Meter starts around ₱40 when you hop in a White City Taxi at CEB
White City Taxi runs from both Terminal 1 (domestic) and Terminal 2 (international) at Mactan Cebu International Airport, with stands just outside the arrivals area after customs and baggage claim. These are regular metered cabs, not airport coupon taxis, so you pay the meter fare plus any tolls when heading over the Mactan–Mandaue Bridge or Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway. Expect a daytime ride from Terminal 2 to IT Park or Ayala Center Cebu to run around 30–50 minutes depending on traffic.
At both T1 and T2, follow the “Taxi / White Taxi” signs past the exit doors and line up in the marked queue; dispatchers usually send you to the next cab in line to keep things moving. The base flag-down is roughly ₱40, with increments of a few pesos per 300–500 meters, so most city trips land somewhere between ₱200 and ₱450 from the airport. Have small bills (₱20, ₱50, ₱100) ready, since drivers sometimes struggle to break ₱1,000 notes right after a shift change.
Cabs run 24/7 from the airport, but waits can spike to 20–40 minutes around the late-night international bank in Terminal 2 and the 06:00–09:00 domestic wave in Terminal 1. You’re paying cash in almost every case; card readers are rare in Cebu white taxis. Keep Google Maps or another map app open so you can follow the route from CEB to Lahug, Mandaue, or downtown Colon and spot any major detours.
Step-by-step from plane to White City Taxi at Mactan Cebu International Airport:
- 1. Land at Terminal 1 or 2 and clear immigration (T2 only) and customs, then pick up your bags from the assigned carousel number.
- 2. Exit into the public arrivals hall and follow the yellow or white “Taxi” signs toward the curbside transport area; at T2 this is typically just outside Door 3–5.
- 3. Join the dedicated white taxi queue and wait for the dispatcher to assign the next vacant White City Taxi in line.
- 4. Confirm the driver will use the meter, watch it start around ₱40, and give your destination name and street in Cebu City, Mandaue, or Lapu-Lapu.
- 5. Pay the metered fare plus any posted tolls in cash when you arrive, then grab a photo of the taxi plate number in case you leave a bag behind.
One tip: if you land around 22:00–01:00 at Terminal 2, hit an ATM near the arrivals exit first so you have at least ₱500–₱1,000 in small bills before joining the White City Taxi line.