Car Rental in Santa Barbara, United States

On average, hiring a car in Santa Barbara will set you back around $141 per day or $846 per week. 

The cheapest car to rent in Santa Barbara is a compact SUV. The most popular is Compact, SUV.

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 March.

On average, around $846. But the best price we found for car hire for a week in Santa Barbara is $365.

Based on everything we know about daily prices, the average cost to hire a car in Santa Barbara for a whole month is $2,133. 

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 $58 per day. The average price per day is around $124.

Of course. Most major car hire companies like Budget, Avis and Thrifty offer baby and child seats as an add-on when you book.

Other travellers rated Dollar as the best overall in terms of experience.