Bolt Fare Calculator
Estimate what a Bolt car or Boda trip costs in the four Tanzanian cities where Bolt publishes route estimates — Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma — and see where the fare goes: 20% commission, 3.6% VAT on that commission and a 2% booking fee leave the driver about three-quarters of the fare before fuel. This is an estimate, not a quote, and this site is not affiliated with Bolt.
Filed under Travel & Transport
Key facts
- Bolt's Tanzanian deduction is 20% commission + 3.6% VAT on that commission + a 2% booking fee — about 25.6% in total.
- The fitted 4-seat rates (TZS) are Dar es Salaam 505 + 808/km · Arusha 1,337 + 985/km · Mwanza 1,919 + 859/km · Dodoma 439 + 984/km.
- Boda (bodaboda or pikipiki) is priced where Bolt lists it: Dar es Salaam 466 + 421/km · Mwanza 824 + 447/km · Dodoma 524 + 453/km.
- The estimate is distance-only: surge, airport fees, tolls and promotions can all raise the app's price.
- Calibrated for Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma; Bolt's other six Tanzanian cities publish no route estimates to calibrate.
How a Bolt fare is calculated in Tanzania
Bolt's route estimates differ by city. The fitted 4-seat rates (TZS) are Dar es Salaam 505 + 808/km · Arusha 1,337 + 985/km · Mwanza 1,919 + 859/km · Dodoma 439 + 984/km, and Boda — where Bolt lists it — is Dar es Salaam 466 + 421/km · Mwanza 824 + 447/km · Dodoma 524 + 453/km. Dar es Salaam sits at LATRA's floor for cars — 500 TZS to start plus 800 TZS a kilometre, or 505 + 808 with the 1% LATRA levy — while Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma price above it. The model was checked against 85 published price points on 25 of Bolt's own routes across the four cities on 27 October 2026 and reproduced them within 1.5%.
Fare = max(minimum, start fare + per-km rate × distance) × surge + airport or toll add-onsThe fare band LATRA sets for ride-hailing
| Category | Trip up to 1 km | Start fare | Per km | Per minute | Trip fee | Commission | LATRA levy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ride-hailing car, up to 4 passengers | 3,000–4,000 | 500–1,000 | 800–1,000 | 80–100 | 0–3% | 10–25% | 0.5–1% |
| Ride-hailing car, up to 6 passengers | 4,000–5,000 | 800–1,300 | 1,000–1,200 | 80–150 | 0–3.5% | 10–25% | 0.5–1% |
| Ride-hailing motorcycle, up to 2 passengers | 1,000–1,500 | 250–350 | 300–400 | 50–70 | 0–2% | 10–25% | 0.5–1% |
| Ride-hailing motorcycle, up to 3 passengers | 2,000–2,500 | 350–500 | 500–600 | 70–90 | 0–2.5% | 10–25% | 0.5–1% |
Which Tanzanian cities this covers
The calculator prices Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma — the four cities where Bolt publishes its own route estimates. Bolt also has city pages for Zanzibar, Moshi, Morogoro, Mbeya, Tanga and Kahama, but none of those publishes route prices, so there is nothing to calibrate and this page does not estimate them. A calculator that applied one city's rate to the whole country would be wrong: a 10 km 4-seat trip is about 8,590 TZS in Dar es Salaam and about 11,190 in Arusha.
Which Bolt services this covers
It covers Bolt's ride-hailing vehicles: Bolt (up to 4 seats), Business, XL and Boda (motorcycle), also called bodaboda or pikipiki in Tanzania. Bolt's route estimates list XL in Dar es Salaam and Arusha but not in Mwanza or Dodoma, and list Boda in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Dodoma but not in Arusha — Arusha's route page offers an Electric Boda instead. The tool refuses a category a city does not list rather than inventing a rate. Scooters and e-bikes are advertised on Bolt's city pages but publish no fares, and Bolt Food and courier fees are dynamic and not published as a rate card, so none of those are estimated here. In Swahili the fare itself is nauli.
