While public transport and flight routes make it convenient to travel, nothing beats the experience of hitting the road in a car and exploring the more remote, local, and inevitably picturesque areas.
To assist travelers in planning their road trips on a budget, Radical Storage, a luggage storage service, conducted an analysis of car rental costs across 46 of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. They also researched the average cost of hiring a small car in each destination during the summer and winter months.
Key findings:
- Barcelona, Spain, offers the most affordable car rental prices, with the cost of renting a small car per day being just £21.02.
- In contrast, Innsbruck, Austria, is the most expensive destination for car rentals, with a staggering cost of £150.45 per day.
- Across all destinations, the average price for renting a small car is £50.40 per day, while additional car insurance costs an average of £17.55 per hire.
Where in the world has the most expensive car rentals?
Radical Storage’s analysis revealed that Innsbruck, Austria, holds the title for the most expensive city to rent a car, averaging £150.45 per day for a small car.
Following closely behind is Seoul in South Korea, ranking as the second most expensive city for car rentals at £111.03 per day.
Other top expensive destinations for car rental include Singapore, San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina, and New York City.
The most expensive cities to rent a car
| Rank | City | Country | Cost per day (GBP) |
| 1 | Innsbruck | Austria | £150.45 |
| 2 | Seoul | South Korea | £111.03 |
| 3 | Singapore | Singapore | £81.58 |
| 4 | San Carlos de Bariloche | Argentina | £73.47 |
| 5 | New York City | United States | £71.32 |
Where are the least expensive car rentals?
Barcelona secures the top spot as the cheapest city in the world for renting a small car, with the daily cost being just £21.02. This highlights the significant difference in cost compared to the most expensive city, Innsbruck.
Milan and Cape Town follow as the second and third cheapest cities for car rentals, with daily averages of £24.28 and £24.60 respectively.
The least expensive cities to rent a car
| Rank | City | Country | Cost per day (GBP) |
| 1 | Barcelona | Spain | £21.02 |
| 2 | Milan | Italy | £24.28 |
| 3 | Cape Town | South Africa | £24.60 |
| 4 | Durban | South Africa | £25.43 |
| 5 | Istanbul | Turkey | £26.47 |
Which is cheaper, city pick-ups or airport pick-ups?
The analysis indicated that, on average, it is £11.68 per day cheaper to pick up a rental car from a city branch rather than the airport.
In 86% of cases, renting from the city is more cost-effective, with an average daily saving of £15.09. However, there are exceptions where airport pick-ups may be cheaper, such as in Calama (Chile), Innsbruck (Austria), and San José (Costa Rica).
For detailed insights and further information, you can visit the full study here.