What is the cheapest hire car found in California?

In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $90/day when booking a car hire in California. The absolute best deal a user found was for $59/day from Economy Rent a Car, booked on Jul. 6.

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 $589 per week on average.

Can I rent a car for a month in California?

Yes, cars are available to be rented out for an entire month in California.

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

The monthly cost of a car rental in California is $2,524 ($84/day) on average.

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

Out of all the popular cities in California, Los Angeles is the cheapest city to rent a car in at just $45/day. Renting a car in Los Angeles is 58% cheaper than renting one in San Diego where the per day rate is around $108. Other fairly inexpensive cities in California to get a rental car in are: San Francisco ($55/day), Long Beach ($75/day), and San Diego ($108/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 $45/day on their transportation. The most popular city to rent a car in California is Los Angeles.

Cheap Car Hire in California | Deals From $38/Day

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California car rentals in 2025

Most popular company	Thrifty
Most common car type	Standard
Average price per day	$82
Cheapest price per day	$38

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Popular car types in California

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There are, in total, 17,581 car hire locations in California that are operated by 356 companies. In the past week, small car is the cheapest car type users can hire (cheapest price last found: $38/day). Explore 8 car types currently offered from California hire providers:

Economy

$38+

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Compact

$38+

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Intermediate

$39+

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Standard

$55+

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Full-size

$46+

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People mover

$115+

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Full-size SUV

$77+

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Premium

$48+

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Luxury

$61+

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Convertible

$108+

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Pick-up truck

$102+

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Premium SUV

$97+

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Supplier choice

$39+

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Compact SUV

$48+

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Intermediate SUV

$50+

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Standard SUV

$54+

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Compare car rental deals in California by type

Here are the best California small car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California medium car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California large car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California SUV hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California van hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California pickup truck hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California luxury car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best California convertible hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Mercedes-Benz EQA$38/day

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Holden Barina$38/day

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Mitsubishi Mirage$51/day

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Best car rental deals found in California

Have a look at some of the deals we've found on rental cars in California including options serving Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Come back soon if you don't find what you're looking for as deals are updated often.

Mercedes-Benz EQA$38/day

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Holden Barina$38/day

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Toyota Corolla$39/day

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Cheapflights insights for California car rentals

Get relevant, data-driven information to help you hire a car in California, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.

How far in advance should I hire a car in California?

Book your rental car in California 7 days before your pickup date to maximise your savings. Car rental prices are around $66/day on average when booked 7 days ahead, which saves you 32% off the average price.

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What is the cheapest car hire company in California?

Economy Rent a Car is currently the cheapest car hire company in California with deals as low as $28.33/day found in the past two weeks. Fox is another inexpensive option with rates as low as $37.46/day.

What is the best car rental company in California?

Based on Cheapflights user feedback, the highest-rated car rental company in California is Hertz (rated 5.8/10 with 1,038 reviews). Alamo (rated 8.6/10 with 116 reviews) is also highly rated by our users.

Hertz

5.8

Alamo

8.6

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

7.6

Sixt

7.3

What is the cheapest month to hire a car in California?

Planning to hire a car in California? January is the cheapest month, costing about $67 per day. In contrast, July is the most expensive, with an average daily rate of $100. Monthly average car hire prices are listed below. Remember, prices can change based on when you book, the type of car, and availability.

January

$67

February

$70

March

$75

April

$82

May

$83

June

$88

July

$100

August

$95

September

$85

October

$84

November

$80

December

$89

What car do most people hire in California?

SUV cars (Chevrolet Equinox, for example) are the most popular in California. Full-size (Chevrolet Impala) and Standard (Ford Explorer) cars are also often chosen by our users when visiting California.

Which car hire company has the most locations in California?

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has 83 locations throughout the area, more than any other company. Hertz has the second-highest number of locations in California at 64.

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

Among the most popular cities in California, Los Angeles offers the lowest average rental price at just $45/day. Other affordable options include San Francisco ($55/day), Long Beach ($75/day), and San Diego ($108/day).

