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San Diego car rentals in 2026
Get helpful information to start your search for the perfect car rental in San Diego. The average price data is based on the last 12 months and was last updated on 15 September 2026.
Get relevant, data-driven information to help you hire a car in San Diego, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.
How far in advance should I hire a car in San Diego?
To get the best deal on car hire in San Diego, book about 7 days before your trip. At that point, average daily prices are around ฿1,294, which is about 2,605% cheaper than the typical rate.
Based on Cheapflights user feedback, the highest-rated car rental company in San Diego is Budget (rated 6.4/10 with 114 reviews). Avis (rated 6.3/10 with 136 reviews) is also highly rated by our users.
Budget
6.4
Avis
6.3
Hertz
5.5
U-Save
6.5
What is the cheapest month to rent a car in San Diego?
At San Diego, the best time to rent a car is at January, with an average daily rate of just ฿1,162. Conversely, June is the priciest month, averaging ฿1,859 per day. Below youll find the monthly average rental prices. Note that costs can fluctuate depending on availability, booking time, and vehicle type.|1#In San Diego, the best time to rent a car is in January, with an average daily rate of just ฿1,162. Conversely, June is the priciest month, averaging ฿1,859 per day. Below youll find the monthly average rental prices. Note that costs can fluctuate depending on availability, booking time, and vehicle type.
January
฿1,162
February
฿1,460
March
฿1,726
April
฿1,626
May
฿1,593
June
฿1,859
July
฿1,825
August
฿1,693
September
฿1,394
October
฿1,527
November
฿1,427
December
฿1,759
Which car hire company has the most locations in San Diego?
Avis has 12 locations throughout the area, more than any other company. All Star Rent a Van has the second-highest number of locations in San Diego at 1.
Explore the leading car rental agencies in San Diego known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car rental companies in San Diego. Reviews were last updated on 15 September 2026.
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,
10.0
Wonderful|Jul 2023
The staff menber was extremely friendly and spoke to me about making them my number one choice in the future without being pushy. Very positive experience.
10.0
Wonderful|Apr 2023
I liked all, the ease of navigating on website was amazing. Keep it like it is!
2.0
Poor|Apr 2023
My plane was late coming in so I missed my reservation. Budget would not honor my reservation rate the next morning bc they said I was outside my grace period. Very unprofessional. Will not do business with them in the future.
2.0
Poor|May 2022
I have very bad experience & I’m still waiting for my money back, All this company want your money They don’t care customer services
Additional RSN charge sneaked into contract. Not explained or agreed upon.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2023
Perhaps my Owen fault, when I did not bring my credit card from Denmark. Back Home it is Ok to rent with just a debit card. The rent was prepaid and verified.. !! Anyway - my son and I had to go by public transportation instead. After the waiting at Avis San Diego.
2.0
Poor|Apr 2023
I had no idea the locations for pick-up and drop off were not at the arrival and departure airports as requested. Had to get a taxi to take from airport to the p/u location and office was closed for 30 minutes once I arrived, in a pouring down rainstorm. The car was not cleaned and the tools in the cargo area were unsecured adn rolling around on our drive. The drop off location was also offsite and I had to have a friend meet me there and give me a ride to the airport.
10.0
Wonderful|Apr 2023
Easy peasy, great desk staff too!
2.0
Poor|Mar 2023
Worst experience I’ve had renting a car. Lady at desk was rude and wouldn’t help me out.
Your customer service person who helped me with correcting my rental was awesome.
10.0
Wonderful|Aug 2023
When we arrived at San Diego Airport, we were told that our reservation was Tijuana not San Diego. I had a print out of my reservation and it showed Pick-up and Return were both San Diego. I ended up paying $90 more than my reserved price. I was not very happy about it.
2.0
Poor|Jul 2023
Location was not san Diego Airport. I That's what we asked for and the reservation was for Otay. Had to redo everything at .much higher lrice. Will never use kayak again
10.0
Wonderful|Jul 2023
We had an issue with where our original rental was planned and the gentleman at San Diego airport did a great job in fixing our situation
10.0
Wonderful|Jul 2023
I found it very easy to cancel a reservation. As they say " ... with no questions asked ..." excellent customer service.
Very friendly staff, easy pickup and drop off. Definitely recommend.
8.0
Very Good|Jan 2024
Good
10.0
Wonderful|Apr 2023
I really had a tremendous experience with U-Save at every level. Had never rented from them before, but would do so again in whatever location they have agencies. I will say for certain I will always rent from them at the San Diego location. Many of the big rental car chains - such as Thrifty and Dollar in particular.....are absolute jokes. It is refreshing ro find a smaller outfit like U-Save that cares about every level of customer service and giving you a good car for your money.
10.0
Wonderful|Apr 2023
The employee at the counter was very professional and courteous, he took care of us in no time. Right now, it seems everything is over inflated however, U-Save was, and by far, much cheaper than it’s competitors present at the airport. We got a brand new Tesla and there was no hassle. Pick up and return way easy.
Find answers to frequently asked questions about car rentals in San Diego, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 15 September 2026.
What is the cheapest hire car found in San Diego?
In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under ฿1,494/day when booking a car hire in San Diego. The absolute best deal a user found was for ฿997/day from Thrifty, booked on Sep. 12.
How much does it cost to hire a car in San Diego for a week from Thrifty?
Hiring a car in San Diego for a week can be a great option for travel. Thrifty, the most popular car hire company for this area, offers hire cars for around ฿8,698/week on average.
Can I rent a car for a month in San Diego?
Yes, renting a vehicle in San Diego for a month is certainly possible.
How much does it cost to rent a car in San Diego for a month?
Thrifty currently has the lowest price available for a month-long booking. Users have saved up to 30% compared to the average price of a 30-day rental in San Diego. Typically, a monthly car rental in San Diego can be found for ฿37,278. You can find car rental deals to be on average ฿1,243 a day.
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