Fair price guide
Do you know what a tuk-tuk should cost per kilometre?
Three wheels, an open side and a horn with opinions: the tuk-tuk is the quickest way through any Sri Lankan town. It is also where most visitors first overpay.
The fair price
LKR 50–100 per km
on an app or a working meter
Tuk-tuk overcharging is the most common complaint visitors make, and the Consumer Affairs Authority has run crackdowns in tourist areas. The fix is simple: know the per-kilometre rate and use an app wherever it works.
What you should pay
| What | Fair price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Booked on the PickMe app | LKR 50–80 per km | Price shown before you ride |
| Metered, Colombo | LKR 60–80 per km | Plus LKR 50–80 for the first km |
| Negotiated on the street | LKR 100–150 per km | What visitors typically end up paying |
| Airport area to Negombo | LKR 500–800 | On PickMe, outside surge times |
How to pay the fair price
- Use PickMe for tuk-tuks. Uber in Sri Lanka is mostly cars.
- Outside app coverage, check the distance on your map, multiply by about LKR 100, and agree that total before you get in.
- Confirm the fare is for the whole vehicle and the whole journey, not per person or one way.
- Carry small notes. Drivers often have no change for a LKR 5,000 note.
Red flags
- The meter is broken.
- A very low quote that becomes per person on arrival.
- An offer to take you somewhere better or cheaper than where you asked to go.
Related scam: Tuk-tuk overcharging. It is the complaint visitors make most, and common enough that the Consumer Affairs Authority has run crackdowns in tourist hotspots.
Rather have the price settled before you land?
Tell us where you want to go. We reply with one all-inclusive figure for car and driver, with no shopping stops along the way.