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Top rental agencies in California

Browse through some of the top rental car agencies in California, including pickup locations serving Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. See what past customers have to say, compare prices, and review other key details before deciding.

Hertz

5.8

Fair

1038 reviews•64 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Mar 2024

Rape

10.0

Wonderful|Oct 2023

I could not have asked for more.A very easy experience.Thank the person from Monterey who attended to us he was excellent.

6.0

Okay|Sept 2023

Unhelpful employee. We arrived 1:30 ahead of time to pick up the car and waited for it to be cleaned. We got the car very dirty!!!!

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

4 hours in the desert with a flat tire. Poor service and dangerous!

8.0

Very Good|Sept 2023

Lady didn’t smile the whole time; we had an electric car and had no idea how to manage that; we brought the car over 12 hours before the time was up but still paid full price

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

I asked for self fueling on return. I filled it up to the top of the tank and saw later I was charged for 6 gallons at 14$/gallon on my receipt. An absolute rip off ! never with Hertz again !

1 out of 346

Hertz Locations in California

Alamo

8.6

Very Good

116 reviews•9 locations

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Overview

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

7.6

Good

301 reviews•83 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|May 2025

Waiting time to pick up the car was too long. Around 30 min.

2.0

Poor|Apr 2023

Car choices don’t alert you that they are NOT where you requested. I asked for LAX pickup. It was an hour drive to that location. What a bait and switch. Will never use kayak for cars again

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2023

It was a great experience picking up and dropping off. The car itself was a little finicky with the bluetooth/music not being accessible while driving but overall good! Everyone is always nice and efficient at the counter, Mitch was wonderful at checkout. Have used you all for many years and will continue to!

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

The person at check in was extremely helpful.

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

Well managed very efficient pick up and drop off Clean cars. Friendly and professional staff Best rental Company ever

8.0

Very Good|Mar 2023

Staff were very friendly. Easy checkin process. The only downside is that our pickup location did not have child seats so not sure why my reservation went through. We were made to travel to another location to pick up a car seat. Did not like this inconvenience but we had no choice.

1 out of 101

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Locations in California

Sixt

7.3

Good

327 reviews•15 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

great service, very friendly staff, we loved the upgraded car

2.0

Poor|Jul 2023

awful!

2.0

Poor|Jul 2023

Terrible experience checking in for the vehicle.

4.0

Mediocre|Apr 2023

Very little. Virtually everything could have been better.

4.0

Mediocre|Apr 2023

Need better vehicles.

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2023

Got upgraded to BMW 430i, new and clean. Pickup and drop off were a breeze.

1 out of 109

Sixt Locations in California

Avis

6.2

Okay

464 reviews•47 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

When I arrived at LAX to pick up my car, I waited in line OVER 1.5 HOURS! Absolutely unacceptable and will never be using Avis again.

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

We didn’t get the car that we pay for. The staff at San Francisco were very rude!

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

They did not have the vehicle I had reserved and tried to rent me a very different vehicle for more money. When I returned to complain, the found a vehicle that I needed. Overall rental took two hours.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Qeeq.com has my money and will not refund it. Avis ran out of cars so could not rent to me and neither companies could change the rental agreement. Now they are saying they have opened a case and will take 20 days to come to a decision. It is a Chinese company and is fraudulent

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Car was excellent and provided exactly what we needed during our trip. The drop-off was a tad difficult due to reasons outside of Avis' control (heavy traffic in drop-off location's area).

4.0

Mediocre|Jul 2023

Staff was good but car was dirty

1 out of 155

Avis Locations in California

Budget

6.2

Okay

754 reviews•45 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Jun 2024

I was very disappointed. I went to rental location and was told that my debit card could not be used for payment. I asked to use apple pay and that was a big fat no. I returned home and picked up a credit card and went back to rental location and they were closed at noon. The $26 I paid for insurance was not refunded. When I lift the location I should have been informed that they close at noon on Sunday, I told the customer service representative that I would be coming back with a credit card,

4.0

Mediocre|Feb 2024

The car had pet hair and I got sick.... Wasn't able to use the rental as I wanted .. allergies the whole time I was in

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

They charged us double the price that was shown on Kayak. They just said we have to pay that amount otherwise we not gonna get a car. This was a big disaster and I will never rent again through Kayak and with Budget.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Gave away my reservation without notice

2.0

Poor|Aug 2023

Nice vehicle. Didn't like the price,the upsale, , the lies,agent must get a commission for overselling to unsuspecting seniors..$294 for 1 day rental. That price should come with a driver.

