How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Car in the USA?

Ask "how much is a rental car?" and the honest answer is: it depends on where, when and what. Rental companies change prices constantly based on demand, so a figure quoted in an article is out of date almost immediately. What doesn't change is what the price is made of. Understand that, and you can read any quote — and spot where to save.

The five parts of a US rental car price

• The base rate: the daily or weekly price for the car class. This is the headline number in search results.
• Taxes and location fees: state and local sales taxes, rental-specific taxes and surcharges, and at airports an airport concession recovery fee and often a customer facility charge. Many companies also add a vehicle licensing recovery fee.
• Driver fees: a young-driver surcharge for renters under 25, and additional-driver fees if someone else will drive.
• Optional coverage: damage waivers (CDW/LDW), supplemental liability and personal accident cover, each charged per day.
• Extras and running costs: toll programs, child seats, GPS, fuel, parking and tolls themselves.

The base rate is often the smaller part of the difference between two quotes. Taxes and fees vary a lot between states and between airport and city locations, and daily coverage can add more than the rate itself on a cheap car. That's why you should always compare totals, not headline rates.

What makes one rental cost more than another

• Location: airports charge fees that city branches don't, and tourist-heavy airports tend to have higher surcharges. See airport car rental guides for how pickup works at each major airport.
• Season and events: school holidays, spring break, summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas push prices up everywhere; big conventions, festivals and sports events do the same locally.
• Lead time: the cheapest classes sell out first. Booking early with free cancellation, then re-checking, usually beats waiting.
• Car class: economy and compact are usually cheapest; SUVs, minivans, convertibles and luxury cars cost more and sell out sooner.
• Rental length: weekly rates often cost less per day than daily rates, and monthly rates less again.
• Driver age: under-25 surcharges are charged per day. Read can you rent a car under 25 for how they work.
• One-way trips: returning somewhere else usually adds a drop-off fee.

How to estimate your real total

• Get a quote for your exact dates and pickup location, and look at the total with taxes and fees included.
• Price the same dates at a nearby city branch and at a second airport if there is one.
• Decide on coverage before you reach the counter. If your own auto policy or credit card covers the car, you may not need the rental company's waiver — see do you need insurance to rent a car.
• Add running costs: fuel for the distance you'll drive, parking at your hotel and attractions, and tolls in states that have them.
• Remember the deposit. It isn't a cost, but it ties up part of your card limit — see how rental car deposits work.

City-by-city cost guides

The mix of fees and running costs changes a lot by city. We've broken it down for three of the most-booked US destinations: Miami, Orlando and Los Angeles. For every other city, start with car rental by city.

Where people overspend

Most budget surprises come from the counter, not the booking: coverage you already had, a prepaid tank you didn't use, a toll program charged per day, or an extra driver added at the last minute. Our guide to hidden rental car fees goes through each one.