Car rental prices at Kona Airport

Kona Airport car hire costs around $53 a day for an Intermediate car such as a Volkswagen Jetta booked about a month before October 2026. An Economy car like the Mitsubishi Mirage costs around $47 a day, while a Compact car such as the Nissan Versa is about $57. In the last 2 weeks before travel, the Compact price drops to $50 a day. Across the year, the cheapest month is November 2026 at $59 a day for an Economy car, and the dearest is April 2027 at $112 for a higher-spec model. Check our price checker for your exact dates.

For Kona Airport, booking late saves about 59%, falling from $97 a day 9 months before your trip to $62 2 weeks before pickup. For travel in October 2026, an Intermediate car costs $53 a day booked about a month before you fly, and $55 in the last 2 weeks. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed out on lower rates. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of pickup.

Budget is the cheapest company at Kona Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $58 a day over the last 12 months from 1,645 prices. Budget operates directly at the airport and scores 79/100 from 58 recent reviews, but it requires a credit card for the deposit. Thrifty and Avis both average $62 a day, though Avis does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Thrifty accepts debit cards for all rentals and holds a shorter average desk wait of 15 minutes.

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.

National is the best-reviewed company at Kona Airport, scoring 92/100 from 279 reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. National is not cheap, averaging $86 a day over the last 12 months from 3,795 prices for an Intermediate car. Enterprise follows closely on reviews with 90/100 from 786 reviews at $70 a day. By contrast, Budget is the cheapest supplier at $58 a day, but scores lower at 79/100 from 58 reviews.

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 Kona Airport, deposits held on payment cards range from $200 with Budget to $299 with Avis, and only 1 of the 9 companies accepts a debit card outright. Another 3 companies take a debit card for some cars only, while 5 desks insist on a credit card. The deposit and card rule for each vehicle appear beside it in the results, so filter for a debit card before comparing options. Any optional extras charged at the desk 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 Kona Airport, debit-card rules, uneven counter queues, and upfront fuel charges cause the most friction. 5 of the 9 desks refuse debit cards completely, so the main driver must bring a credit card. Queues vary widely at the terminal, stretching to 31 minutes at Alamo while Avis averages zero. On an island where driving is slow, spending half an hour in line is a dull way to start.

Only 50% of prices at Kona Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

An Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta is the best-value choice at Kona Airport, costing around $53 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 but holds 3 bags, so larger cases will fill the boot quickly. A smaller Compact like the Nissan Versa costs $57 a day and holds 3 bags, while stepping up to a Fullsize like the Chevrolet Malibu costs $61 and adds space for 4 bags. Automatic cars make up 100% of all vehicles offered, so you will receive an automatic without paying extra.