Airport Parking vs. Rideshare Breakeven Calculator

Decide whether to park at the airport or hail rideshares for your next trip. Enter the round-trip rideshare estimate and daily parking rate to see total costs, the breakeven trip length, and which option wins for your travel dates once tips, surges, and parking fees are considered.

Include pickup/drop-off fares for both departure and arrival.
Garage or economy lot rate before taxes and fees.
Defaults to 4 days door to door.
Defaults to 0%. Captures expected tip or surge markup on both rides.
Defaults to $0. Add taxes, shuttle fees, or tolls for parking.

Actual fares and parking rates can vary with time of day, traffic, and availability. Confirm real-time pricing before departing for the airport.

Examples

  • $78 round-trip rideshare, $18/day parking, 4-day trip, 15% tip, $12 fees ⇒ Rideshare saves $4.90 for a 4.00-day trip. Parking cost: $84.00 USD (daily $18.00 × 4.00 days + $12.00 fees). Rideshare cost: $89.10 USD including 15.00% tip/surge. Breakeven trip length: 4.28 days.
  • $95 round-trip rideshare, $22/day parking, 3-day trip, defaults for optional fields ⇒ Parking saves $29.00 for a 3.00-day trip. Parking cost: $66.00 USD (daily $22.00 × 3.00 days + $0.00 fees). Rideshare cost: $95.00 USD including 0.00% tip/surge. Breakeven trip length: 4.32 days.

FAQ

How should I account for rental car gas costs when parking?

Include expected fuel expenses in the parking fees field so they are added to the parking total.

Can I model off-airport parking lots with shuttle transfers?

Yes. Enter their daily rate and add shuttle or transfer fees in the parking fees field to compare against rideshare costs.

What if I only need a rideshare one way?

Halve the round-trip rideshare cost before entering it to simulate a single ride and rerun the calculator for each direction.

Does the calculator include airport curb fees or tolls charged by rideshare apps?

Add those fees to the round-trip rideshare estimate so the total reflects what you will actually be charged in the app.

Additional Information

  • Breakeven days divide the adjusted rideshare cost by the parking day rate after subtracting fixed parking fees.
  • Tips or surge multipliers are applied to the entire round-trip rideshare estimate to prevent under-budgeting.
  • Parking fees can include airport access tolls, shuttle surcharges, or reservation charges.
  • Extend the trip length in the input to evaluate long vacations or business travel with weekend stays.

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