Cheap Car Rentals in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA, United States

13 Oct — 20 Oct

San Francisco, CA, United States

Thu 13/10

Noon

Thu 20/10

Noon

Driver's age:

26-65Other

San Francisco Car Rentals in 2022

Most popular company	HERTZ
Price of gas per litre	33,174 ₫
Average price per day	94 ₫
Cheapest price per day	48 ₫

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

January

1,121,718 ₫

February

1,336,515 ₫

March

1,694,510 ₫

April

1,980,906 ₫

May

1,980,906 ₫

June

2,100,238 ₫

July

2,076,372 ₫

August

1,861,575 ₫

September

1,551,312 ₫

October

1,646,778 ₫

November

1,575,179 ₫

December

1,694,510 ₫

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in San Francisco is January. The most expensive time to rent a car is June. 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.

Compare available car types for rental in San Francisco

	Small Cars	758,711 ₫ - 3,294,152 ₫
	All Car Types	1,002,147 ₫ - 3,572,023 ₫

To rent a Small car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of 1,166,058 ₫/day. April is the cheapest month to rent a Small car in San Francisco, the United States (~758,711 ₫/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is June (~3,294,152 ₫/day). In fact, April is about 35% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a Small rental for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for rental in San Francisco, renting a Small car saves you 24% 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.

To rent a Medium car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of 1,589,122 ₫/day. September is the cheapest month to rent a Medium car in San Francisco, the United States (~1,002,147 ₫/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is June (~3,311,455 ₫/day). In fact, September is about 37% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a Medium rental for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for rental in San Francisco, renting a Medium car is 5% 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 rent a SUV car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of 1,255,564 ₫/day. October is the cheapest month to rent a SUV car in San Francisco, the United States (~1,337,708 ₫/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is August (~4,023,866 ₫/day). In fact, October is about 0% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a SUV rental for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for rental in San Francisco, renting a SUV car saves you 18% 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 rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Top rental agencies in San Francisco

All major car rental suppliers in San Francisco

8.7

Excellent

404 reviews•4 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Excellent|Oct 2022

Was perfect

6.0

Good|Aug 2022

Car had some strong “body odor” smell. Had to keep windows down while driving

8.0

Excellent|Jun 2022

It's very expensive to rent a car but Alamo had the best price. The staff were excellent

8.0

Excellent|Jun 2022

I loved the the car was a hybrid and averaged 50mpg on the highway.

10.0

Excellent|Mar 2022

It was great. Great staff and great car. It all worked perfectly smooth

8.0

Excellent|Jan 2022

Wurde gut bedient

1 out of 135

7.7

Good

376 reviews•11 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

6.0

Good|Jul 2020

The car was good.

One of the staff members' masks was below their nose almost the entire time. They gave the car to me empty on gas. The tire air pressure was also low so I had to go pay to fix that, even though I've never done it before since I don't own a car and hence why I was renting one. I spent extra money doing that since I didn't know what I was doing and needed to try multiple times. They also charged me for 8 days of tax and insurance rather than the 7 that I had booked.

10.0

Excellent|Sep 2022

Both pickup on Turk and dropoff on Santa Monica Blvd were extremely efficient and friendly. Car was a great deal. No complaints!

8.0

Excellent|Aug 2022

Car wasn’t really clean but they remedied it when I mentioned it. Rental car prices have really gone up, which is a big problem. Staff s at both ends were really helpful and knowledgeable and nice.

10.0

Excellent|Jul 2022

Norman did a great job when I picked up my car at San Francisco. He has great customer care skills. Wonderful experience!

10.0

Excellent|Jun 2022

The Van was perfect for 6 people plus luggage. Easy to drive, too, despite its size. Picking it up and dropping it off at SFO couldn’t have been easier.

4.0

Okay|Jun 2022

Pick up was fantastic and fast l. excellent service and car was great. Tried to extend the booking and after 4 calls over two days still could not get it sorted . Their service for any changes is a disaster. Great cars and sanfran team were awesome just don’t need any assistance from corporate customer service as it appears they are incapable of even the most basic assistance

10.0

Excellent|May 2022

Great check in process and Tony was great at drop off

1 out of 126

7.3

Good

123 reviews•5 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Excellent|May 2022

Khalid the manager was so helpful and friendly!

