Survey
NYC Most Expensive U.S. Destination to Rent a Car
May 7, 2014

Car renters pay more in New York City than anywhere else in the United States. That is the main takeaway of a new survey from CheapCarRental.net. The survey specifically compared the cost of renting a car in 50 main destinations across the USA. The past 12 months served as the basis of comparison in determining the rankings.

Travelers who rented a car in New York City over the past year paid an average of $76 per day, and that was for the cheapest available rental car. That figure placed NYC significantly ahead of the second-place finisher, Detroit, which ended up in the number two position with a daily rental rate of $69. It must be pointed out that the survey selected the main airport of each destination as the Pick Up and Drop Off location.

It bears mentioning that the prices established by the survey are average rates, and costs tended to fluctuate heavily for some destinations. For example, in Miami on some days during the off season, travelers could find a rental car for less than $20 per day. Meanwhile, during the high season they may have had to pay $60 or more. In New York City, the price range was a bit less volatile, settling in around $60 to $110 per day.

The following table compares average daily car rental rates for 50 destinations in the United States over the past 12 months. Each respective city's airport was chosen as the Pick Up and Drop Off location.
  • 1. New York City $76
  • 2. Detroit $69
  • 3. Memphis $67
  • 4. Baltimore $65
  • 5. New Orleans $63
  • 6. Buffalo $62
  • 6. Kansas City $62
  • 6. Boston $62
  • 9. Charlotte $60
  • 10. Houston $59
  • 11. Newark $57
  • 11. Nashville $57
  • 13. Chicago $54
  • 14. Austin $53
  • 14. Sacramento $53
  • 16. Washington $52
  • 16. Cincinnati $52
  • 18. Portland $51
  • 19. St. Louis $49
  • 20. Anchorage $48
  • 21. Raleigh $47
  • 21. Columbus $47
  • 21. Honolulu $47
  • 24. Jacksonville $45
  • 25. Phoenix $45
  • 25. Minneapolis $45
  • 25. Pittsburgh $45
  • 28. Dallas $44
  • 28. Albuquerque $44
  • 28. Louisville $44
  • 28. Denver $44
  • 32. Cleveland $43
  • 32. Milwaukee $43
  • 34. San Jose $41
  • 35. Indianapolis $40
  • 36. San Francisco $39
  • 37. West Palm Beach $38
  • 37. Seattle $38
  • 37. Oakland $38
  • 37. San Antonio $38
  • 41. Atlanta $37
  • 41. Philadelphia $37
  • 43. Salt Lake City $36
  • 44. Miami $31
  • 46. Los Angeles $29
  • 46. San Diego $28
  • 47. Las Vegas $27
  • 48. Fort Lauderdale $26
  • 48. Tampa $26
  • 50. Orlando $25


About the methodology:
The car rental rates expressed in the survey were established via Kayak, a travel metasearch engine. For 50 popular destinations in the United States, the average daily rental rate for the cheapest available car during the time period spanning June 2013 to May 2014 was calculated. Each city’s main airport was chosen as the Pick Up and Drop Off location. Rates were established about one to two weeks prior to Pick Up date, and a rental duration of five days was set.