Why the fare differs by city
Each city and vehicle is fitted separately from Bolt's own estimates. The fitted 4-seat rates (TZS) are Dar es Salaam 505 + 808/km · Arusha 1,337 + 985/km · Mwanza 1,919 + 859/km · Dodoma 439 + 984/km, and the Boda rates are Dar es Salaam 466 + 421/km · Mwanza 824 + 447/km · Dodoma 524 + 453/km. Dar es Salaam's 4-seat price sits on LATRA's floor; the other three price above it. The fixed component in each line is a fitted model term, not a published start fare — outside Dar es Salaam, and for Boda, it also absorbs the minimum fare and any time component, which is why it can be higher than LATRA's published start-fare ceiling without implying anything about compliance.
What Bolt deducts, and what the driver keeps
Bolt's Tanzania deduction is 20% commission on the final price, 3.6% VAT on that commission (18% of the 20%) and a 2% booking fee — about 25.6% in total, on both cash and card rides. Tips, bonuses, airport fees and toll fees are outside the commission base. The driver therefore receives about 74.4% of the metered fare before fuel, rent, maintenance and tax; the guide linked below works through what that leaves on a 10 km trip.
Why the app can show a different price
The estimate assumes no surge and no add-ons. Bolt applies dynamic pricing when demand is high — reports from Dar es Salaam put peak and rain multipliers at 2–4× — and an airport pickup, a toll, a promotion or a route longer than the distance entered all change the number. Traffic does not change the model directly because the price is distance-based here, but it changes the route and therefore the distance.
The May 2026 fare increase
Bolt raised Tanzanian fares by 22% from 1 May 2026 after a 33.4% rise in fuel prices, with LATRA's approval. In Dar es Salaam that is consistent with moving from roughly 410 TZS to start plus 662 TZS a kilometre to the LATRA floor of 500 + 800 used here; the other cities' fitted rates sit above that floor. Rates can move again at the next fuel review, which is why the calculation is dated and treated as an estimate.
How to get the distance
Enter the distance the app or a map shows for the route, not a straight line between the two points. This calculator does not route, geocode or read your location; the journey is priced only from the number you type. For a trip with several stops, add the legs together and expect the app to price the actual route it chooses.
Bolt fare worked examples
A 10 km Bolt trip in Dar es Salaam
Baraka drives a Bolt car in Dar es Salaam and wants to know what a typical 10 km trip pays before fuel.
10 km in a Bolt (up to 4 seats) in Dar es Salaam comes to about 8,590 TZS: a fitted start of 505 TZS plus 808 TZS a kilometre, rounded to the nearest 10. Bolt's deductions total 2,199 TZS — 20% commission (1,718 TZS), 3.6% VAT on that commission (309 TZS) and the 2% booking fee (172 TZS) — leaving the driver 6,391 TZS before fuel, rent and tax.
A 5 km Boda trip in Dar es Salaam
Hassan rides a Bolt Boda across Dar es Salaam and wants to know what the trip pays before fuel.
5 km in a Boda (motorcycle) in Dar es Salaam comes to about 2,570 TZS: a fitted start of 466 TZS plus 421 TZS a kilometre, rounded to the nearest 10. Bolt's deductions total 658 TZS — 20% commission (514 TZS), 3.6% VAT on that commission (93 TZS) and the 2% booking fee (51 TZS) — leaving the driver 1,912 TZS before fuel, rent and tax.
An 11.5 km run to Julius Nyerere Airport at 1.5× surge
Neema books a Bolt to Julius Nyerere airport in the evening peak, when the app applies a surge multiplier.
11.5 km in a Bolt (up to 4 seats) in Dar es Salaam with a 1.5× surge comes to about 14,700 TZS: a fitted start of 505 TZS plus 808 TZS a kilometre, rounded to the nearest 10. Bolt's deductions total 3,763 TZS — 20% commission (2,940 TZS), 3.6% VAT on that commission (529 TZS) and the 2% booking fee (294 TZS) — leaving the driver 10,937 TZS before fuel, rent and tax.