2.0

Mediocre|Apr 2022

I prepaid for the rental and was charged an additional $25 after returning the vehicle.

7.6

Good|Sep 2020

the staff, process, car was great

price, fuel level wasn't totally full

10.0

Excellent|Oct 2022

Staff was easy to work with, process was simple and streamlined, lines were much shorter than other car rentals, and the price was less. The car itself was perfect for our needs and in great condition, nearly new

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

We rented a small SUV from Sixt. I walked around the car at the beginning of the rental, and didn't see any damage. During our trip we barely used it, parked it at a private home, and in a big uncrowded lot at a conference, and returned it at 4:45am - no attendant was there. I then get an email from Sixt saying that we damaged the car!!! We had no accident, no curb hit, nothing that would even slightly damage the car. I can't believe a car rental agency this big would try something like that. Total B.S. - Avoid Sixt. They are good in Europe (we've rented from them a number of times there, but the U.S. is different).

10.0

Excellent|Aug 2022

Service was excellent at the front desk (both gals). Car was more than expected and value was pretty good.

2.0

Mediocre|Aug 2022

Avoid this place. The car they gave me had pot smokers in it and it was too much. I didn't take the car and got a different one. Then they tried to charge me for a scratch on it. I never had the car!!!!! It took me 2 hours on the phone to resolve. No apologies. Nothing for wasting my and the military time as I was on orders. If it pops up in DTS- don't select. Choose alternate.

10.0

Excellent|Aug 2022

Caleb K gave fantastic customer service at the SFO Sixt counter This is my third time renting with them and I will be back!!!!!

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

The pick up process was beyond frustrating. There were three agents at the desk, but I still sat in line for over 45 minutes! I acknowledge that some guests have credit card issues, but the wait is inexcusable. They had a Manager in the back office who came out to assist people who had already gotten their car and came back with issues. When those issues were corrected, she should have helped. She had the audacity of thanking us for our patience. I don’t want nor need your appreciation. I want to get my car and leave. . When I finally arrived at the desk, I immediately gave the clerk my license and credit card and had pre-selected the insurance. I though that this would speed up the process. It did not. I had to again go through the conversation of getting the insurance or not. I had to TAKE A PICTURE IN CASE I DID NOT RETURN THE CAR AND NEEDED TO BE IDENTIFIED?!?! You have my credit card, home address and driver's license!! What more do you need ? My DNA? I spent 20 min with her alone! Finally, when attempting to locate the car, no one was there to help us. We had to walk through the aisles of cars trying to find ours by license plate number. If you don't say "pick from this row", you need to have someone there to assist. What should have been a 30 min process in total, turned into over an hour! I made the mistake of trying to help a lesser known agency. I will not make that mistake again and will tell anyone who listens to NEVER rent from SIXT

1 out of 41

6.1

Good

209 reviews•6 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

4.0

Okay|Oct 2022

pick off was good, but we were told to buy the gas because we will need a tank to come 200 km, costs 106€……than we asked if we can return car whenever we want within the 24h by a one day rental, answer yes its a 24 h rate. we arrived at our destination, phoned the return point just to be sure….she told us about several extra costs when we not return the same evenig! so i think it’s expensive at budget and uncommon thanks a lot

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

we were given a huge van for 12 person. Was not what we rented .(we rented for 6 person) The front desk at San Francisco airport was extremely slow . Only one person attending . We had to wait 90 minute ,4am in te morning ! Next day we went to Oakland airport to change the originally category of car we rented . They gave us a model General Motors that did not have the chip to navégate . We decided to take it because we had meeting to attend and we have no more time to deal with this issue . Very disappointed with the car . The mirror ( retrovisores ) did not work properly . Was difficult to see the cars on the side . We call during the day to eliminate some charges like insurance . Hope they will respect this aspect . Also we wanted to be charge only the tolls used , not the fee of 250 dollars they charge us . Hope you can answer to our bad experience we had to with renting wit budget . And we are charge what correspond . Sorry about my written English . Sincerely Isabella

10.0

Excellent|Sep 2022

Although a Long line, another associate would ask if you were pre-registered and sent customers to a shorter line that helped move the line along quicker. Wasn’t able to get car we wanted but gave us a better model that worked out great!

