The Cost of a Taxi to Melbourne Airport, Suburb by Suburb
The honest answer to 'how much is a taxi to Melbourne Airport from my suburb' has two inputs: how far you are, and how much of the trip you spend crawling. Distance is fixed; the crawling is a choice about departure time. Here is the distance half, suburb by suburb.
Distance and off-peak drive time to Tullamarine
| SUBURB | DISTANCE | OFF-PEAK DRIVE TIME | MAIN ROUTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kew | 26 km | 26 min | Eastern Fwy to CityLink |
| Hawthorn | 28 km | 28 min | Eastern Fwy to CityLink |
| Camberwell | 32 km | 30 min | Eastern Fwy to CityLink |
| Doncaster | 33 km | 30 min | Eastern Fwy to CityLink |
| Caulfield | 35 km | 35 min | Punt Rd or Monash to CityLink |
| Box Hill | 38 km | 35 min | Eastern Fwy to CityLink |
| Brighton | 38 km | 38 min | Nepean Hwy to CityLink |
| Clayton | 45 km | 40 min | Monash to CityLink |
| Glen Waverley | 45 km | 40 min | Monash or EastLink |
| Ringwood | 45 km | 40 min | EastLink to Eastern Fwy |
| Dandenong | 55 km | 45 min | EastLink to Eastern Fwy |
| Berwick | 65 km | 55 min | Monash to CityLink |
| Cranbourne | 70 km | 58 min | Sth Gippsland Hwy to Monash |
| Frankston | 70 km | 60 min | Peninsula Link to EastLink |
| Pakenham | 80 km | 70 min | Princes Fwy to Monash |
How those kilometres become a fare
Every Victorian taxi charges the same regulated structure: flag fall, then a per-kilometre rate while moving above 21 km/h, or a per-minute rate whenever the car drops below it. Add CityLink or EastLink tolls where the route uses them, plus the airport pickup fee on trips collecting from the terminals.
| RATE BAND | FLAG FALL | PER KM | PER MINUTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day — 9am to 5pm | $5.40 | $2.10 | $0.70 |
| Overnight — 5pm to 9am | $6.75 | $2.30 | $0.80 |
| Peak — 10pm–4am Fri & Sat, public holidays | $8.00 | $2.55 | $0.85 |
Why two people from the same street pay different fares
- Departure time — a 5am run from Dandenong is almost entirely above 21 km/h; an 8am run is not.
- Rate band — the overnight and weekend-late bands carry a higher flag fall and per-km rate.
- Route — the tolled freeway usually beats the free arterial once metered minutes are counted.
- Vehicle — an SUV or 11-seat maxi carries a higher rate than a sedan, but splits across more passengers.
- Waiting — if the car waits for you, that time is billed.
Price your suburb to airport trip
The reliable way to know before you go
Enter your pickup address and Melbourne Airport in our booking form. The estimate uses the real road distance for your address, the rate band for your travel time and the vehicle you select — not a generic average. If you would rather be told by a person, call 24/7 dispatch on 0493 100 265 and we will quote you on the phone.
SE Premium Cabs covers every suburb in the table above with premium sedans, 6-seat SUVs and 11-seat maxi cabs, around the clock.
Keep reading
Melbourne Airport Pickup Guide: How Arrivals Pickup Actually Works
What happens between your plane landing and your car pulling away — terminals, meeting points, flight tracking, delays and how much time to allow.
Taxi From Melbourne Airport to the Western Suburbs
Distances, realistic drive times and route notes for the run from Tullamarine out to Melbourne's western suburbs, plus what actually drives the fare.