Find Rentals
Popular Cars
Price Trends
Agencies
Rental Deals
FAQs
San Francisco

Cheap Car Rentals in San Francisco from $40

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 San Francisco with a pick-up date of 18/2 and drop-off date of 25/2. 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
Here’s why our users search for rental cars through Cheapflights

Save over 30%Compare Cheapflights against other travel sites with one search.

Price trackingHolding out for a great deal? Get notified when prices are reduced.

Customized resultsFilter by rental agency, car type, price range and more.

Unlimited free useSearch as many times as you want with no hidden charges or fees.

San Francisco car rentals in 2025

Get helpful information to start your search for the perfect car hire in San Francisco. The average price data is based on the last 12 months and was last updated on 20 January 2025.

Most popular company

THRIFTY

Price of petrol per litre

$2.08

Average price per day

$92

Cheapest price per day

$40

What is the cheapest time to rent a car in San Francisco?

Discover the most affordable period to rent a car in San Francisco 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 20 January 2025.

January

$73

February

$85

March

$96

April

$96

May

$105

June

$110

July

$125

August

$118

September

$103

October

$100

November

$85

December

$101

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in San Francisco 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 San Francisco

Explore the most popular car models available for hire in San Francisco and choose the one that suits your needs. The price data is sourced from various car hire companies and was last updated on 20 January 2025.

There are 38 hire agencies servicing San Francisco. These agencies, altogether, have 99 hire locations available. Need an affordable hire? large car is the cheapest car type to hire in San Francisco with prices from $40 a day in the previous 7-day period. Here are 5 car types you can hire in San Francisco:

Economy

Economy

Compact

Compact

Intermediate

Intermediate

Full-size

Full-size

People mover

People mover

Full-size SUV

Full-size SUV

Convertible

Convertible

Intermediate SUV

Intermediate SUV

Compare available car types for rental in San Francisco

Compare and contrast the various car types offered for hire in San Francisco to find the perfect fit for your trip. Price data is based on averages over the last 12 months and was last updated on 20 January 2025.

Small cars

$62 - $131

All Car Types

$112 - $152

To hire a small car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $102/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a small car in San Francisco, the United States (~$62/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is June (~$131/day). In fact, November is about 40% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a small car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, hiring a small 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 San Francisco small car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a medium car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $114/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a medium car in San Francisco, the United States (~$88/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is July (~$141/day). In fact, November is about 24% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a medium car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, hiring a medium car saves you 8% 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 San Francisco medium car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a large car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $144/day. May is the cheapest month to hire a large car in San Francisco, the United States (~$122/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is August (~$158/day). In fact, May is about 16% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a large car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco large car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a SUV in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $118/day. March is the cheapest month to hire a SUV in San Francisco, the United States (~$95/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is July (~$161/day). In fact, March is about 20% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a SUV hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, hiring a SUV saves you 5% 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 San Francisco SUV hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a van in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $197/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a van in San Francisco, the United States (~$96/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is March (~$557/day). In fact, November is about 52% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a van hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, hiring a van is 38% 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 luxury car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $148/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a luxury car in San Francisco, the United States (~$87/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is January (~$214/day). In fact, November is about 42% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a luxury car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, 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.

To hire a convertible in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of $169/day. December is the cheapest month to hire a convertible in San Francisco, the United States (~$151/day), while the most expensive month to hire that same car type is November (~$290/day). In fact, December is about 12% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a convertible hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, hiring a convertible is 28% 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 San Francisco convertible hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Toyota Yaris$43/day
2
M
A/C
Toyota Yaris
Mitsubishi Mirage$66/day
2
5
M
A/C
Mitsubishi Mirage

Top rental agencies in San Francisco

Explore the leading car hire agencies in San Francisco known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car hire companies in San Francisco. Reviews were last updated on 20 January 2025.
Rent a car with one of the top providers serving the San Francisco area such as Sixt, Budget and Hertz. Be sure to do your research on pricing, reviews, pickup locations, and other important criteria before choosing.