4.0

Okay|Sep 2022

I liked the dropping off. Easy. I just didn't like when i made the reservation, it told me a price including the insurance, until i went to pick up it added way more to it.

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

When you are a tourist and don’t speak very well English, Budget is trying to add you all additional fees as possible, upgraded car, full gaz for 200% more expensive than usual one.. and employees at the drop in laugh with other colleague when they sell incredible feed in front of you… Budget is an awful company , we have rented the car for 1 day … and cost us almost 400$ for San fransisco - Los Angeles …

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

The vehicle had two front tires worn down to the steel belts and we began to lose air in the driver front tire half way through our vacation. They were able to swap out vehicles but it did require us to travel about an hour out of our way to do so. Not impressed with their fleet maintenance.

1 out of 70

4.9

Okay

454 reviews•2 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

I was not able to pick up a rental at Thrifty. The counter was closed (at 10pm) yet my reservation was for 10pm. I was charged for this reservation (through rentalcars.com) even though I could not pick up the car. Shameless. Horrible. I've been emailing with rentalcars.com and they stand by their no refunds etc. But there was no service. Horrible.

4.0

Okay|Mar 2022

Waited over an hour in line at 2:30 on a Thursday at SFO with a reservation to get my rental. Made me late for my meeting. Agent was great

4.0

Okay|Sep 2022

On arrival at SFO we had to queue for 90 minutes to actually get to speak to someone about picking up our pre-booked car, once we got to give our details we were then told we would have to wait 1hour to get the car! As it happens it was only 20 minutes. They were clearly under staffed and the staff that were there were under great pressure.

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

absolutely catastrophic! I NEVER had the car. The company told me that they would not have a car available until 4 hours and that they would call me. I never had a call. I had lost my preservations for my activities that day. It's a shame. To avoid absolutely! And I will not fail to write it everywhere on the net.

10.0

Excellent|Sep 2022

Everything went well after standing in line for an hour.

4.0

Okay|Sep 2022

Car was not ready I have to wait 3 hours

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

Whilst drop off was efficient and simple, pick up took over an hour as counter staff tried to upsell every customer. I was only 3rd in line so I pity those that were 20 places behind me. I did not appreciate the tone of the service agent who was trying to convince me to pre-pay petrol, toll passes (which I did not need despite him telling me I did), insure, car upgrades and extra drivers. It set a poor tone for the experience

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

The car was excellent, no complaints, the staff were friendly and the process was really quite straight forward so perhaps I’m being a bit harsh. But the queue to pick the car up took 2.5hours, which was just ridiculous. The guidance before arriving made it clear we needed to be there at a specific time, so the onus was on us, yet when we did, it took so long to be seen and there clearly wasn’t enough staff on the desks. The main fella organising was really pleasant and had to deal with a number of irate customers who had expected it to take a reasonable amount or time. We saw him again later and he was still doing a great job. In whole, it’s a great service, but they need to sort out staffing.

1 out of 152

4.8

Okay

322 reviews•3 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

8.0

Excellent|Aug 2020

The insurance cost more than the rental

10.0

Excellent|Oct 2022

Easy pick up process, car was clean and in good condition, even easier drop off process. No complaints

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

I had a prepaid reservation. Waited on line for 45 minutes and then was told that it would be 2-3 hours before I would get a car. I waited more than 3 hours. I was also told that they could not call or text me so I had to stay in the waiting area where there were no chairs. There were people everywhere. Elderly people siting on the floor for hours. When a person’s name was called and they went to the desk the people on line thought they were cutting the line. I explained to everyone on the line what was going on. After people waited 45 minutes and found out that they had to wait another 3 hours, some opted to take other transportation. There should have been someone explaining the problems to the people getting on line. They could have taken cancellations and maybe sped up the cars for the people who had no choice but to wait. The whole thing was a nightmare. I don’t fault the clerks for the lack of cars but they could have managed the situation better.

