At Azores Santa Maria Airport, a Compact runs $74 to $93 a day across the year, and where you land depends almost entirely on when you book.
Book late and $74 is yours; book nine months out and the same car is $93 — 26% more. From 4,202 Azores Santa Maria Airport prices since 2023.
About $518–651 for the week.
7-day Saturday hire, priced for a UK renter. From 4,202 prices in the Car Rental Price Index archive since 2023. Prices shown in USD, converted from pounds at the rate of 1 October 2026.
Also searched as Santa Maria Airport and SMA.
Booking early is 26% more expensive at Azores Santa Maria Airport. Across the 395 airports we track, half of our customers book within 16 days of pickup.
9 MONTHS $93 · 6 MONTHS $90 · 3 MONTHS $83 · 1 MONTH $83 · 2 WEEKS $74ALL MONTHS
Every figure on this page is a median. Give us your dates and we will price them live right now, then say whether the quote you are holding is a fair one.
TAP A MONTH TO SHOW ITS PRICES · GREEN CHEAPER · RED MORE EXPENSIVE
August is the most expensive month at Azores Santa Maria Airport, 169% above January. You are viewing November 2026.
CHEAPEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE MONTH
The figures above are medians across a whole month at Azores Santa Maria Airport. Tell us when you are actually travelling and we will price those exact dates live right now — then say how what you are offered compares with everything measured here.
For November 2026, booked around a month before your trip, a Compact car such as a Ford Focus averages $77 a day at Azores Santa Maria Airport, giving you a benchmark for your quote. A Mini car such as a Hyundai i10 averages $53 a day, while an Economy car such as a Renault Clio averages $62 a day. Compare your quote with the price checker for your exact dates before choosing.
Booking timing barely changes prices at Azores Santa Maria Airport: across the year, a Compact car averages $83 a day around a month before your trip and $74 in the last 2 weeks. Across the year, a Compact car averages $93 a day around 9 months before your trip, so booking earlier has not meant a lower price on average. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of our customers booked within a month of pickup. With your dates fixed, compare available cars now rather than waiting solely for a price drop.
Ilha Verde is the cheapest company at Azores Santa Maria Airport for a Compact car, averaging $85 a day over the last 12 months, so start your price comparison there. Ilha Verde has an airport desk, accepts debit cards and scores 85/100 from 152 reviews. Sixt averages $98 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months and scores 82/100 from 655 reviews, but holds a $565 deposit compared with Ilha Verde's $1,694. If keeping more money available on your card matters, compare those deposits before choosing Ilha Verde's lower daily price.
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.
At Azores Santa Maria Airport, Ilha Verde shares the highest review score of 85/100, from 152 reviews, and averages a 21-minute desk wait, making it worth comparing on both reviews and price. Europcar also scores 85/100, from 1,736 reviews, and averages a 23-minute wait, so the score alone does not separate them. Ilha Verde is also the cheapest for a Compact car over the last 12 months at $85 a day, compared with Europcar at $89 a day. Choose between them using the card terms as well: Ilha Verde accepts debit cards, while Europcar requires a credit card.
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 Azores Santa Maria Airport, deposits range from $565 with Sixt to $1,806 with Europcar, and only 1 of the 3 companies accepts a debit card, so check your card before choosing. Ilha Verde accepts debit cards and holds a $1,694 deposit; Europcar and Sixt require credit cards. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices if that is the card you intend to use, then check the deposit and card rule beside each car. Extras charged at the desk, such as a child seat or an additional driver, are listed under each car with their prices.
If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.
At Azores Santa Maria Airport, check the deposit and card requirement before choosing your car, because a lower daily price can still tie up more of your available balance. Ilha Verde holds $1,694, while Sixt holds $565, so compare the hold as well as the hire charge. Europcar and Sixt require a credit card; choose Ilha Verde if you need to use a debit card. Allow time at pickup rather than scheduling an immediate departure: desk waits average 21 minutes with Ilha Verde, 23 minutes with Europcar and 18 minutes with Sixt.
Fuel is full tank out, full tank back on 100% of prices at Azores Santa Maria Airport, so there is no fuel charge to be surprised by.
At Azores Santa Maria Airport, choose a Compact car such as a Ford Focus for a small family, but filter first if you need an automatic: only 27% of cars offered are automatic. A Compact car seats 5 but takes 3 bags; a couple can step down to a Mini such as a Hyundai i10, which seats 4 but takes only 2 bags. For more luggage, choose an Intermediate such as a Hyundai Kauai, which seats 5 but takes 4 bags. Across prices recorded to date, an automatic Compact car costs $91 a day on average against $82 for a manual Compact car, so budget $9 more a day for the automatic. Electric and hybrid cars are not offered, so do not plan your hire around one.
Everything above is what a fair price looks like at Azores Santa Maria Airport, measured over time. The check prices the exact days you are travelling, live right now, and shows what is actually available from the companies listed below.
| MONTH | MINI | ECONOMY | COMPACT | INTERMEDIATE | 7+ SEATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAN | $44 | $50 | $67 | $97 | $111 |
| FEB | $34 | $52 | $69 | $95 | $108 |
| MAR | $36 | $53 | $71 | $95 | $111 |
| APR | $57 | $77 | $95 | $103 | $147 |
| MAY | $67 | $86 | $103 | $124 | $164 |
| JUN | $103 | $114 | $136 | $173 | $190 |
| JUL | $103 | $120 | $156 | $194 | $242 |
| AUG | $112 | $131 | $180 | $213 | $271 |
| SEP | $97 | $115 | $128 | $163 | $193 |
| OCT | $61 | $82 | $91 | $115 | $148 |
| NOV | $53 | $62 | $77 | $97 | $115 |
| DEC | $49 | $53 | $67 | $95 | $112 |
| COMPANY | A DAY | REVIEW SCORE | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ilha Verde | $85 | IN TERMINAL | 85 |
 Europcar | $89 | IN TERMINAL | 85 |
 Sixt | $98 | IN TERMINAL | 82 |
Typical rental car prices are medians of quoted prices for a 7-day Saturday pickup, priced for a UK renter, seen at Azores Santa Maria Airport since November 2023, one of the 395 airports we track car rental prices for: 4,202 prices in all, 1,636 in the last 12 months. November figures are for pickups in November 2026 at the lead time stated. Supplier prices are Compact class over the last 12 months, from the 3 companies with at least 30 prices; review scores are CarTrawler customer reviews from the last five months. Booking figures are from 24,946 bookings made through our airport sites, across the 395 airports we track car rental prices for since January 2024. Most real hires are 5 to 6 days, so short hires cost more per day than the 7-day figures on this page. Prices are what was on offer, not what anyone paid. Batch of 2 October 2026. Prices shown in USD, converted from pounds at the rate of 1 October 2026.
Today's cheapest Compact at Azores Santa Maria Airport for a week from 14 November 2026: £16 a day at SIXT · 23 cars on offer across every class.
LIVE PRICES AT 05:04 UTC 18 OCTOBER 2026 · UK RENTER
Every month since November 2023, across 395 airports. Tell us your quote and we'll say whether it is fair.