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San Francisco

Cheap Car Hire in San Francisco from R655

This price is the cheapest per day rate found by a Cheapflights user in the last 48 hours by searching for a car hire in San Francisco with a pick-up date of 24/5 and drop-off date of 31/5. Fares are subject to change and may not be available at all agencies or on all dates of hire. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
Driver's age: 26-65
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What is the cheapest time to rent a car in San Francisco?

Discover the most affordable period to rent a car in San Francisco and save money on your trip. The monthly average price data is based on historical data over the last year and was last updated on 29 April 2025.

January

R800

February

R912

March

R967

April

R1 023

May

R1 098

June

R1 153

July

R1 302

August

R1 228

September

R1 079

October

R1 042

November

R893

December

R1 079

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

Popular car types in San Francisco

Explore the most popular car models available for hire in San Francisco and choose the one that suits your needs. The price data is sourced from various car hire companies and was last updated on 29 April 2025.

There are 39 hire agencies servicing San Francisco. These agencies, altogether, have 96 hire locations available. Need an affordable hire? small car is the cheapest car type to hire in San Francisco with prices from R655 a day in the previous 7-day period. Here are 3 car types you can hire in San Francisco:

Economy

Economy

Compact

Compact

Intermediate

Intermediate

Standard

Standard

Full-size

Full-size

People carrier

People carrier

R1 181+

Full-size SUV

Full-size SUV

R1 309+

Convertible

Convertible

R1 057+

Compare available car types for rental in San Francisco

Compare and contrast the various car types offered for hire in San Francisco to find the perfect fit for your trip. Price data is based on averages over the last 12 months and was last updated on 29 April 2025.

Small cars

R553 - R1 297

All Car Types

R884 - R2 595

To hire a small car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of R796/day. February is the cheapest month to hire a small car in San Francisco, the United States (~R553/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is May (~R1 297/day). In fact, February is about 31% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a small car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, renting a small car saves you 41% 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 small car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a medium car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of R1 246/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a medium car in San Francisco, the United States (~R878/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is July (~R1 805/day). In fact, November is about 30% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a medium car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, renting a medium car saves you 7% 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 medium car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a large car in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of R691/day. December is the cheapest month to hire a large car in San Francisco, the United States (~R353/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is August (~R1 938/day). In fact, December is about 49% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a large car hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, renting a large car saves you 48% 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 hire a SUV in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of R1 257/day. May is the cheapest month to hire a SUV in San Francisco, the United States (~R834/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is July (~R2 661/day). In fact, May is about 34% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a SUV hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, renting a SUV saves you 6% 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 hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To hire a convertible in San Francisco, the United States, you would pay an average price of R1 275/day. November is the cheapest month to hire a convertible in San Francisco, the United States (~R1 202/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is July (~R3 749/day). In fact, November is about 6% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a convertible hire for San Francisco. When comparing with other car types available for hire in San Francisco, renting a convertible saves you 5% 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.

Toyota Corolla QuestR655/day
4
M
A/C
Toyota Corolla Quest
Volkswagen Polo VivoR717/day
2
M
A/C
Volkswagen Polo Vivo
Toyota Corolla QuestR834/day
4
M
A/C
Toyota Corolla Quest

Top rental agencies in San Francisco

Explore the leading car hire agencies in San Francisco known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car hire companies in San Francisco. Reviews were last updated on 29 April 2025.
Browse through some of the top car hire agencies in San Francisco, including Sixt, Budget and Thrifty in San Francisco. Be sure to do your research on pricing, reviews, pickup locations, and other important criteria before choosing.

