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Nerdy takeaways
- Miami has the lowest prices of the 15 cities and airports studied in NerdWallet's analysis.
- Rental cars in Chicago are the most expensive.
- Thrifty has the lowest average prices, while National is the most expensive.
- It's almost always cheaper to book rental cars last-minute versus in advance.
- It's almost always more expensive to rent a car from an airport versus an offsite location nearby or downtown.
Rental car prices are volatile. Prices hit their all-time highs in July 2021 due to a combination of high demand and limited supply.
Presumably, travelers were itching to go on summer vacation after a rough 2020. Yet, issues like staff shortages and a tight semiconductor supply limited the number of cars available to book. Given that, rental car companies hiked prices.
While average prices across all items are up about 23% since before the pandemic, rental car prices in 2024 are up a much sharper 35%.
But depending on the company or city you’re renting from, you might pay significantly more or less than the average. Even renting from an airport versus a downtown location in the same city might have a drastically different cost.
NerdWallet conducted an analysis in June 2024 of more than 480 rental car prices (including taxes and fees) to better understand rental car pricing trends. The analysis looked at the price of a seven-night rental across eight major rental car companies based on the company’s lowest-priced available car (typically a small sedan). Data was gathered for 15 regions, and it covered both the cost to rent from an airport location versus the same company’s nearby downtown counterparts.
Here are the results of our car rental pricing data collection.
The cities with the cheapest rental cars
NerdWallet’s analysis looked at areas of the U.S. with the 15 largest airports based on enplanements using 2023 Federal Aviation Administration data. Enplanements are paying passengers who board an aircraft, including those boarding another as part of a layover.
Then, those 15 areas were ranked by lowest to highest rental car prices to give us a better sense of the cheapest metro areas for renting cars.
| Metro area | Nearest major airport | Average weekly rental price |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Miami International Airport. | $377.07. |
| Las Vegas Valley | Harry Reid International Airport. | $422.94. |
| Orlando, Florida | Orlando International Airport. | $449. |
| Atlanta | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. | $455. |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. | $473.28. |
| Houston | George Bush Intercontinental Airport. | $475.55. |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles International Airport. | $493.24. |
| Phoenix | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. | $520.51. |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. | $541.34. |
| San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco International Airport. | $544.10. |
| New York | John F. Kennedy International Airport. | $564.99. |
| Denver | Denver International Airport. | $577.65. |
| New York | Newark Liberty International Airport. | $590.98. |
| Seattle-Tacoma | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. | $623.81. |
| Chicago | Chicago O'Hare International Airport. | $624.71. |
Miami is the only city in our data set to fall below $400 for an average weekly rental price. Meanwhile, Chicago and Seattle are the only areas with an average weekly rental price above $600.
When looking specifically at airport rental locations, results were mostly similar to the overall averages, with some slight deviations. Here are the largest U.S. airports, ranked by average weekly car rental price, from cheapest to most expensive:
| Airport | Average weekly rental price |
|---|---|
| Miami International Airport. | $388.88. |
| Harry Reid Airport. | $410.30. |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport. | $471.47. |
| Orlando Airport. | $497. |
| Charlotte/Douglas Airport. | $498.48. |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. | $508. |
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport. | $536.62. |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. | $544.30. |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. | $584.96. |
| Newark Liberty International Airport. | $590.68. |
| Los Angeles Airport. | $593.04. |
| San Francisco International Airport. | $645.07. |
| Denver Airport. | $651.96. |
| Seattle-Tacoma Airport. | $690.60. |
| Chicago O'Hare Airport. | $702.76. |
Just as renting a car from downtown Miami is the cheapest of any city in NerdWallet's analysis, Miami International Airport also has the lowest prices of any airport.
Likewise, Chicago as a whole has the highest overall prices, and airport rentals are no exception. Chicago O'Hare Airport has the highest average prices — more than $700 for a seven-night rental.
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The cheapest rental car company
Within each city, NerdWallet also looked at prices broken down by eight major rental car brands: Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Avis, Alamo and National.
In this analysis, National almost always had the highest rental car prices, with average, seven-night rental car prices costing $600.92. The cheapest car rental company, Thrifty, offered car rentals at an average price of just $414.34 for seven nights.
The best time to book a rental car
The best time to book a rental car isn't in advance. Rental cars tend to be cheaper when booked last-minute.
The average weekly rental price for cars booked 91 days in advance was $555. For cars booked seven days in advance, it was just $481. That amounts to a 13% discount, on average, for those who roll the dice and risk availability to book a car closer to their travel dates.
Here’s the percentage difference in costs broken down by rental car company:
| Rental car company | Average percent savings if you reserve one week out vs. three months out |
|---|---|
| Alamo | 4.17%. |
| Avis | 15.01%. |
| Budget | 9.64%. |
| Dollar | 19.22%. |
| Enterprise | 2.72%. |
| Hertz | 23.60%. |
| National | 5.09%. |
| Thrifty | 28.02%. |
At Enterprise, the cost savings for booking early versus procrastinating was minimal. But at Hertz and Thrifty, you can save, on average, more than 20% by delaying.
The best place to book a rental car
To save on car rentals, you should almost always book at an offsite rental car location versus the airport outpost.
NerdWallet found that seven-night car rentals for downtown locations were, on average, $86 cheaper than airport locations. That means you’ll spend on average about 18.3% more for an airport rental compared with a downtown rental.
The price difference is usually (though not always) due to fees charged by the airport. Exact amounts vary, but they’re typically charged by the airports to the car rental car company (which then passes the cost on to customers) to cover services like an airport-provided shuttle, cleaning, security, and sometimes simply the right to do business.
Easy ways to save money on rental cars
Use travel credit cards
The best credit cards for rental cars tend to offer both bonus points and miles from your spending, as well as the other (potentially more lucrative) benefit of rental car insurance coverage, which can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars if you decline the rental car company’s coverage at the counter.
» See more options: Best credit cards for rental cars
Join rental car loyalty programs
These programs are generally free to join. In exchange for signing up, they offer perks like member-exclusive rates, or the ability to skip the line (which won’t save money, but can save you time). For loyal customers with elite status, expect complimentary upgrades, free rental days and more.
Among the car rental programs you can join are:
Book now, then rebook
Most rental car companies don’t require payment upfront. Given the unpredictability of travel, it can make sense to reserve a car rental as soon as you’re able to. Then, periodically check in with your rental car company’s booking tool to see if prices drop. As long as that company doesn’t charge a cancellation fee (most rental car companies don’t), then cancel and rebook the same rental.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
- Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
- Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
- Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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