We know the past year+ has made navigating finding a rental car difficult (and expensive), especially as travelers take less to the skies and more to the road. And now, looking towards the holiday season – travelers can anticipate that old adage that the earlier you book your car, the better selection (and price) you’re likely to find.
But if your holiday destination isn’t decided yet, and you know your main mode of transportation will be a rental car, we looked at our data to find the destinations where you’re most likely to find a deal… and where you can expect to pay a premium.
Top 10 cheapest cities to rent a car:
(average price vs. national average car rental rate)
- Anchorage, AK – $53 per day, 50% less
- Fairbanks, AK – $63 per day, 41% less
- Burbank, CA – $68 per day, 36% less
- San Diego, CA – $72 per day, 32% less
- Sacramento, CA – $78 per day, 27% less
- Milwaukee, WI – $78 per day, 27% less
- Santa Ana, CA – $81 per day, 24% less
- Cleveland, OH – $81 per day, 24% less
- Seattle, WA – $81 per day, 24% less
- Los Angeles, CA – $82 per day, 23% less
Top 10 most expensive cities to rent a car:
(average price vs. national average car rental rate)
- Maui, HI – $183 per day, 72% more
- Honolulu, HI – $164 per day, 54% more
- Lihue, HI – $164 per day, 54% more
- Jackson, WY – $156 per day, 47% more
- Kailua, Kona, HI – $153 per day, 44% more
- Hilo, HI – $152 per day, 43% more
- Bozeman, MT – $143 per day, 35% more
- Colorado Springs, CO – $121 per day, 14% more
- Myrtle Beach, SC – $120 per day, 13% more
- Salt Lake City, UT – $119 per day, 12% more
How to Book
Whether you’re headed to one of these destinations or somewhere else, it’s always a good idea to keep your options open. KAYAK now lets you look beyond the traditional rental car agencies, thanks to our recent partnerships with Turo and Kyte. Turo lets you rent cars from local hosts in your destination (think: like renting a vacation home), many of which include out-of-the-box additions like ski racks and exotic cars. Kyte, on the other hand, lets you pick a rental car online and delivers it right to your door. When renting a car from Kyte, you can save more than just a trip to the rental location – all KAYAK users can get $10 off their next Kyte rental**. And you can find and compare all these options right on KAYAK.
Methodology
*KAYAK US searches were considered for search dates July 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021 for travel over the winter holidays (November 12, 2021 through January 7, 2021) and compared to those same dates for 2019.
**Kyte’s service, including the offer for $10 off, is available in these cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.
