Car hire in Santa Barbara, United States

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Choose from 14 pick-up spots

Find cheap car hire in Santa Barbara

These are the lowest Santa Barbara car hire prices we found over the next 30 days and are subject to change.

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There are 14 car hire providers in Santa Barbara. Check out the map below to find the most convenient pick-up spot.

The most popular car rental companies in Santa Barbara

Hiring a car in Santa Barbara: Fast facts

Here's everything you need to know to hit the road happy.
Most popular car hire companyAvis
Most popular carIntermediate/Standard, SUV
Average daily price$140
Best time to book1 week before

Frequently asked questions

On average, hiring a car in Santa Barbara will set you back around $140 per day or $488 per week. 
The cheapest car to rent in Santa Barbara is an intermediate SUV. The most popular is Intermediate/Standard, SUV.
The cheapest car hire companies in Santa Barbara are currently Budget and Alamo.
Bagging the best car hire deal depends on when you book  – often, it pays to book your wheels as far in advance as possible. But according to our data, the cheapest month to rent a car in Santa Barbara is currently May.
On average, around $488. But the best price we found for car hire for a week in Santa Barbara is $309.
Based on everything we know about daily prices, the average cost to hire a car in Santa Barbara for a whole month is $5,197. 

But sometimes, you'll get a discount for booking a whole month instead of 3 and a half weeks. So play with your dates to find the best deals!
If you're looking for freedom to explore Santa Barbara, choose a car with unlimited mileage, or look for car hire deals with a ’full to full' fuel policy as opposed to a 'half-full to full' one.

We also clearly highlight car and van hire options in Santa Barbara that have free cancellation
Yes – you can easily find car hire companies that allow you to pick up your car in one place, and then drop it off in another. Just select ‘Return car to a different location’ when you search with us.
Public transport can only get you so far, and could be tricky to navigate with children or luggage. With your own set of wheels, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want. And you'll be able to discover more outside of Santa Barbara.
Most places – Santa Barbara included – allow under 25s to rent a car as long as they provide a valid driver's license and the correct documentation. It may cost slightly more due to a higher insurance excess for young drivers. 
The cheapest price we found for an economy car is $89 per day. The average price per day is around $156.
Of course. Most major car hire companies like Avis, Alamo and Hertz offer baby and child seats as an add-on when you book.
Other travellers rated Dollar as the best overall in terms of experience.
We search the internet for all kinds of vehicle hire deals, including vans. But at the moment, we can't find any van hire in Santa Barbara.