10.0

Excellent|Sep 2022

Great service from Antonio the manager.

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

Front passenger side door would not open from the inside. Had to have someone open it from the outside or roll down the window and reach out to open

2.0

Mediocre|Aug 2022

Total bs when you pick up the car with booking online. They tell you one price and you have to pay way more

6.0

Good|Jul 2022

La voiture qui nous a été donné à San Francisco, ne correspondait absolument à la catégorie réservé… Par contre le prix lui est resté. La voiture a eu des problèmes mécaniques et nous a été changée en cours de voyage. Le service client a été excellent pour le changement et la nouvelle voiture correspondait à la catégorie. Je me sent que floué sur la moitié de la location.

1 out of 108

4.6

Okay

222 reviews•12 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

5.6

Okay|Aug 2020

Car was fine.

So you sent me the address of where to pick up the car and when I got there everything was boarded up. I had to find another hertz car rental place walk 2 miles to it.

9.2

Excellent|Jul 2020

Everything went well

A bit expensive

2.0

Mediocre|Sep 2022

I didnt event use the rental service and the card payment was proceede. I claimed this few days ago and still havent got back any feedback

6.0

Good|Aug 2022

Arrived for my 11am pickup at about 10:40. Got on line and saw an agent, but wasn't able to get into a car till almost 11:30; said they were still cleaning the car. Was offered an upgrade, but when I asked if it was free they said, no. After waiting until about 11:25 I picked up the car, then change oil light came on. Returned the car, and a really nice attendant said they just had to reset the light. 5 minutes later I'm back in the car, but the oil change light comes back on again. Once again I returned the car. They were very accommodating, and gave me a different car this time. Unfortunately, all this cause a later start on my road trip. I didn't start driving away until about 12:20 or so.

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

The car's AC was barely functional.

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

Hertz overcharged $100 for fuel and we returned the car the same amount it was, we didn't get any receipt and communicating with an agent via phone has been horrible, still no answers. Very bad experience with Hertz.

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

The car pick up location was closed. When I went to pick up my car the center was closed

4.0

Okay|Jun 2022

Our rental was extremely overpriced at $850 for 4 days. The drop off process at the Venetian Las Vegas was terrible. No communication or instruction was provided. Luckily we found a security member who knew level 10 was the drop off area. There was a sign that advised to drop off the keys at the counter, but no instruction as to where the counter was in the giant hotel. Eventually we found the desk with the help of hotel staff, it was unattended. There was a sign that advised to drop the keys in a box on level 10. Are you kidding me! 15 min walk back to level 10 with the kids & luggage to find a non descript grey box. Hopefully it was the correct one.

1 out of 74

Hertz Locations in San Francisco

1398 Bryant St

+1 415 934 0529

177 S Airport Blvd. South

No phone number provided

325 Mason Street

+1 415 771 2200

335 Powell St

+1 415 362 2780

364 O'farrell Street

+1 415 264 2441

3911 Alemany Blvd Suite 1003

+1 650 994 1192

3928 Geary Blvd.

+1 415 387 0136

500 Beach St #121

+1 415 674 8330

780 Mcdonnell Road

+1 650 624 6600

780 Mission Street

+1 415 957 9425

840 Ellis Street

+1 415 923 1119

950 Mason St

+1 415 398 3944

5.4

Okay

73 reviews•6 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

4.0

Okay|Aug 2022

Cranky staff…. Customer service in fixing an issue was non existent

8.0

Excellent|Aug 2022

Good experience. Need to be careful as Tenderloin neighborhood is not the safest one.

