╳
A Comparison of Car Rental Rates in the USA - Summer 2026
June 8, 2026
Anchorage, Alaska is the most expensive destination in the United States for renting a car this summer, according to a survey by Cheapcarrental.com.
The survey compared rental car rates at 100 U.S. airports during the period from June to August 2026. With an average rate of $182 per day for the most affordable rental car, Anchorage emerged top of the rankings.
Second most expensive is Montana's Bozeman Yellowstone airport at $164 per day, while Albany, NY completes the podium with a daily rate of $146 for the least expensive car.
On average, across all 100 airports considered in the survey, the average daily rental rate is $82.90 – an increase of more than 13% compared to 2025. By far the biggest rate increase is recorded at Washington DC's Ronald Reagan airport, where rates have more than doubled compared to last year.
The least expensive destinations to rent a car this summer are Tampa and Jacksonville, at an average of only $45 per day. Also at the cheaper end of the spectrum are other Floridian destinations – unsurprisingly as the summer months represent low season for the Sunshine State.
The following table compares car rental rates in 100 destinations across the U.S. this summer. Prices shown reflect average rates for the most affordable rental car for the period June 1- August 31, 2026.
About the Methodology
Rates were established in late May 2026, based on the CarTrawler comparison technology. For each destination, the leading 10 car rental companies located at the airport terminal or the airport’s official rental center were identified. Rates include all taxes and fees.
Press Contact:
Charlotte Smith: charlotte@cheapcarrental.com
Anchorage, Alaska is the most expensive destination in the United States for renting a car this summer, according to a survey by Cheapcarrental.com.
The survey compared rental car rates at 100 U.S. airports during the period from June to August 2026. With an average rate of $182 per day for the most affordable rental car, Anchorage emerged top of the rankings.
Second most expensive is Montana's Bozeman Yellowstone airport at $164 per day, while Albany, NY completes the podium with a daily rate of $146 for the least expensive car.
On average, across all 100 airports considered in the survey, the average daily rental rate is $82.90 – an increase of more than 13% compared to 2025. By far the biggest rate increase is recorded at Washington DC's Ronald Reagan airport, where rates have more than doubled compared to last year.
The least expensive destinations to rent a car this summer are Tampa and Jacksonville, at an average of only $45 per day. Also at the cheaper end of the spectrum are other Floridian destinations – unsurprisingly as the summer months represent low season for the Sunshine State.
The following table compares car rental rates in 100 destinations across the U.S. this summer. Prices shown reflect average rates for the most affordable rental car for the period June 1- August 31, 2026.
- 1. Anchorage (ANC) $182
- 2. Bozeman (BZN) $164
- 3. Albany (ALB) $146
- 4. Portland (PWM) $138
- 5. Boston (BOS) $136
- 6. New York City (LGA) $115
- 7. Minneapolis (MSP) $113
- 8. Spokane (GEG) $110
- 8. Providence (PVD) $110
- 10. Madison (MSN) $108
- 10. Grand Rapids (GRR) $108
- 10. Hartford (BDL) $108
- 13. Newark (EWR) $106
- 13. Detroit (DTW) $106
- 15. New York City (JFK) $104
- 15. Chicago (MDW) $104
- 15. Chicago (ORD) $104
- 18. Buffalo (BUF) $103
- 19. Seattle (SEA) $102
- 19. Washington (DCA) $102
- 21. Baltimore (BWI) $101
- 22. San Francisco (SFO) $98
- 22. Lihue (LIH) $98
- 22. Burbank (BUR) $98
- 25. Washington (IAD) $97
- 26. Rochester (ROC) $94
- 26. San Jose (SJC) $94
- 28. Reno (RNO) $93
- 29. Syracuse (SYR) $92
- 29. Louisville (SDF) $92
- 31. Ontario (ONT) $90
- 31. Los Angeles (LAX) $90
- 33. Philadelphia (PHL) $89
- 33. Cincinnati (CVG) $89
- 33. Boise (BOI) $89
- 36. Kansas City (MCI) $88
- 37. Cleveland (CLE) $87
- 37. Pittsburgh (PIT) $87
- 37. Wichita (ICT) $87
- 40. Richmond (RIC) $86
- 40. Milwaukee (MKE) $86
- 40. Oklahoma City (OKC) $86
- 40. Norfolk (ORF) $86
- 44. Portland (PDX) $85
- 45. St. Louis (STL) $84
- 46. Nashville (BNA) $82
- 47. Dallas (DAL) $81
- 47. Colorado Springs (COS) $81
- 49. Myrtle Beach (MYR) $80
- 49. Des Moines (DSM) $80
- 49. Oakland (OAK) $80
- 52. Charleston (CHS) $79
- 52. Long Beach (LGB) $79
- 52. Columbus (CMH) $79
- 55. Knoxville (TYS) $78
- 56. St. Petersburg (PIE) $77
- 56. Santa Ana (SNA) $77
- 58. Denver (DEN) $76
- 58. Little Rock (LIT) $76
- 60. Honolulu (HNL) $75
- 60. Dallas (DFW) $75
- 60. Indianapolis (IND) $75
- 63. Savannah (SAV) $73
- 63. Memphis (MEM) $73
- 65. Palm Springs (PSP) $70
- 65. Omaha (OMA) $70
- 67. Salt Lake City (SLC) $69
- 67. San Diego (SAN) $69
- 69. Houston (HOU) $67
- 69. Las Vegas (LAS) $67
- 71. Charlotte (CLT) $66
- 72. Atlanta (ATL) $65
- 73. Houston (IAH) $64
- 74. Kahului (OGG) $63
- 75. Pensacola (PNS) $62
- 75. Tucson (TUS) $62
- 75. Raleigh (RDU) $62
- 75. Tulsa (TUL) $62
- 79. New Orleans (MSY) $60
- 79. Greenville (GSP) $60
- 81. Albuquerque (ABQ) $59
- 81. Orlando (MCO) $59
- 83. Kona (KOA) $58
- 83. Austin (AUS) $58
- 85. San Antonio (SAT) $56
- 86. Phoenix (PHX) $55
- 86. Fayetteville (FAY) $55
- 88. Sanford (SFB) $54
- 89. Fresno (FAT) $53
- 90. San Juan (SJU) $52
- 91. El Paso (ELP) $51
- 91. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) $51
- 91. Sarasota (SRQ) $51
- 94. Birmingham (BHM) $50
- 94. Palm Beach (PBI) $50
- 96. Sacramento (SMF) $48
- 96. Miami (MIA) $48
- 98. Fort Myers (RSW) $46
- 99. Tampa (TPA) $45
- 99. Jacksonville (JAX) $45
About the Methodology
Rates were established in late May 2026, based on the CarTrawler comparison technology. For each destination, the leading 10 car rental companies located at the airport terminal or the airport’s official rental center were identified. Rates include all taxes and fees.
Press Contact:
Charlotte Smith: charlotte@cheapcarrental.com