These Are the Most and Least Expensive Places To Rent a Car

If you do a lot of traveling, you know that the cost of renting a car can vary drastically, depending heavily on the supply and demand for vehicles at that time.

And a survey from CheapCarRental.net found there are geographic differences as well.

Car Rental Costs Vary by Location

Comparing the weekly rates across the top 100 airports, the analysis found renters in Anchorage, Alaska can expect to pay $1,451 a week for the cheapest available vehicle. On the other hand, Fort Myers had the least expensive rate, $263 per week.

10 Most Expensive Cities

• Anchorage (ANC): $1,451
• Lihue (LIH): $1065
• Portland (PDX): $965
• Kona (KOA): $948
• Honolulu (HNL): $937
• Kahului (OGG): $895
• Portland (PWM): $840
• Seattle (SEA): $746
• Boise (BOI): $701
• Minneapolis (MSP): $690

10 Least Expensive Cities

• Fort Myers (RSW): $263
• Miami (MIA): $279
• El Paso (ELP): $286
• Tampa (TPA): $293
• San Antonio (SAT): $295
• Memphis (MEM): $302
• Phoenix (AZA): $317
• San Diego (SAN): $317
• Palm Beach (PBI): $317
• Ontario (ONT): $319

These rates are for the least expensive car available in each city, so if you’re looking for a luxury sedan or an SUV, you will likely be paying an even higher price per day.

You can check out the full list on CheapCarRental.net.

How To Get the Best Car Rental Deal

Clark’s tested and proven method for getting the best car rental deal has been to book the vehicle in advance and then re-shop the rate the week before your reservation.

The website AutoSlash.com automates this process and says it’ll take care of the re-booking for you. You can read our full AutoSlash review to learn more about how it works.

Aside from the daily rate of the car, rental companies will try to get you to pay a bunch of extra fees at the counter, but Clark says most of them are junk.

Here are his top three tips:

1. Check with your auto insurer to see if you’re covered for temporarily using a rental car to avoid upcharges. Your credit card may also cover what your insurance doesn’t.
2. Take pictures of the car to note any damage to the vehicle prior to leaving the lot.
3. Before returning the vehicle, always fill up the car’s gas tank yourself because the car rental agency will charge you a premium rate if they have to.