There are currently 118 hire locations operating in South Island spread across 88 car hire agencies. In the past week, the cheapest car type to hire in South Island is small car at $13 a day. Below are all the 5 car types available for hiring in the area, along with estimated starting prices:
Economy
$13+
Compact
$15+
Intermediate
$42+
Full-size
$52+
SUV
$46+
People mover
$37+
Full-size SUV
$55+
Passenger van
$104+
Pick-up truck
$108+
Premium SUV
$62+
Supplier choice
$21+
Compact SUV
$32+
Intermediate SUV
$41+
Standard SUV
$44+
Get relevant, data-driven information to help you hire a car in South Island, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.
January
$140
February
$168
March
$128
April
$94
May
$98
June
$64
July
$96
August
$74
September
$79
October
$80
November
$97
December
$151
Bargain Rental Cars
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Hao Car Rentals Limited
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Avis
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Rental Cars 247
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JUCY
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New Zealand Discount Car Rentals
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National
NZZU
Find answers to frequently asked questions about car hires in South Island, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 14 October 2026.
In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $55/day when booking a car hire in South Island. The absolute best deal a user found was for $13/day from New Zealand Discount Car Rentals, booked on Oct. 10.
From EZU Car Rental you can hire a car in South Island from about $295 per week on average.
The length of time you can book a rental for is subject to the inventory of the supplier. When renting a vehicle from South Island it should be possible to rent a car for a whole month if needed.
Generally, a month-long car rental in South Island can be found for about $1,264, with the average price for a rental being around $42 a day. Book with New Zealand Discount Car Rentals, to take advantage of their cheap prices and pay 84% less compared to the average price of car rentals in South Island.