Santa Cruz de Tenerife Taxis Among Spain's Priciest Per Kilometer

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has some of the most expensive taxi fares per kilometer in Spain, according to a study by FACUA-Consumers in Action. The study looked at taxi prices in 57 Spanish cities, using data from December 2025.

The report shows that the average taxi fare per kilometer across Spain is €1.07 during the day and €1.29 at night.

Specifically, Santa Cruz de Tenerife charges €1.35 per kilometer during the day, matching Madrid as the most expensive. At night, its fare is €1.55 per kilometer, second only to Barcelona (€1.62).

On the other hand, the cheapest cities for taxis per kilometer during the day are Cádiz, Huelva, Cuenca, Huesca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Melilla. At night, Melilla, Ceuta, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offer the lowest rates.

FACUA compared prices by simulating nine different journeys in each city: 1, 5, and 10-kilometer trips during the day, at night, and on weekend nights, using official fare information.

The study found a 60% difference between the most expensive and cheapest cities overall. For short trips, prices can even more than double. For example, a 1-kilometer weekday journey costs 107.3% more in San Sebastián (€6.26) than in Zaragoza (€3.02).

For the third year in a row, San Sebastián has the most expensive taxis in Spain, with Lleida and Tarragona following. On the other hand, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Huelva offer the cheapest rides. In FACUA's ranking system (out of 90 points), San Sebastián scored 81, while Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Huelva each scored 8.

FACUA points out that taxi fare systems are complicated and vary a lot between cities. Even though San Sebastián has the highest overall prices, its daytime per-kilometer rate (€0.88) is actually one of the lowest, similar to Cádiz, Melilla, or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This is why FACUA compared prices using simulated journeys rather than just one type of fare.

The report also shows that 39 out of the 57 cities raised their taxi fares in 2025 compared to the year before, with an average increase of 3.1%. Palma de Mallorca saw the biggest jump (15.4%), followed by Ceuta (12.4%), San Sebastián (9.1%), and Zaragoza (9.0%). Looking specifically at the per-kilometer charge, the average increase was 2.8% during the day and 2.4% at night.

When it comes to the minimum daytime fare (the lowest charge for a trip), San Sebastián (€6.26) and Lleida (€5.33) are the most expensive, with Gijón and Oviedo (€5.09) close behind. San Sebastián also has the highest minimum night fare at €7.26. Nationally, the average minimum fare is €3.97 during the day and €5 at night. The cheapest minimum fares during the day are found in Zaragoza, Ciudad Real, Murcia, and Madrid. At night, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Murcia, and Madrid offer the lowest minimum charges.

The 'flag-down' fare (the initial charge to start a journey) averages €2.18 during the day and €2.84 at night and on weekends. These increased by 3.3% and 3.5% respectively. San Sebastián has the highest daytime flag-down fare at €4.94, followed by Teruel, Tarragona, and Bilbao.

FACUA is once again urging cities to remove extra charges or fixed prices for trips starting or ending at train stations, ports, or airports. They argue there's no difference in service to justify these higher costs. The consumer group also criticizes special weekend fares in some cities and extra night-time surcharges in others.

For airport trips, the study notes that several cities, including Seville, Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, and Barcelona, have fixed fares or surcharges.

FACUA defines daytime fares as those applied Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) between 6 or 7 AM and 10 or 11 PM, depending on the city. Night-time and holiday fares cover all other times, including Sundays and public holidays. All data for the study was collected in December 2025.