Cheap car hire in Santa Barbara, United States

Use the same magic that powers our flight search to find cheap car rental in Santa Barbara

Compare car hire on price, ease of pick-up, a fair fuel policy and more

Find Santa Barbara car rental deals you can amend or cancel if your plans change

Select your Santa Barbara pick-up location

There are 12 car hire locations in Santa Barbara. Choose the cheapest or easiest now.

The most popular car rental companies in Santa Barbara

Choose from the best car hire 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 companyDollar
Most popular carIntermediate/Standard, 4-5 doors
Average daily price92 €
Best time to book2 weeks before

Frequently asked questions

On average, hiring a car in Santa Barbara will set you back around 92 € per day or 367 € per week. 
The cheapest car hire company in Santa Barbara is currently Dollar, followed by Thrifty.
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 April.
On average, around 367 €. But the best price we found for car hire for a week in Santa Barbara is 172 €.
Based on everything we know about daily prices, the average cost to hire a car in Santa Barbara for a whole month is 1.623 €. 

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 39 € per day. The average price per day is around 87 €.
Of course. Most major car hire companies like Dollar, Alamo 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.
Yes – van hire is available in Santa Barbara.