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California

Cheap Car Hire in California from $25

This price is the cheapest per day rate found by a Cheapflights user in the last 48 hours by searching for a car hire in California with a pick-up date of 3/12 and drop-off date of 9/12. Fares are subject to change and may not be available at all agencies or on all dates of hire. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
Driver's age: 26-65
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California car hires in 2024

Get helpful information to start your search for the perfect car hire in California. The average price data is based on the last 12 months and was last updated on 15 November 2024.

Most popular company

Thrifty

Most common car type

Intermediate

Average price per day

$77

Cheapest price per day

$25

What are the car hire prices for popular cities in California?

Discover the price range for hiring a car in popular cities across California, helping you budget and make informed decisions for your upcoming travel. There are 394 pickup locations in California to choose from. Price data has been averaged over the last 12 months and was last updated on 15 November 2024.

Price

$38 - $186

Out of all the popular cities in California, Los Angeles is the cheapest city to rent a car in at just $38/day. Renting a car in Los Angeles is 80% cheaper than renting one in Ontario where the per day rate is around $186. Other fairly inexpensive cities in California to get a rental car in are: Santa Ana ($50/day), Burbank ($54/day), and San Jose ($55/day). While these cities typically have cheaper prices than the rest of the country, travelers looking to rent a car in Los Angeles should expect to spend around $38/day on their transportation. The most popular city to rent a car in California is Los Angeles.

What is the cheapest time to rent a car in California?

Discover the most affordable period to rent a car in California and save money on your trip. The monthly average price data is based on historical data over the last year and was last updated on 15 November 2024.

January

$47

February

$60

March

$71

April

$69

May

$68

June

$68

July

$80

August

$75

September

$68

October

$71

November

$61

December

$66

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in California is January. The most expensive time to rent a car is July. The cheapest prices for each month are shown above, but prices will vary based on availability, how far out you book your rental car, and of course, car type.

Popular car types in California

Explore the most popular car models available for hire in California and choose the one that suits your needs. The price data is sourced from various car hire companies and was last updated on 15 November 2024.

In California, there are 16,619 active hire locations from 328 car hire companies. small car is the cheapest car type to hire in California in the past week - currently priced from $25/day. View deals for 7 car types available to hire in this destination:

Economy

Economy

Compact

Compact

Intermediate

Intermediate

Standard

Standard

Full-size

Full-size

People mover

People mover

Full-size SUV

Full-size SUV

Premium

Premium

Luxury

Luxury

Supplier choice

Supplier choice

Compact SUV

Compact SUV

Intermediate SUV

Intermediate SUV

Standard SUV

Standard SUV

Compare available car types for hire in California

Compare and contrast the various car types offered for hire in California to find the perfect fit for your trip. Price data is based on averages over the last 12 months and was last updated on 15 November 2024.

Small cars

$61 - $86

All Car Types

$80 - $105

To hire a small car in California, you would pay an average price of $71/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a small car in California (~$61/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is August (~$86/day). In fact, November is about 16% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a small car hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a small car saves you 23% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California small car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a medium car in California, you would pay an average price of $78/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a medium car in California (~$64/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is April (~$90/day). In fact, November is about 18% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a medium car hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a medium car saves you 17% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California medium car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a large car in California, you would pay an average price of $106/day. May is the cheapest month to hire a large car in California (~$83/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is July (~$128/day). In fact, May is about 23% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a large car hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a large car is 14% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California large car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a SUV in California, you would pay an average price of $84/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a SUV in California (~$71/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is June (~$91/day). In fact, November is about 16% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a SUV hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a SUV saves you 10% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California SUV hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a van in California, you would pay an average price of $133/day. September is the cheapest month to hire a van in California (~$112/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is August (~$168/day). In fact, September is about 17% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a van hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a van is 31% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity.

To hire a pickup truck in California, you would pay an average price of $106/day. April is the cheapest month to hire a pickup truck in California (~$79/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is May (~$171/day). In fact, April is about 27% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a pickup truck hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a pickup truck is 14% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California pickup truck hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a luxury car in California, you would pay an average price of $111/day. September is the cheapest month to hire a luxury car in California (~$97/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is April (~$137/day). In fact, September is about 13% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a luxury car hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a luxury car is 17% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California luxury car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a convertible in California, you would pay an average price of $155/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a convertible in California (~$135/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is March (~$172/day). In fact, November is about 13% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a convertible hire for California. When comparing with other car types available for hire in California, hiring a convertible is 40% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best California convertible hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Hyundai Accent Hatch$25/day
2
M
A/C
Hyundai Accent Hatch
Kia Picanto$27/day
2
M
A/C
Kia Picanto
Toyota Corolla$28/day
4
M
A/C
Toyota Corolla

Top hire agencies in California

Explore the leading car hire agencies in California known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car hire companies in California. Reviews were last updated on 15 November 2024.
Browse through some of the top car hire agencies in California, including pickup locations serving Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose. Check out reviews from past customers, confirm pickup locations, and other critical details before booking your reservation.

