MBTA Subway Ranks Most Affordable U.S. Metro Fare

Remitly research places Boston's $2.40 one-way subway fare tenth most affordable among 94 transit systems worldwide.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Budget Travel

Bold vector editorial illustration of a brass token coin at the end of a curved steel rail, with a small stack of coins beside it, in teal, mustard, and coral. — Remitly research ranks the MBTA's $2.40 Boston subway fare as the most affordable one-way metro fare among 94 U.S. and global transit systems. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Remitly research ranked the MBTA's $2.40 regular one-way subway fare as the most affordable one-way metro fare of any U.S. system. The analysis compared 94 transit systems worldwide using World Bank data.

Why it matters

For Boston riders, the comparison frames the subway fare as a small share of daily earnings, with the $2.40 fare equal to 1.21% of the city's average daily wage of $198. Remitly said its ranking reflects financial value rather than quality of service, which the study did not assess.

The MBTA's regular one-way subway fare is $2.40, equal to 1.21% of the $198 average daily wage in Boston. The study did not evaluate service quality, reliability, or frequency of the systems compared.

The players

MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates subway, bus, commuter rail and ferry service across the Greater Boston region.

Remitly

Remitly is a digital money transfer company that published the affordability comparison of transit systems worldwide.

Phil Eng

Phil Eng is the general manager of the MBTA who has argued that affordable fares encourage public transit ridership.

The details

Remitly used World Bank data to compare one-way subway fares against average daily wages across 94 transit systems. The MBTA offers discounted fares for children, seniors, people with certain disabilities, and riders receiving state assistance, while the world's cheapest single ride in Caracas costs about 2 U.S. cents and the most expensive, in Lausanne, costs $7.22.

Last July, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said affordability drives public transit use.

Budget Context

The ranking uses a wage-share method built on World Bank income data, which measures how much of an average day's pay a single ride consumes. Under that measure, Boston's fare ranks among the most affordable in the world, though the method does not account for how far a fare takes a rider.

Riders eligible for reduced fares as children, seniors, people with qualifying disabilities, or state-assistance recipients can pay less than the $2.40 standard subway fare. Travelers visiting Boston can use the subway's low base fare as a budget baseline when planning daily transit costs.

The takeaway

Public transit can be a low-cost way to explore a city, and comparing fares against local wages shows how much value a cheap ride really offers. Check reduced-fare eligibility before you pay full price.