Taxis & ride-hailing in China
DiDi versus street taxis, what it costs, and how to avoid the classic airport overcharge.
What everyone needs to know
- DiDi has an English app, shows the price upfront and records the route — it removes almost all friction.
- Street taxis are metered by law; refuse any driver who wants a flat fare.
- At airports and stations, use the official taxi rank, never someone approaching you inside the terminal.
- Keep your destination in Chinese characters; almost no driver reads English addresses.
The numbers
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Flagfall | ¥13–16 in tier-1 cities |
| Per km | ¥2.3–2.6 |
| Airport to centre | ¥100–200 in tier-1 cities |
| Night surcharge | ≈20% after 23:00 |
Do it in this order
- Install DiDi, register with your international number and add a card.
- Set your pickup point by map pin, not by typing an address.
- If hailing a street taxi, confirm the meter is running before the car moves.
- Photograph the licence plate if you leave anything behind — DiDi makes this trivial, street taxis do not.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting a fixed price from a driver at the airport — it is usually double the meter.
- Getting into an unlicensed car that looks like a taxi.
- Forgetting that the return trip from a tourist site may have no passing taxis; book DiDi instead.
Sources
Taxis & ride-hailing city by city
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Chengdu
- Chongqing
- Guilin
- Zhangjiajie
- Hangzhou
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Harbin
- Sanya
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Suzhou
- Xiamen
- Zhengzhou
- Taiyuan
- Guiyang
- Fuzhou
- Yiwu
- Tianjin
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Changsha
- Qingdao
- Jinan
- Shenyang
- Dalian
- Changchun
- Hohhot
- Urumqi
- Lhasa
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Yinchuan
- Dunhuang
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Datong
- Pingyao
- Qufu
- Tai'an
- Huangshan
- Hefei
- Nanchang
- Wenzhou
- Ningbo
- Wuxi
- Yangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Zhuhai
- Foshan
- Dongguan
- Haikou
- Nanning
- Yangshuo
- Dali
- Shangri-La
- Xishuangbanna