Budget

6.4
Okay
1128 reviews57 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.1

Comfort

7.2

Overall

6.3

Pick-up/drop-off

6.4

Value

6.4

Hertz

6.1
Okay
1394 reviews94 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

6.9

Comfort

6.8

Overall

6.0

Pick-up/drop-off

6.0

Value

6.2

Alamo

8.5
Very Good
250 reviews14 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.9

Comfort

8.8

Overall

8.5

Pick-up/drop-off

8.6

Value

8.2

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

7.7
Good
518 reviews106 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

7.9

Overall

7.6

Pick-up/drop-off

7.6

Value

7.6

Sixt

7.3
Good
392 reviews17 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.9

Comfort

7.8

Overall

7.3

Pick-up/drop-off

7.3

Value

7.2

Avis

6.3
Okay
660 reviews56 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.1

Comfort

7.1

Overall

6.3

Pick-up/drop-off

6.4

Value

6.5

Midway

6.2
Okay
493 reviews15 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.1

Comfort

6.8

Overall

6.2

Pick-up/drop-off

5.8

Value

6.7

Dollar

5.9
Fair
559 reviews35 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.0

Comfort

6.8

Overall

5.8

Pick-up/drop-off

5.8

Value

6.2

Best California car hire deals found

Browse through a selection of recently found affordable car hire deals in California. Plan your trip with ease and find the perfect hire option for your needs. There are currently 8 hire car agencies in California with an average daily rate of $47. Data was last updated on 15 November 2024.
These are some of the best options we've found for those looking for car hires in California, including options within a close proximity to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose. If these deals don't match what you're looking for, not to worry -- deals are updated on a regular basis.
Hyundai Accent Hatch$25/day
2
M
A/C
Hyundai Accent Hatch
Kia Picanto$27/day
2
M
A/C
Kia Picanto
Toyota Corolla$28/day
4
M
A/C
Toyota Corolla

Car hire FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about car hires in California, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 15 November 2024.
  • What is the cheapest hire car found in California?

    In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $73/day when booking a car hire in California. The absolute best deal a user found was for $37/day from Turo, booked on Nov. 10.

  • What car hire company is typically the cheapest in California?

    According to our data, users have found the cheapest deals when booking a rental car in California from the following companies over the past two weeks: Priceless ($26/day), Ace ($38/day), and NextCar ($39/day).

  • Which car hire company is considered to be the best in California?

    Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, Alamo (8.4 rating), National (8.1 rating) and Carl's (8.0 rating) seem to be the best car hire companies in California.

  • What are petrol prices like in California?

    The average price of petrol in California is $1.40/litre over the past month, costing you anywhere between $63 and $90 to fill up a car’s fuel tank.

  • How much does it cost to hire a car in California for a week from Thrifty?

    Thrifty is one of the most popular car hire companies in California, offering car hire for around $626 per week on average.

  • How far in advance should I hire a car in California for the best price?

    Hiring your favourite car model can become more difficult the closer you are to your desired travel date. It’s ideal to book early to have that peace of mind. An early booking can save you up to 31% in California - we recommend booking at least 7days in advance.

  • Can I rent a car for a month in California?

    Typically, how long you can hire a car for depends on the inventory of the supplier. For California however, it is certainly possible to rent a car for an entire month.

  • How much does it cost to rent a car in California for a month?

    Typically, a monthly car hire in California can be found for $2,682. You can find car hire deals to be on average $89 a day.

See more FAQs

Small car hires in California

Find small car hire deals in California from well-known providers in the area and save on gas mileage with the options provided below. small car hires in California cost an average of $53 per day. Price data was last updated on 15 November 2024.
Mitsubishi Mirage$53/day
2
5
M
A/C
Mitsubishi Mirage

Luxury car hires in California

Find luxury car hire deals in California from well-known providers in the area and save on gas mileage with the options provided below. luxury car hires in California cost an average of $58 per day. Price data was last updated on 15 November 2024.
These are some of the best options we've found when it comes to luxury car hires in California, including pickup locations near Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose. If you don't see a deal that suits you, return soon as new offers are always being added.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class$55/day
5
M
A/C
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class$56/day
5
M
A/C
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class$56/day
5
M
A/C
Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Car hires by fuel type in California

Browse car hires by fuel type in California. Currently, Hybrid cars are the cheapest to rent in California. Deals were last updated on 15 November 2024.

Browse through car hire deals by fuel type in California. There are currently 3 fuel types to choose from with Hybrid being the cheapest ($30+).

Electric

Electric

Hybrid

Hybrid

Petrol/Diesel

Petrol/Diesel

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

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