The Most cost-effective U.S. Cities With Main Airports to Lease Vehicles

Chicago is not typically thought of to have an ultra-high value of residing relative to its coastal, city counterparts. However the Midwestern metropolis is the costliest main metropolis if you must lease a automobile.

That is in accordance with a NerdWallet evaluation carried out in March 2022 of 360 rental automobile costs from eight main automobile rental corporations in the US.

Costs used have been primarily based on the corporate’s lowest-priced rental (usually a sedan) from airports and off-site rental automobile places. These websites have been in areas with the ten largest airports primarily based on enplanements utilizing 2020 Federal Aviation Administration knowledge. Enplanements concern paying passengers who board an plane, together with these boarding one other as a part of a layover.

Which metro space has the most cost effective automobile rental worth?

Listed here are the metro areas with the ten largest U.S. airports by enplanements, ranked by common weekly automobile rental worth from lowest to highest. Costs have been primarily based on each airport places and off-site places.

The three most cost-effective locations to lease a automobile, on common, are Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; and Dallas-Fort Value. In distinction, the three most costly metro areas to lease a automobile are Las Vegas, Phoenix and Chicago.

In Chicago, you may pay on common $671 to lease a automobile for per week, which is about 37% greater than you’d pay to lease a automobile in Charlotte.

What main airport has the most cost effective automobile rental worth?

It is virtually all the time dearer to book a rental car at an airport versus at an off-site car rental location (normally, it is about 20% dearer). And by and huge, the costliest metro areas to lease a automobile additionally host the airports with the very best rental automobile costs.

Listed here are the ten largest U.S. airports by enplanements, ranked by common weekly automobile rental worth from most cost-effective to most costly:

It prices $743 on common to lease a automobile particularly from Chicago-O’Hare Airport, which is even increased than the $671 common worth to lease a automobile in Chicago. In the meantime, at Orlando Airport, the most cost effective main U.S. airport to lease a automobile, common charges are roughly consistent with costs to lease a automobile elsewhere in Orlando.

Story continues

Airport rental automobiles are typically dearer than off-site places for a lot of causes. Many airports tack on rental automobile charges that you simply will not discover when renting a automobile from the identical firm at an off-site location. These embody buyer facility expenses and airport concession charges, which fund bills like airport safety and shuttles to rental automobile amenities. That is on prime of taxes utilized on the state and native ranges.

At Chicago-O’Hare, the 2019 efficient tax fee, together with all taxes and charges, was about 51%, in accordance with a March 2019 report titled “Reforming Rental Automobile Excise Taxes” from the Tax Basis, an unbiased tax coverage nonprofit. In 2022, these figures embody a 5% Illinois state automobile rental tax, a 6% excise tax levied by the town’s Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and one other 9% private property lease transaction tax imposed by the town.

The way to save on rental automobiles

E-book your journey backward: This yr could be the time to e book your rental automobile first reasonably than plan your trip round flight or lodge offers (as is frequent). First, select a metropolis the place you will discover an ideal rental automobile deal, which might probably be Charlotte, Orlando or Dallas-Fort Value. Then, seek for an acceptable mode of transport and the place you may keep.

Say you’ve got settled on Charlotte as a result of its rental automobile charges are so low relative to in every single place else. You’ll be able to travel to Charlotte cheaply on points and miles, and from there, you would possibly take into account a highway journey across the southern U.S.

Select cities the place you possibly can take public transit as a substitute: Positive, rental automobiles are costly in Chicago, however you may not want one anyway. Chicago’s Blue Line ‘L’ practice gives 24-hour practice service that may get you from Chicago-O’Hare Airport to downtown in about 45 minutes, which — relying on the time of day — could be quicker than driving anyway. Fares from O’Hare value $5 (simply $0.75 in the event you’re a scholar).

Seattle-Tacoma Airport is the second-most costly main U.S. airport to lease a automobile from, but it surely’s additionally served by a lightweight rail that may take you on to downtown Seattle in 38 minutes. As well as, by counting on public transportation, you may save on gasoline and parking.

Use journey bank cards and be a part of rental automobile loyalty applications: In the event you should journey to an costly metropolis and wish a rental automobile, at the least take advantage of it. Cost your rental to a journey bank card with rental automobile advantages. The best credit cards for rental cars can provide bonus factors and miles out of your spending, and plenty of include advantages like rental automobile insurance coverage protection, which might typically prevent a whole lot of {dollars}.

And it is virtually all the time a good suggestion to enroll in a rental firm’s loyalty program. Even with out prime tiers of elite standing, these applications could provide member-exclusive charges and different advantages, corresponding to members-only counters that may assist you skip the road. As a result of even if you cannot get monetary savings, at the least you should utilize your purchases to earn rewards — or prevent time.

Extra From NerdWallet

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Electronic mail: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article The Most cost-effective U.S. Cities With Main Airports to Lease Vehicles initially appeared on NerdWallet.