercab guide covers the other robotaxi people ask about.