Sixt

7,6
Good
117 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8,3

Comfort

8,3

Overall

7,6

Pick-up/drop-off

7,5

Value

7,5

Budget

7,4
Good
123 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7,9

Comfort

8,0

Overall

7,4

Pick-up/drop-off

7,5

Value

7,1

Thrifty

5,5
Fair
201 reviews4 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

6,9

Comfort

6,5

Overall

5,5

Pick-up/drop-off

5,5

Value

5,6

Dollar

5,2
Fair
113 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

6,8

Comfort

6,5

Overall

5,2

Pick-up/drop-off

5,4

Value

5,5

Alamo

8,7
Very Good
48 reviews4 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8,9

Comfort

8,8

Overall

8,7

Pick-up/drop-off

8,7

Value

8,3

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8,4
Very Good
52 reviews11 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8,8

Comfort

8,4

Overall

8,4

Pick-up/drop-off

8,3

Value

8,4

Avis

6,7
Okay
51 reviews6 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7,5

Comfort

7,3

Overall

6,6

Pick-up/drop-off

6,7

Value

6,8

Hertz

6,3
Okay
91 reviews8 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7,6

Comfort

7,3

Overall

6,2

Pick-up/drop-off

6,3

Value

6,3

Best San Francisco car hire deals found

Browse through a selection of recently found affordable car hiredeals in San Francisco. Plan your trip with ease and find the perfect rental option for your needs. There are currently 8 hire car agencies in San Francisco with an average daily rate of R836. Data was last updated on 29 April 2025.
Check out some of the very best car hire deals we've found in San Francisco. Double check the details of your car rental reservation before booking to ensure no unwanted surprises.
Toyota Corolla QuestR655/day
4
M
A/C
Toyota Corolla Quest
Volkswagen Polo VivoR717/day
2
M
A/C
Volkswagen Polo Vivo
Ford EcoSportR741/day
4
M
A/C
Ford EcoSport

Car hire FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about car hires in San Francisco, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 29 April 2025.
  • What car hire company is typically the cheapest in San Francisco?

    According to our data, users have found the cheapest deals when booking a car hire in San Francisco from the following companies over the past two weeks: Dollar (R741/day), Avis (R750/day), and Alamo (R834/day).

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

    Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, National (9,1 rating), Alamo (8,7 rating) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8,4 rating) seem to be the best car hire companies in San Francisco.

  • What are petrol prices like in San Francisco?

    The average price of petrol in San Francisco is R21,60/litre over the past month, costing you anywhere between R972 and R1 403 to fill up a car’s fuel tank.

  • How much does it cost to hire a car in San Francisco for a week from Thrifty?

    Thrifty is one of the most popular car hire companies in San Francisco, offering car hire for around R6 904 per week on average.

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

    Booking in advance not only ensures a better chance of getting your vehicle of choice, it can save you up to 29% on your car hire. For a below average price in San Francisco, Cheapflights recommends booking your car hire at least 7 days in advance.

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

    Typically, how long you can hire a car for depends on the inventory of the supplier. For San Francisco however, it is certainly possible to rent a car for an entire month.

  • How much is a car hire in San Francisco for a weekend?

    For a weekend car hire in San Francisco, you can expect the average price to be around R0. Usually a Compact SUV hire in San Francisco is your cheapest weekend car hire option, though you should always check Cheapflights to see if there are other deals on alternative car hire types. If you do opt for hiring a Compact SUV for May, it will cost approximately R0 per day.

  • What car do most people hire in San Francisco?

    The majority of Cheapflights travellers prefer to hire a Full-size (Ford Mustang Convertible) in San Francisco, making it the most popular option.

Car hires by fuel type in San Francisco

Browse car hires by fuel type in San Francisco. Currently, Electric cars are the cheapest to rent in San Francisco. Deals were last updated on 29 April 2025.

Browse through car hire deals by fuel type in San Francisco. There are currently 2 fuel types to choose from with Electric being the cheapest (R40+).

Electric

Electric

Hybrid

Hybrid

Travelling to a place near San Francisco?

Hire a car at San Francisco if you plan to visit one of these locations
South San Francisco
Mountain View
Burlingame
Redwood City
American Canyon

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Airport car hires in San Francisco

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Free Cancellation

Plans change — we get it. And that’s why you can search and book car hire on Cheapflights from agencies that offer free cancellation