Survey
The Most Expensive Car Rental Destinations in the USA
June 11, 2019

Where is it most affordable to rent a car this summer? A new survey from CheapCarRental.net breaks down U.S. destinations to determine the most affordable and priciest cities for summer car rentals. As for the latter, the Ohio cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland take the top spots, as the priciest destinations to rent a car at the airport over the next several months.

In Cleveland, travelers at the airport can expect car rental rates to start at $84 per day, on average. In Cincinnati, the rates start at $82 per day, only slightly more affordable. Rounding out the podium for priciest destinations, car rental rates at Newark’s EWR start at $81 per day, on average.

These three cities beat out 50 other U.S. destinations with their high rental rates. The CheapCarRental.net survey looked at 50 major U.S. cities and car rental rates at major airports within those cities during the months of June, July and August 2019.

Other cities with high car rental rates for the summer include Boston, Pittsburgh and Seattle. As for the most affordable destinations, as far as car rentals are concerned? Miami and Orlando wear the crown in this instance. Travelers can expect car rental rates at major airports within the two cities to start at $24 and $23 per day respectively, on average.

The following table compares car rental rates of 50 destinations in the USA. Prices shown reflect average daily rates for the most affordable rental car at each city’s major airport, June 1–Aug. 31.

Note: Only airport car rental companies or car rental companies offering direct airport shuttle service were considered in the study. Rates were established during late May via leading car rental comparison engines.
  • 1. Cleveland $84
  • 2. Cincinnati $82
  • 3. Newark $81
  • 4. Anchorage $80
  • 5. Boston $74
  • 6. Pittsburgh $73
  • 7. Seattle $71
  • 8. Portland $70
  • 9. Denver $69
  • 9. Indianapolis $69
  • 11. Minneapolis $68
  • 12. Washington DC $65
  • 13. Philadelphia $65
  • 14. Austin $61
  • 15. Charleston $60
  • 16. Memphis $58
  • 16. Oklahoma City $58
  • 18. Albuquerque $57
  • 18. Reno $57
  • 20. Nashville $56
  • 21. New York City 55
  • 21. St Louis 55
  • 21. Kanasa City $55
  • 21. Detroit $55
  • 25. San Francisco $53
  • 25. Raleigh $53
  • 27. Charlotte $52
  • 28. Columbus $51
  • 28. Atlanta $51
  • 28. Buffalo $51
  • 28. Sacramento $51
  • 32. Baltimore $50
  • 32. Honolulu $50
  • 34. Houston $49
  • 35. Savannah $46
  • 35. San Antonio $46
  • 37. Tucson $45
  • 37. Chicago $45
  • 37. Phoenix $45
  • 40. Milwaukee $44
  • 41. Salt Lake City $43
  • 42. New Orleans $41
  • 43. Tampa $38
  • 44. San Diego $36
  • 45. Dallas $35
  • 46. Los Angeles $32
  • 47. Los Vegas $31
  • 48. Jacksonville $26
  • 49. Orlando $24
  • 50. Miami $23