A 0.8 km hop in Dar es Salaam, where the minimum fare applies
Amina takes a Bolt from Kariakoo to the ferry, a trip short enough that the minimum fare sets the price.
0.8 km in a Bolt (up to 4 seats) in Dar es Salaam comes to about 3,000 TZS: a fitted start of 505 TZS plus 808 TZS a kilometre, rounded to the nearest 10. The minimum fare applies at this distance. Bolt's deductions total 768 TZS — 20% commission (600 TZS), 3.6% VAT on that commission (108 TZS) and the 2% booking fee (60 TZS) — leaving the driver 2,232 TZS before fuel, rent and tax.
A 10 km Bolt trip in Arusha
Grace takes a Bolt across Arusha and wants to see how the upcountry rate compares with Dar es Salaam.
10 km in a Bolt (up to 4 seats) in Arusha comes to about 11,190 TZS: a fitted start of 1,337 TZS plus 985 TZS a kilometre, rounded to the nearest 10. Bolt's deductions total 2,865 TZS — 20% commission (2,238 TZS), 3.6% VAT on that commission (403 TZS) and the 2% booking fee (224 TZS) — leaving the driver 8,325 TZS before fuel, rent and tax.
Bolt fare estimate: assumptions and limits
What it assumes
- The rate cards are calibrated separately to Bolt's own published route estimates for Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma on 27 October 2026, and reproduce the 85 published price points on 25 routes within 1.5%.
- The city fixed component is a fitted model term, not Bolt's published start fare. In Dar es Salaam it lands on LATRA's floor plus the 1% levy; outside Dar it also absorbs the minimum fare and any time component.
- The trip is priced on distance alone. Bolt's published per-minute rate is not charged on the routes sampled; time enters the price indirectly through the distance of the route the app chooses.
- Bolt's deduction is applied to the metered fare before extras: 20% commission, 3.6% VAT on that commission and a 2% booking fee, about 25.6% in total.
- The minimum fare is national: 3,000 TZS for a 4-seat car, 4,000 TZS for a 6-seat car and 1,000 TZS for a Boda, the floors of LATRA's published bands.
- Mwanza and Dodoma route estimates list no XL, so the tool refuses XL there. Arusha lists an Electric Boda but no regular Boda, so it refuses Boda there. Bolt's other six Tanzanian cities are not estimated at all.
- Bolt's commission article does not distinguish vehicle type, so the same 20% + 3.6% + 2% deduction is applied to Boda; the trip receipt is the authority on any difference.
Where the result does not apply
- Does not estimate Zanzibar, Moshi, Morogoro, Mbeya, Tanga or Kahama — Bolt's pages for those cities publish no route prices to calibrate.
- Does not cover Bolt Food, courier, Electric Boda, Bajaji, scooter or e-bike fees; those are dynamic or unpublished.
- Does not cover metered street taxis, Bajaji, inDrive or Little; inDrive's fares are negotiated between rider and driver, so they cannot be modelled this way.
- Does not predict surge. The multiplier is chosen by the reader; Bolt's peak and rain multipliers can be 2–4×.
- Does not know an airport's pickup charge, a toll amount, waiting time, a cancellation fee or a promotion in force on the day.
- Does not price trips well beyond the calibrated 23 km sample without a warning.
- Does not calculate a driver's tax; a ride-hailing operator pays TRA's flat 350,000 TZS a year under the presumptive regime, which the presumptive tax calculator covers.
Bolt fare FAQs
How much does a Bolt cost in Dar es Salaam?
About 505 TZS to start plus 808 TZS a kilometre for a 4-seat car, so a 10 km trip is around 8,590 TZS before surge. XL is about 4,048 plus 1,082 TZS a kilometre. The app's quote is the exact price.
How much does a Bolt cost in Arusha, Mwanza or Dodoma?
The fitted 4-seat rates are about 1,337 + 985 TZS a kilometre in Arusha, 1,919 + 859 in Mwanza and 439 + 984 in Dodoma. A 10 km trip is therefore about 11,190 TZS in Arusha, 10,510 in Mwanza and 10,280 in Dodoma, before surge.
