Buenos Aires — Cab fares in the city of Buenos Aires increased by 30% this week, with the daytime fare increasing to a starting rate of 144 pesos ($0.72 at the ‘blue dollar’ rate), while the nighttime fare jumped to a starting price of 174 pesos ($0.87).
The exchange rate for the blue dollar is almost twice that of the regular U.S. dollar rate. Visitors to Argentina paying hotel or restaurant bills with a foreign debit or credit card will pay the equivalent of the regular, or ‘official’ U.S. dollar rate, but when paying in cash with Argentine pesos, the exchange equivalent is the ‘blue’ dollar rate.
With inflation continuing to pile pressure on incomes, the cab fare increase in the city is just one more adjustment to hit consumers this month, and which have included hikes for telecommunications services, fuel and public service costs.
Despite the recent fare hikes, taking a cab is cheaper in Buenos Aires than in Bogotá or São Paulo however, where the starting rate is $1.21 and $1.18 respectively, although the starting fare is cheaper in Mexico City, at $0.44.
In early April, São Paulo’s Transportation and Urban Mobility Secretariat authorized a fare increase, widening the gap with Argentine fares even further, especially if the price of opting for a luxury cab is taken into account, which have a starting fare of $1.76.
Meanwhile, in Bogotá, a cab ride is even dearer, especially if it’s a night-time ride, on a Sunday, or if the holiday surcharge of $0.59 is factored in.
During the pandemic and the subsequent reduction in traffic circulation, throughout 2020 the fares of cabs in Buenos Aires remained unchanged, while in 2021 they increased by more than 86%, well above inflation.
In turn, the April fare hike was also higher than the rise in the consumer price index of 16.1% in the first quarter of this year, according to Argentina’s statistics bureau INDEC.
