Car hire prices at San Diego Airport

For November 2026 at San Diego Airport, use £37 a day as your benchmark for an Intermediate car, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, booked around a month before your trip. At that lead time, a Compact car such as a Nissan Versa averages £35 a day, while an Economy car such as a Mitsubishi Mirage averages £36. Leave booking until the last 2 weeks and the Intermediate car averages £43 a day, £6 more. Check the price checker for your exact dates before accepting a quote.

At San Diego Airport, an Intermediate car averages £47 a day around 2 weeks before your trip across the year, against £60 around 9 months before, so you need not rush into an early booking. For November 2026 specifically, book an Intermediate car around a month before your trip: the average is £37 a day, against £43 in the last 2 weeks. Across all 395 airports tracked through our sites, 65% of people booking through our sites book within a month of pickup, so booking close to your trip is common rather than unusual.

Budget is cheapest at San Diego Airport for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months, averaging £39 a day from 1,415 prices, but you need a credit card at the desk. Budget scores 79/100 from 38 reviews, so the cheapest company does have enough reviews for a score. National averages £53 a day for an Intermediate car over the same period, from 3,904 prices, and scores 99/100 from 268 reviews. National also accepts debit cards, making it worth comparing if your card rules out Budget.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Choose National at San Diego Airport if reviews and collection time matter most to you: it leads the eligible companies at 99/100 from 268 reviews, with an average desk wait of 4 minutes. National is not the cheapest: an Intermediate car averages £53 a day over the last 12 months from 3,904 prices, while Budget averages £39 for that class from 1,415 prices. Budget scores 79/100 from 38 reviews and averages a 12-minute desk wait, so weigh National's £14 more a day against those differences. Avis does not yet have enough reviews for a score.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At San Diego Airport, deposits range from £0 with Europcar to £227 with Avis, but only 4 of the 10 companies accept debit cards without restricting them to some cars. Another 3 companies accept debit cards for some cars only, while 3 require a credit card, so filter for a debit card before you compare prices. Check the deposit and card rule shown beside your chosen car rather than assuming a company's rule covers every vehicle. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

At San Diego Airport, check card eligibility and allow time for collection, because a debit-card restriction or desk queue can delay the start of your driving. Budget, Avis and Europcar require a credit card; Hertz, Dollar and Sixt accept debit cards for some cars only, so check your chosen vehicle before booking. Dollar averages a 24-minute desk wait and Thrifty 21 minutes, so leave room before your first appointment. If collection time matters more to you, compare National's average wait of 4 minutes.

Only 52% of prices at San Diego Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

San Diego Airport's Compact cars, such as a Nissan Versa, cost £35 a day on average for November 2026 around a month before your trip and suit 3 people with 3 bags. A Compact seats 5 but takes 3 bags, so filling every seat means sharing that luggage allowance. At the same booking time, an Economy car such as a Mitsubishi Mirage costs £36 a day and takes 2 bags, while an Intermediate car such as a Volkswagen Jetta costs £37 and takes 4 bags. Over the last 12 months, 100% of cars offered are automatic, so compare those prices directly rather than looking for a cheaper manual option. Electric and hybrid cars are not among those offered, so plan on a conventional-fuel car.