4.0

Mediocre|Aug 2023

The rental vehicle had nearly bald front tires. (Gray Kia Soul with Utah plates: U198PN.) If I had noticed at the rental lot (Sonoma County Airport) I would have insisted on a different vehicle. It was irresponsible for the company to rent a vehicle with tires in that condition. The rear tires were fine so probably the tires had not been rotated front-to-rear on a correct schedule, and no one had bothered to check the tires despite the vehicle having 35k miles on it.

1 out of 252

Budget Locations in California

Midway

6.2

Okay

497 reviews•17 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2025

Nothing

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2024

Midway agents gave me an excellent service.

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2024

Would like to thank mid way team for making my rental experience easy and smooth. I can't thank you enough for your professionalism, great Customer service and for providing a clean vehicle which made me feel as if I were on my own. Definitely deserve 5+ stars! Absolutely the best!

10.0

Wonderful|Sept 2024

The smoothing renting experience i had in LA

2.0

Poor|Aug 2024

We waited for more than 45 minutes to get the airport shuttle to Midway, and finally gave up and instead took the bus to Uber/Lyft and paid for a ride to Midway. Then we waited more than 1 hour in line to get to the counter. On the return, we couldn’t get the door for refueling open to gas up. We called and went to two separate gas stations after they called back. The their instructions didn’t work. Waiting for the shuttle bus was again problematic because it never came, so we ended up taking the shuttle from an adjoining hotel. Needless to say, we almost missed our flight home.

10.0

Wonderful|May 2024

Everything was great

1 out of 166

Midway Locations in California

Dollar

5.4

Fair

461 reviews•37 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Feb 2025

It totally sucked. I checked ahead just to make sure that they rented if you only had a debit card. Their website assured that if you had two forms of ID iall rentals was approved. Well that was a total LIE. I drove all the way to the Mexico border ( CBX ) just for them to say...."We don't accept debt card only credit card for our rentals. That's our policy". I ended up be late for my 100 year old granddaughters funeral on the account that I had to find other options to travel to Flagstaff AZ.....all because I trusted in what their website stated. So how was my experience?....it sucked BIG TIME!

6.0

Okay|Feb 2024

Drop off super easy. Pick up took over 45 minutes. Need all counters open.

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

Despite reserving and partially paying ahead of time, the wait to see someone at the counter was 2 hours, as Dollar and Thrifty combined made for a very long line of people. I don't think it's right that person's with reservations have to wait in the same line with people who don't have any reservations.

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

They wouldn’t give me a car. They said it had to be traversed 24 hours in advanced but it let me book it online

2.0

Poor|Sept 2023

Waited 6 hours in a very hot building. I lost 2 days of vacation. I will never book a rental here again.

6.0

Okay|Sept 2023

I needed a car for 5 hrs. The quoted price by the agent on-site was way too higher than the online prices. Had to reserve a car online in order for the agent to get me a batter price. This in fact was the 2nd car I rented from dollar in last 2 weeks. First one was booked for 13 days and the agent tried his level best to up sell various additional products by giving wrong information.

1 out of 154

Dollar Locations in California

Car rental FAQs

What is the cheapest hire car found in California?
In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $90/day when booking a car hire in California. The absolute best deal a user found was for $59/day from Economy Rent a Car, booked on Jul. 6.
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 $589 per week on average.
Can I rent a car for a month in California?
Yes, cars are available to be rented out for an entire month in California.
How much does it cost to rent a car in California for a month?
The monthly cost of a car rental in California is $2,524 ($84/day) on average.