Short answer: AirTrain plus the subway is $11.75. AirTrain plus the LIRR is $14.00 off-peak or $16.00 at peak and much faster. A yellow cab is a $70 flat fare that reaches about $79.75 before tolls and tip. An app has no flat fare and surges.
One thing to weigh before anything else: JFK is under construction, and the airport’s own transportation page currently warns that traffic is slow, that it is causing delays for taxis, ride apps and private cars alike, and advises using public transport if you can. Checked August 2026.
Every option, priced
| Option | Cost | Where you board | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirTrain + subway (E from Jamaica, A from Howard Beach) | $11.75 | AirTrain from any terminal | Cheapest through route. MTA’s own stated total |
| AirTrain + LIRR to Penn or Grand Central Madison | $14.00 off-peak / $16.00 peak | AirTrain to Jamaica, then westbound LIRR | Fastest rail option. LIRR leg about 20 minutes |
| AirTrain alone | $8.75 | Any terminal | Free between terminals. Under-5s free |
| Yellow cab to Manhattan | $70 flat, about $79.75 all-in before tolls and tip | Official taxi stand | Fixed. Covers the first stop only |
| Uber, Lyft and other apps | Dynamic — no flat fare | Terminal curbs, but see the T5/T7 note below | Surges at peak |
| Shared-ride vans | No fares published by the airport | Ground transportation area | Book first, then go to the stand |
| Pre-booked car | Agreed in advance | Meets you inside | Fixed price, driver waits |
We are deliberately not publishing door-to-door journey times in minutes. Neither the MTA nor the airport publishes them for any of these routes, and the figures you see elsewhere are estimates presented as facts. The only official times available are that AirTrain runs between terminals in under 10 minutes, and that the LIRR leg between Jamaica and Penn or Grand Central Madison is about 20 minutes.
Two things that changed in January 2026
If you have done this trip before, two things are different and both will catch you out.
- The MetroCard is gone. As of 1 January 2026 you can no longer buy or refill one. Payment is OMNY — tap a contactless bank card, a phone, or an OMNY card.
- The subway fare is now $3.00, up from $2.90.
The AirTrain itself has been contactless-only for some time: credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or an OMNY card. MetroCard was never listed as an accepted method for it. Arriving from abroad expecting to buy a paper ticket is the single most common way to get stuck at Jamaica.
Two caps worth knowing if you are staying a while: OMNY caps AirTrain at $43.50 per rolling 30 days, after which further AirTrain rides are free, and caps subway and local bus at $35 per rolling 7 days.
Subway or LIRR?
Both start with the same $8.75 AirTrain ride. The difference is what you get on at Jamaica.
The subway costs $3.00, making $11.75 in total. It is the cheapest way into Manhattan and it goes to far more places, but it is a long ride with luggage and it is not an express.
The LIRR costs $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 at peak under CityTicket — which applies here because both ends of the journey are inside New York City — making $14.00 or $16.00 in total. The train takes about 20 minutes from Jamaica to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison, has luggage space, and you get a seat.
Peak for the LIRR means weekday trains arriving at a New York terminal between 6am and 10am, or departing between 4pm and 8pm. Everything else — including all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays — is off-peak.
For $2.25 more than the subway off-peak, the LIRR is one of the better upgrades in New York travel. If you are heading anywhere near Penn or Grand Central, take it.
Compare pre-booked transfer prices
Compare against $79.75, not $70 — that is the realistic cab figure once the surcharges are on.
Compare pre-booked transfer prices
The cab, and what the $70 really becomes
The flat fare is $70 between Manhattan and JFK in either direction. On a weekday evening it adds up like this: $70.00, plus the $0.50 MTA state surcharge, plus the $1.00 improvement surcharge, plus the $5.00 rush hour surcharge between 4pm and 8pm, plus the $2.50 New York State congestion surcharge below 96th Street, plus $0.75 MTA congestion pricing below 60th Street — $79.75. Then tolls at the E-ZPass rate, then a tip.
Arrive at 11am on a Sunday and you drop the $5.00. Finish above 96th Street and you drop both congestion charges.
A $2.00 airport access fee applies on pick-ups at JFK. The full meter breakdown is in our New York taxi fares guide.
Rideshare: check your terminal
Uber and Lyft generally collect from the terminal curbs at JFK. But because of construction, pickup for Terminals 5 and 7 has been relocated to a designated lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station — you ride the AirTrain there, and it is free between terminals. Accessible rides are still collected at the terminal front.
That arrangement dates from May 2025 and was still in force when we checked. Construction arrangements change; confirm in the app on the day rather than trusting any article, this one included.
Choose by your situation
| If you are… | Take |
|---|---|
| Alone, one bag, going to Midtown | AirTrain + LIRR |
| On the tightest budget | AirTrain + subway, $11.75 |
| Two or more people with luggage | Cab or pre-booked car — $79.75 split two or three ways beats four rail fares |
| Arriving at peak with a fixed budget | Cab. The flat fare cannot surge |
| Going to Brooklyn or Queens | Subway. There is no flat cab fare outside Manhattan |
| Landing late at night | Cab or pre-booked car |
| Travelling with a wheelchair | Accessible Dispatch on 646-599-9999, or a street hail — there is no accessibility premium on the meter |
Never accept a ride offered inside the terminal
The Port Authority states it plainly: soliciting ground transportation is illegal, and many of the people doing it are unlicensed and uninsured. Nobody legitimate will find you before you reach the official stand. Walk past.
How to verify the ride that does turn up is in how to check your driver is licensed. Comparing the cab against the app more generally, see yellow cab vs Uber in New York.
Sources
AirTrain fares, rideshare locations, the terminal relocation and the construction warning are from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Subway, LIRR, CityTicket, OMNY caps and the MetroCard retirement are from the MTA — the $3.00 subway fare was adopted by the MTA Board to take effect January 2026. Taxi fares and surcharges are from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Last verified August 2026.
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