How much is a Bolt to Julius Nyerere Airport?
Bolt's own 11.5 km estimate from Big Bon Msimbazi to Julius Nyerere Terminal 3 is about 9,800 TZS for a 4-seat car at no surge; the calculator's 1.5× example is about 14,700 TZS. An airport pickup charge is separate.
How much does a Bolt Boda cost?
Boda is about 466 TZS to start plus 421 TZS a kilometre in Dar es Salaam, 824 plus 447 in Mwanza and 524 plus 453 in Dodoma, so a 10 km Boda is about 4,680, 5,290 and 5,050 TZS. Arusha lists an Electric Boda but no regular Boda price.
Why is a Bolt fare different in each city?
Bolt sets each city's rate separately. Dar es Salaam prices at LATRA's floor; Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma price above it, and their fitted fixed component also absorbs the minimum fare and any time component. The calculator uses a separate fitted rate card for each city rather than one national rate.
Which Tanzanian cities does this calculator cover?
Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma — the four where Bolt publishes route estimates. Bolt also has city pages for Zanzibar, Moshi, Morogoro, Mbeya, Tanga and Kahama, but those publish no route prices to calibrate, so they are not estimated.
Does Uber operate in Tanzania?
No. Uber stopped operating in Tanzania on 30 January 2026. This calculator prices Bolt, which remains the main app-based ride-hailing service; the old Uber fare URL now redirects here.
Are Bolt Food, courier or scooter fees included?
No. The calculator covers Bolt ride-hailing vehicles including Boda, but not Bolt Food, courier, Electric Boda, Bajaji, scooter or e-bike fees; those are dynamic or unpublished, so an estimate would be guesswork.
Is this Bolt fare calculator exact?
No. It is an estimate calibrated to 85 published price points on 25 of Bolt's routes across four cities on 27 October 2026 and reproduces them within 1.5%. Surge, airport charges, tolls, promotions, traffic and route choice can all change the app's price.
How much does Bolt take from drivers in Tanzania?
20% commission, 3.6% VAT on that commission and a 2% booking fee — about 25.6% in total. Tips, bonuses, airport fees and toll fees are not commissioned.
What is the 25.6% made of?
20% commission plus 2% booking fee plus 3.6% VAT. The VAT is 18% of the commission, not 18% of the whole fare, which is why the total is 25.6% rather than 38%.
Why is my Bolt fare higher than this estimate?
Surge, an airport pickup charge, a toll, a longer route than the distance you entered, or a promotion ending. Peak and rain multipliers in Dar es Salaam have been reported at 2–4×.
Is this page affiliated with Bolt?
No. Bolt is a trademark of Bolt Technology OÜ. This is an independent estimate built from Bolt's published Tanzania fares and commission and LATRA's fare order, with no logo and no access to Bolt's pricing systems.
Do Bolt drivers pay tax in Tanzania?
Ride-hailing operators pay a flat 350,000 TZS a year under TRA's presumptive regime rather than tax on turnover. The Tanzania Presumptive Tax Calculator covers that schedule.
How does LATRA set Bolt's fares?
Government Notice 7284 sets a band for ride-hailing cars: a 3,000–4,000 TZS minimum for up to 1 km, a 500–1,000 TZS start, 800–1,000 TZS a kilometre and 80–100 TZS a minute for a 4-seat car. Dar es Salaam currently prices at the floor of that band; Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma price above it.
This page is provided for general information only. Figures come from the sources listed and may change; verify anything you rely on with the organisation that sets it.
Results are estimates provided for information only and do not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
This page is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Bolt. Bolt and the Bolt name are trademarks of Bolt Technology OÜ, used here only to identify the service being estimated. Always confirm the price in the Bolt app before you travel.
Delta Tech Solutions prepared this page. No external tax, accounting or legal professional reviewed it — the figures were checked against the sources listed above, and you should confirm anything you rely on with the authority that sets it.
Maintained by David M at Delta Tech Solutions · Figures last checked 27 October 2026 · Next check due 27 April 2027
Read the guide:
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