Sixt

7.6
Good
118 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.2

Comfort

8.2

Overall

7.5

Pick-up/drop-off

7.4

Value

7.4

Budget

7.4
Good
126 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.8

Comfort

8.0

Overall

7.4

Pick-up/drop-off

7.4

Value

7.0

Hertz

6.3
Okay
125 reviews11 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.6

Comfort

7.4

Overall

6.3

Pick-up/drop-off

6.3

Value

6.3

Thrifty

5.6
Fair
209 reviews4 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

6.9

Comfort

6.5

Overall

5.5

Pick-up/drop-off

5.6

Value

5.7

Dollar

5.3
Fair
112 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

6.8

Comfort

6.5

Overall

5.3

Pick-up/drop-off

5.4

Value

5.5

Alamo

8.8
Very Good
54 reviews4 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.9

Comfort

8.9

Overall

8.8

Pick-up/drop-off

8.8

Value

8.3

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.4
Very Good
52 reviews11 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.8

Comfort

8.4

Overall

8.5

Pick-up/drop-off

8.2

Value

8.4

Avis

6.7
Okay
52 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.6

Comfort

7.3

Overall

6.7

Pick-up/drop-off

6.8

Value

6.8

Best San Francisco car rental deals found

Browse through a selection of recently found affordable car hire deals in San Francisco. Plan your trip with ease and find the perfect hire option for your needs. There are currently 8 hire car agencies in San Francisco with an average daily rate of $57. Data was last updated on 20 January 2025.
Check out some of the very best car rental deals we've found in San Francisco. Make sure to check back soon if you're not finding what you're looking for, as deals are updated frequently.
Toyota Camry$40/day
5
M
A/C
Toyota Camry
Mitsubishi Outlander$41/day
5
M
A/C
Mitsubishi Outlander
Suzuki Swift$43/day
2
M
A/C
Suzuki Swift

Car rental FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about car hires in San Francisco, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 20 January 2025.
  • What is the cheapest hire car found in San Francisco?

    In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under $92/day when booking a car hire in San Francisco. The absolute best deal a user found was for $58/day from Fox, booked on Jan. 12.

  • What car hire company is typically the cheapest in San Francisco?

    According to our data, users have found the cheapest deals when booking a rental car in San Francisco from the following companies over the past two weeks: Fox ($40/day), Thrifty ($49/day), and Sixt ($78/day).

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

    Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, National (9.1 rating), Alamo (8.8 rating) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.4 rating) seem to be the best car hire companies in San Francisco.

  • What are petrol prices like in San Francisco?

    The average price of petrol in San Francisco is $2.08/litre over the past month, costing you anywhere between $93 and $135 to fill up a car’s fuel tank.

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

    From Thrifty you can hire a car in San Francisco from about $603 per week on average.

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

    Booking in advance not only ensures a better chance of getting your vehicle of choice, it can save you up to 29% on your car hire. For a below average price in San Francisco, Cheapflights recommends booking your car hire at least 7 days in advance.

  • Can I rent a car for a month in San Francisco?

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

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

    You can potentially save up to 48% on a month-long rental by booking with Fox. Fox is the cheapest rental company available within the next few months. Renting a car in San Francisco can cost you on average $2,584 a month or $86 a day. For extended stays in a location, this option will usually save you the most.

  • How much is a car hire in San Francisco for a weekend?

    $81 is typically the average cost for a hire car for the weekend in San Francisco, though this could vary depending on the time of year. If you’re on a budget when travelling to San Francisco, then opt for a Full-size hire vehicle - these tend to be the most affordable on weekends. In the month of February, you can expect to find car hire prices on Cheapflights for as low as $113/day.

  • What car do most people hire in San Francisco?

    The majority of Cheapflights travellers prefer to hire a Standard (Ford Mustang Convertible) in San Francisco, making it the most popular option.

Car rentals by fuel type in San Francisco

Browse car rentals by fuel type in San Francisco. Currently, Electric cars are the cheapest to rent in San Francisco. Deals were last updated on 20 January 2025.

Browse through car rental deals by fuel type in San Francisco. There are currently 3 fuel types to choose from with Electric being the cheapest ($27+).

Electric

Electric

Hybrid

Hybrid

Petrol/Diesel

Petrol/Diesel

Travelling to a place near San Francisco?

Hire a car at San Francisco if you plan to visit one of these locations
Davis
Burlingame
Sunnyvale
Palo Alto
Mountain View
Woodland

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Airport car hires in San Francisco

Hire a car at one of these airports in the San Francisco area
Best Car Hire Deals
We make it easy and fast to find and compare deals from 70,000+ hire locations and hundreds of agencies.
No Surprises
Prices shown to you will be completely in full, without any hidden charges or fees.
Free cancellation
Plans change — we get it. And that’s why you can search and book car hire on Cheapflights from agencies that offer free cancellation