Car Hire in Santa Barbara
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Cheapest Car Hire Rates
Santa Barbara Airport
Compact
Ford Focus or comparable
£32.41 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Economy
Chevrolet Spark or comparable
£32.75 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Intermediate SUV
Toyota RAV4 or comparable
£39.68 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Premium Regular Cab Pickup
Ford F-150 or comparable
£40.45 per day
Most Popular Car Hire Deals
Santa Barbara Airport
Full-size
Chevrolet Malibu or comparable
£41.15 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Standard
Volkswagen Jetta or comparable
£42.44 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Luxury
Hyundai Genesis or comparable
£57.19 per day
Santa Barbara Airport
Standard Elite SUV
Audi Q3 or comparable
£49.89 per day
The above prices are only approximate and were last updated at 21:06 on 23/06/2025. Prices may vary based on the booking dates, length of rental, and car class.
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Special offers
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Award-winning
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Highly-rated
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4M users
Have already booked on one of the fastest-growing car rental booking websites.
Travel information
Languages
English, Spanish
Currency
USD
Drive on
Right-hand side
Dialing code
+1
Average car hire price
£42 per day
Average car hire length
6 days
Speed limit within city centre
40 - 48 km/h or 25 - 30 mph
Speed limit out of city centre
88 - 104 km/h or 55 - 65 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.08%
Average petrol price
£0.91 per litre or £3.45 per gallon
Lowest petrol price
£0.85 per litre or £3.20 per gallon
Highest petrol price
£1.07 per litre or £4.04 per gallon
Top 5 cities near Santa Barbara
-
217.6 km / 135.2 miles
-
261.5 km / 162.5 miles
-
421.8 km / 262.1 miles
-
424.2 km / 263.6 miles
-
499.7 km / 310.5 miles
Top 4 locations near Santa Barbara
-
261.5 km / 162.5 miles
-
421.8 km / 262.1 miles
-
424.2 km / 263.6 miles
-
499.7 km / 310.5 miles
Map of Car Hire Destinations
In which month is car hire in Santa Barbara the most affordable?
According to our data, prices for hiring a car in Santa Barbara fluctuate depending on the time of year. This graph displays the average hire prices in each month in order to help you find the best bargain.
Average price for hiring a car per day in Santa Barbara
The best month to hire a car in Santa Barbara is August (when the average price is £33.00 per day). This is 20% less than the yearly average and 47% less than hiring in September (when the average price is £61.79).
This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your car hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for, and how much in advance you book. Simply select your dates in the form at the top of the page to find out the exact prices.
This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your car hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for, and how much in advance you book. Simply select your dates in the form at the top of the page to find out the exact prices.
What's the usual period for which people keep their hire cars, on average, in Santa Barbara?
Car hire lengths vary from month to month: in August, the average hirer keeps their car for 19 days, and in July, they keep their car for 2 days.
Average number of hire days in Santa Barbara
What is the most favoured month for hiring a car in Santa Barbara?
Given the number of searches made by our customers, the most popular month for hiring a car in Santa Barbara is August, and the least popular is July.
Popularity of Car Hire in Santa Barbara by Monthly Searches
Car hire information
| Car hire locations | 3 |
| Airport locations | 1 |
| Popular suppliers | Dollar, Alamo |
| Popular car categories | SUVs, Large cars, Medium cars, Convertibles |
| Lowest price | £32 per day |
| Cheapest supplier | Thrifty |
Most popular car models of suppliers
| Hire Agency | Model | Doors | Luggage | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar | Honda CR-V | 5 | 3 | SUVs |
| Dollar | Mazda CX-5 | 5 | 3 | SUVs |
| Dollar | Honda Civic | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
| Dollar | Jeep Renegade | 4 | 2 | SUVs |
| Dollar | Volkswagen Jetta | 2 | 2 | Large cars |
| Dollar | Volkswagen Jetta | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
| Dollar | Nissan Rogue | 5 | 3 | SUVs |
| Dollar | Ford Focus | 3 | 2 | Medium cars |
| Dollar | Toyota Camry | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
| Alamo | Nissan Rogue | 5 | 3 | SUVs |
Car Hire Statistics
Highest-rated company
Alamo
8.8 / 10
Lowest-rated company
Budget
7.9 / 10
Total rental companies
8
Average daily price
£41.99
Lowest daily price
£32.41
Total cars available
285
Top 8 suppliers in Santa Barbara in 2025
Alamo
1 location
£40 - £124
Enterprise
1 location
£41 - £119
National
1 location
£42 - £131
Thrifty
2 locations
£32 - £62
Dollar
2 locations
£33 - £71
Hertz
2 locations
£33 - £71
Avis
2 locations
£40 - £61
Budget
2 locations
£38 - £150
Awards
World Travel Tech Awards - World's Best Car Rental Booking Website 2023
World Travel Tech Awards - World's Best Car Rental Booking App 2023
Magellan Awards Gold Winner 2023
Travel & Hospitality Awards 2021
FT 1000: Europe's Fastest Growing Companies - Top 300 Companies 2021
FT 1000: Europe's Fastest Growing Companies - Top 100 Companies 2020
Uzakrota Travel Awards - World’s Leading Car Rental Website 2022
Trustpilot - Top 10 Car Hire Agencies
SimilarWeb - Top 50 Car Hire Websites
Our clients highly recommend us
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