Every gig worker should have a large sandbox of tools that they can reach into whenever needed.
Having a bunch of physical and digital tools at your disposal is essential to optimizing your efficiency.
The tool we will talk about here is the Uber Fare Estimator.
But don’t fret, this isn’t only useful for Uber drivers.
For people who are always examining their budgets (like most gig workers), and for people who are focused on providing the best customer service, this tool can save you a lot of time.
Want to know how much an Uber ride will cost?
Sure this is easy to do in the Uber app, but only if you are at your pickup location.
If you want to know how much an Uber or Lyft will cost and you are not at your pickup point, it can be much more difficult.
Fortunately, our partner site, Ridester, developed a tool that will estimate the cost of an Uber.
You can use this from any computer on any browser.
So you don’t even need the Uber or Lyft apps to check how much are ride is going to cost.
This is a great tool if you are traveling to a new area or city and want to know how much it costs to get around.
If you’re flying into a new airport, it’s great to know how much your ride to your hotel will be.
Avoid the sticker shock and know before you go.
The Fare Estimator is also a handy tool for a variety of freelance and gig type jobs.
This article will discuss how it works, the most expensive and least expensive cities, and great ways that gig workers can use the estimator for their business.
Online Uber and Lyft Fare Estimator
To get started with the Uber Fare estimator, type in your pickup location and destination in the below fields.
Once you’re done, click “Estimate Uber Fare” or “Estimate Lyft Fare.”
Once the widget completes the calculation, it will display the estimated duration, total distance and estimated Uber rates.
The great thing is that it shows all of the Uber or Lyft classes side by side.
So you can compare UberXL and UberX and all of the other Uber vehicle classes.
Uber Fare Estimator Features
The first and most obvious feature is the Uber Fare Estimator (duh).
This is the heart and soul of the widget, and it does exactly what you would expect.
It estimates the total cost of an Uber or Lyft ride based off of ride prices in that particular location.
All you need to do is enter a starting point and dropoff location and hit the button to see the estimated far.
Have you ever noticed that Uber costs are cheap in some cities and way more expensive in another city?
That is because every city has a different base fare, cost per mile, and cost per minute.
We will talk about this later in the “City Based Fare” section.
This tool pulls all the data in from live feeds from Uber & Lyft.
This allows the widget to provide accurate and up to date information.
It will also show you more helpful information, like how much each Uber car type will cost.
So if you are considering different ride options, you can quickly see how much more money it will cost you.
This is also helpful if you have a large group of people.
You can look if it will be cheaper to take 2 UberXs or 1 UberXL quickly and easily.
2. Live Map
Want to see how other people are using the Fare Estimator or how Uber is updating their pricing?
Check out the Live Map feature.
This map will show you real-time updates from across the country.
This is fun to watch because it is constantly changing.
But what we love is that it will show you when surge prices go into effect in any city in the United States.
This obviously isn’t the most practical way of checking out surge pricing.
But it does give you an idea of how quickly Uber can update their prices.
3. City Based Prices
The next feature of the Uber Fare Calculator is awesome.
The City Based Fare tab allows you to enter any city.
Once a city is selected, it will show you exactly how the fares are calculated in that city.
- Seat Capacity
- Base Fare
- Price Per Minute
- Price Per Mile
- Cancellation Fee
- Minimum Cost
The reason this tool is so awesome is that it makes everything completely transparent.
This shows both Uber passengers (and Uber drivers) what they are paying for.
We also love that it shows a minimum cost because this is something you don’t see very often.
For instance, did you know the minimum cost of an UberBLACK SUV in Denver, CO is $25!
4. Popular
Curious to see how much other people are paying for Uber rides?
Check out the Popular tab.
This tab will show you how much other people’s Uber rides are across the country.
Once again, this isn’t necessarily a useful feature.
But it is useful if you want to get an idea of how much people are paying for rides across the country.
It puts things into perspective to see that a lot of people are paying $50 for rides while others are seeing fares below $10.
What Are The Cheapest Cities for Uber?
Now that you’ve played around with the Uber Fare Estimator a little bit, you might be curious to know what are the cheapest cities for Uber and Lyft rides.
Here are the cheapest cities for Uber, according to Uberestimator.com.
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Cairo, Egypt
- Udaipur, India
- Jodhpur, India
- Amritsar, India
- Surat, India
- Chittagong, Bangladesh
- Nagpur, India
- Bhopal, India
It comes with no surprise that the cheapest cities to take an Uber are not in the United States.
The cost of living in Bangladesh and India is so much cheaper.
This means transportation is also much cheaper.
What Are The Most Expensive Cities for Uber?
So what are the most expensive cities for Uber according to Uberestimator.com?
- The Hamptons
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Colorado Springs
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Las Vegas
- Pittsburgh
- NYC Suburbs
- Manhattan
- New York City
As you’ll notice right off the bat, all of the most expensive cities for Uber are in the United States, with the exception of two Swedish cities.
Should this be surprising?
No.
The United States has one of the strongest economies in the world and our citizens live lives of luxury compared to those in the third-world.
That’s the price we pay for living in the U.S.A.
Want to embed the Uber Fare Estimator or Uber Earning Estimator on your website?
You can generate an Uber Estimator widget here.
Why an Uber and Lyft Fare Estimator is a Good Tool for Gig Workers
How Fare Estimators Benefit Freelancers
This is a great tool for gig workers who need to plan trips for freelance clients.
For instance, if you are taking on a freelance client who needs you to travel across the city regularly.
If you know how frequently you will need to travel, and how much that travel will cost, you can build in the extra cost (with some padding) into the contract.
This is much easier than invoicing a client down the road.
If you client ever questions the invoiced amount, you can easily explain you used an Uber fare estimate tool, this shows you aren’t just guessing at Uber pricing, you’re actually thinking about each dollar amount you’re presenting to the client.
How Fare Estimators Benefit Airbnb Renters
If you are building out a new listing, use the estimator to get the Uber rates to various landmarks around the city.
For instance, you can tell your potential renters that your apartment is just a $6 Uber ride to the nearest stadium/music venue/city center/airport.
It is also a handy tool if an Airbnb renter is sending you questions about getting around the city.
It is very common for people coming into town to ask how long it takes to get somewhere, or how long it costs.
With the Fare Estimator, you can provide accurate advice for your clientele.
We all know that providing excellent customer service is the best way to get a 5-star rating.
If you work as an Uber or Lyft driver, this tool his ridiculously handy.
Our favorite part is the City Based Fare featured because it clearly breaks down how an Uber fare is calculated.
This is something every driver should be familiar with.
Not only because it will help you understand how your pay is calculated.
But also because it is a question that drivers get all the time from passengers.
It is great to be able to articulate exactly what a passenger is paying for.
They will appreciate your explanation along with your expertise.
As we mentioned, it is important to have a lot of tools at your disposal as a gig worker.
Knowing transportation costs in your city may not sound like useful information, but when you dig into it, it can be handy.
You can use this information to accurately create budgets.
Or to provide estimates for your rental clientele.
Or to calculate your driver earnings.
Or to explain Uber fares to your passengers.
We hope you find the Uber Fare Estimator as useful as we do.
Bookmark it and keep it stored away because we’re willing to bet it will come into play for you in the future.
