Waymo Robotaxi Rides Still Pricier Than Human-Driven Uber and Lyft

But the price gap is narrowing as Waymo lowers costs and rideshare prices rise.

Feb. 2, 2026 at 10:47am by Ben Kaplan

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A new report from Obi, a global real-time aggregator for rideshare prices, found that Waymo robotaxi rides in the San Francisco Bay Area cost an average of $19.69, which is 12.7% more expensive than Uber at $17.47 and 27.3% more than Lyft at $15.47. However, the price gap is narrowing as Waymo has lowered its pricing while Uber and Lyft have increased their prices.

Why it matters

The findings highlight the ongoing competition between autonomous vehicle companies like Waymo and traditional rideshare services. As Waymo expands to new cities and partners with Uber and Lyft, the battle for market share in the emerging robotaxi industry is heating up.

The details

Obi's research simulated over 94,000 ride requests in the San Francisco Bay Area between November 27 and January 1. The data showed that while Waymo rides were previously priced 30-40% higher than Uber and Lyft, that premium has dropped to 12.7% more than Uber and 27.3% more than Lyft. This is due to Waymo lowering its prices while Uber and Lyft have increased theirs. For longer rides between 4.3 and 9.3 kilometers, the Waymo premium is even smaller, at just 2% more than Uber and 17% more than Lyft.

  • In June 2025, Obi's first report showed Waymo rides averaged $20.43, Uber at $15.58, and Lyft at $14.44.
  • The latest data from November 2026 to January 2027 found Waymo's average cost dropped 3.62%, while Uber's went up 12% and Lyft's increased 7%.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Uber

A major rideshare company that operates in cities around the world.

Lyft

Another major rideshare company that competes with Uber.

Obi

A global real-time aggregator for rideshare prices that conducted the research on Waymo, Uber, and Lyft pricing.

Ashwini Anburajan

The CEO of Obi.

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What they’re saying

“When Waymo entered the market, our research saw that a ride was priced 30% to 40% higher than an Uber or Lyft ride, but consumers were still taking them enthusiastically, viewing an autonomous rideshare as a premium product.”

— Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi

“It's still very early in the game, so no one's a late entrant, right? We're in this new era, so who's gonna capture market share and move fast to win consumers over?”

— Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi

What’s next

As Waymo continues expanding to new cities and partnering with Uber and Lyft, the competition in the robotaxi market is expected to intensify. Companies will be vying to capture market share and win over consumers in this emerging transportation landscape.

The takeaway

The narrowing price gap between Waymo's autonomous rides and traditional rideshare services like Uber and Lyft suggests the novelty factor of self-driving cars may be wearing off for some consumers. To stay competitive, Waymo will likely need to further lower its prices as the autonomous vehicle industry matures.