2.0

Mediocre|Aug 2022

Got to the address where I was supposed to pick the car up. It was the correct address of the booking, but they said I would have to go to another place entirely as the booking was held at a different unit. Got to the other unit and the staff weren't overly helpful or friendly. Using their mobile phones behind the counter while I was trying to collect my booking. I did get given an upgrade as they didn't have available the car that I had booked, which was good. However my card was also charged a sum of $250 which stayed on my account for a while before disappearing, which worried me that they then had charged me for the upgrade. I had already paid in full in advance. Then on return there was a change to our flights. It meant we would need to leave the car back a little earlier (not later). Still at the reasonable time of 9.30-9.40 am indtead of 12 noon. For doing this and taking the car a shorter time I was charged $154 fine. A number that feels completely picked out of the sky, and just preying on people. Considering how unreliable airlines have been following the pandemic with the ability to stick to airline schedules, I find this fine particularly disgusting. All it serves to do is give the company MORE time to have the car ready for the next person, as usually there is a problem that they don't have the car/car type you ordered. It wasn't my first disappointing car hire experience, and I'm sure it won't be my last. Overall, the best thing about it was that the cost still was at what I'd consider a good level (for the initial booking, I in no way am referring to the extortionate fine). Would not use Avis again on principle, even if other companies would do the same thing. I just don't think they deserve anymore of my money.

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

It took 3 hours to pick up the car 😩. And then the car I reserved was not available. The agent was great - but things are clearly broken at Avis.

2.0

Mediocre|Jul 2022

2 hrs queuing at the airport for the car. Walk down to the car and find someone else sitting in the car - it had been double allocated. Get another car - more time wasted. Notice an electric fault after a couple of days. Have to go and excahnge for another car. Then looked on AVIS website and notice I've been given a smaller car than the one I ordered (so many different models of SUV in the USA had no idea which was small/standard size until I checked online). Call customer service and get sent to a site 20/30miles away only to be told when we arrived they only gets cars once they've been ordered - no spare stock. Have to drive another 30miles to an airport location to finally pickup the car size I had paid for! Towards the end of the rental, the 'Requires Service' light came on, then while in Yosemite the 'low engine oil' light came on - had to find a service station to top up the engine oil!

10.0

Excellent|Jul 2022

the check in and check out were a breeze. i wish the smudges on the console buttons and windows were wiped down, but it was otherwise clean.

1 out of 25

Car Rental FAQs

What is the cheapest rental car found in San Francisco?

In the past two weeks, Cheapflights users have found many deals under 2,239,936 ₫/day when booking a rental car in San Francisco. The best deal a user found was for 1,136,781 ₫/day from Thrifty, booked on Oct. 2.

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

Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, National (9.0 rating), Alamo (8.6 rating) and Enterprise (8.2 rating) seem to be the best rental car companies in San Francisco.

What are gas prices like in San Francisco?

The average gas price in San Francisco is 33,174 ₫/liter over the past month, costing you anywhere between 1,492,840 ₫ and 2,156,324 ₫ to fill up a car’s gas tank.

How much does it cost to rent a car in San Francisco for a week from Hertz?

From Hertz you can rent a car in San Francisco from about 12,543,198 ₫ per week on average.

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

Generally, for a better deal in San Francisco it’s recommended to book in a timely manner (to save up to 5%). Cheapflights recommends you book around 20 days prior to your pickup date. Booking as early as you can also increases the likelihood that you’ll get the ideal car.

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

Yes, cars are available to be rented out for an entire month in San Francisco.

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

Prices can be as low as 53,756,564 ₫ if you consider booking with Thrifty. That price represents savings of 43% compared to the San Francisco average. The monthly cost of a car rental in San Francisco is on average 53,756,564 ₫ (1,791,886 ₫/day).

How much is a car rental in San Francisco for a weekend?

For a weekend car rental in San Francisco, you can expect the average price to be around 0 ₫. Usually a Economy rental in San Francisco is your cheapest weekend car rental option, though you should always check Cheapflights to see if there are other deals on alternative car rental types. If you do opt for renting a Economy for November, it will cost approximately 1,981,862 ₫ per day.