Miami International Airport sits on the mainland, about 8 miles west of Miami Beach. Getting to your destination involves crossing a causeway, and the cost varies significantly depending on your transport choice.
There are no flat taxi rates any more
This is the single most important thing to know, because most guides still get it wrong. Miami-Dade County eliminated all airport flat fares on 19 July 2022, including the well-known zone rates from MIA to South Beach, Mid-Beach and North Beach. Every taxi trip from the airport is now metered. If a page quotes you "$35 flat to South Beach," it is quoting a fare that has not existed for years.
Fixed-price private transfer
MIA Miami
From€85for 2 passengers
The official meter tariff
This is the tariff on the rate card posted in every licensed Miami-Dade cab:
- First 1/6 mile: $2.95
- Each additional 1/6 mile up to one mile: 85 cents (so the meter reads $7.20 at one mile)
- Each 1/6 mile thereafter: 55 cents — $3.30 per mile
- Waiting time: $24.00 per hour, roughly 40 cents a minute
- Airport trip charge: $2.00 on any fare originating at MIA or PortMiami
- Minimum fare from MIA: $15. If the meter reads more, you pay the meter
- SUVs and vans: 30% surcharge above the meter rate. This does not apply to wheelchair-accessible cabs serving wheelchair users
- Tolls: added to the fare, at the SunPass rate
Source: Miami-Dade County Resolution R-700-22. The county revises rates periodically, so treat the card in the cab as the authority.
Estimating your own fare
Because the meter decides, your fare depends on your exact address and the traffic. The arithmetic is simple enough to do yourself: $7.20 for the first mile, $3.30 for every mile after that, plus the $2.00 airport charge, plus 40 cents for every minute you are not moving, plus tolls. A long crawl across a causeway at 6 PM on a Friday can add several dollars in waiting time alone. Tips are separate — 15-20% is customary in the US.
Uber and Lyft prices
Ride-hailing has no published tariff. Prices are set dynamically and move with demand, weather and events, so we will not print a range that would be wrong by the time you read it. The quote in the app before you request the ride is the only number that means anything. It is sometimes cheaper than a cab and sometimes not.
Private transfer rates
A pre-booked transfer is quoted and fixed at booking. No meter, no surge, no toll surprises. Confirm when booking whether the quote includes tolls and gratuity, as practice varies between operators. The useful comparison is the quote against the meter math above for your distance — for a long run in heavy traffic a fixed price often wins, for a short off-peak hop it may not.
Budget options
Metrorail: $2.25 to downtown Miami. Take the free MIA Mover to the station. Fast and reliable but does not reach Miami Beach.
Bus 150 (Miami Beach Airport Express): $2.25 to Miami Beach via Collins Avenue. Takes 40-60 minutes. Runs every 30 minutes, 6 AM to 11:40 PM, seven days a week.
Metrobus routes: Several local bus routes connect MIA to surrounding neighborhoods. Fares are $2.25. Slow but cheap.
Metromover: Free within the downtown core, which is worth knowing if the Metrorail drops you nearby.
All transit fares above are from the Miami-Dade Transit fare guide, February 2026. A 1-day pass is $5.65 and contactless payment caps automatically at that amount.
Hidden costs to watch
Tolls on the Dolphin Expressway and causeways are charged on top of the taxi meter at the SunPass rate — they are not included, and the old flat rates that used to absorb them no longer exist. Uber and Lyft may add tolls as a separate line item. Parking in Miami Beach is expensive at most hotels, which matters if you are considering a rental car; check the specific rate with your hotel. Tipping taxi drivers 15-20% is expected on top of the metered fare.
Time of day matters
Morning rush (7-9:30 AM) and evening rush (4-7 PM) add 15-30 minutes to any drive. Friday and Saturday evenings are especially slow on the causeways to Miami Beach. This now costs you money as well as time: a metered taxi bills waiting at $24 an hour, so the same trip genuinely is more expensive at rush hour. Pre-booked transfer prices stay the same regardless of how long the traffic takes.