If you’re trying to move a group of five or more people around Perth, you’ve probably had the conversation. Someone suggests Uber. Someone else says get a maxi taxi. Someone checks the Uber app and goes quiet for a second because the price is either surprisingly reasonable or absurdly high, depending on what time it is.

Here’s a straightforward breakdown, based on how the two options actually work in Perth — not in theory.

The basic cost comparison

For a single passenger or a couple, Uber usually wins on price. That’s just true. But the maths changes fast once you add people.

A standard UberX takes four passengers maximum. If you’ve got five or six people, you’re booking two cars. Maybe three. The fares add up, and so does the coordination — somebody inevitably gets in the wrong car or waits ten minutes for the second one to show.

An UberXL fits up to six passengers and costs more per trip. For a group of six from Fremantle to Perth Airport, you’re typically looking at $80 to $130, depending on the time of day. That assumes no surge.

A 7-seater maxi taxi doing the same run starts around $85, confirmed before you book. No meter. No surge. Everyone in one vehicle.

For groups of seven or more, Uber simply doesn’t have a product in Perth. You’re back to booking multiple cars.

The surge pricing problem

This is where Uber comparisons fall apart quickly.

Perth Airport runs are often early mornings, late nights, or weekend departures — exactly when Uber surge pricing kicks in. A $90 fare at 10pm on a Tuesday can be $150 at 5am on a Saturday. That multiplier is real, and it’s unpredictable. You won’t know what you’re paying until you open the app.

Maxi taxi fares from Fremantle don’t surge. The fare quoted when you book is what you pay. For airport transfers especially, where you’re usually stressed about time already, knowing the exact cost in advance is worth something.

Luggage, honestly

This one catches people off guard. Four passengers in a standard car with airport luggage is tight. Six passengers in an XL with airport luggage is a game of Tetris that doesn’t always work out.

A 7 to 13-seater maxi taxi is built for exactly this. There’s room for people and their bags without anyone holding a duffel on their lap for 35 minutes.

If you’re travelling with a group that has normal amounts of luggage — two bags per person, maybe a stroller — a maxi cab is just more comfortable. That’s not an opinion, it’s geometry.

When Uber makes more sense

If it’s two or three people with a single bag each, going somewhere locally within Perth, Uber is fast and usually cheaper. The app is convenient, driver availability is generally good in the metro area, and for short trips the surge risk is lower.

Uber also works well for spontaneous trips where you haven’t planned ahead. Maxi taxis work better when you book in advance, which for airport transfers you should be doing anyway.

The Perth Airport question specifically

Perth Airport has four terminals spread across a fairly large site. T1 and T2 are domestic (Qantas and Virgin respectively), T3 and T4 are also domestic but for regional carriers, and the international terminal is separate.

Uber drivers at the airport tend to congregate at T1. If you’re arriving at T3 or the international terminal, wait times can be longer than the app suggests. With a pre-booked maxi taxi, your driver knows which terminal you’re at and meets you there.

For groups arriving on international flights — particularly if you’ve been travelling for 15+ hours and just want to get to Fremantle without another logistical problem — a pre-booked maxi cab is a straightforward call.

The actual answer

For groups of five or more in Perth, a maxi taxi is almost always the more cost-effective option once you account for surge pricing, vehicle availability, luggage, and not having to split across two Ubers.

For small groups doing local trips without time pressure, Uber is fine.

The question “which is cheaper?” doesn’t have a universal answer, but if you’re heading to or from Perth Airport with a group, the fixed fare and single vehicle of a maxi cab will save you money more often than not — and the predictability alone is worth it.

Fremantle Maxi Cabs runs dedicated group transfers between Fremantle and Perth Airport. Fares start from $85, all four terminals covered, vehicles from 7 to 13 seats. Book your transfer here or call 0403 533 033.