Car rental prices at Oakland Airport

Oakland Airport car hire starts around $54 a day for a Compact car like a Nissan Versa for October 2026 when booked around a month ahead, with an Economy at $53 and an Intermediate at $59. Leaving it to the last 2 weeks drops the Compact to $51 a day. Across the year, prices reach their highest in July 2027 at $105 a day for a Fullsize car and drop to $58 in November 2026 for an Economy car. If your quote is higher, the price checker will show the going rates for your exact dates.

Waiting pays off at Oakland Airport, where booking late saves about 31% as rates fall from $82 a day 9 months before your trip to $62 2 weeks before pickup. For October 2026, an Intermediate car like a Volkswagen Jetta drops from $59 a day booked a month before pickup to $54 in the last 2 weeks. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed anything. 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 Oakland Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $55 a day over the last 12 months from 1,857 prices, but you must pay with a credit card. Budget scores 82/100 from 39 reviews, with an average desk wait of 15 minutes. Alamo charges $66 a day from 3,100 prices and scores 91/100 from 76 reviews. Europcar, Enterprise, Avis and Thrifty all follow Budget at $57 a day.

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 Oakland Airport, scoring 92/100 from 88 reviews with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. Alamo is close behind with a score of 91/100 from 76 reviews and a 23-minute desk wait. Budget is the cheapest supplier at $55 a day but scores lower at 82/100 from 39 reviews. National averages $69 a day over the last 12 months from 4,100 prices, while Alamo costs $66 a day.

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

Deposits held on your card at Oakland Airport range from $200 with Budget to $299 with Avis, and only 1 of the 8 desks accepts a debit card without restrictions. Five companies require a credit card and two take a debit card for certain cars only. The deposit and payment terms for each car appear beside it in the results, so filter for a debit card before comparing prices. Any extras charged at the counter are listed under each vehicle.

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

Five of the 8 car hire counters at Oakland Airport refuse debit cards outright, so turning up with the wrong piece of plastic will leave you stranded at the terminal. Only Thrifty accepts a debit card freely, while Hertz and Dollar permit one for certain vehicles only. Desk waits also vary widely: collecting keys from National averages 24 minutes, compared to 14 minutes at Hertz. Bring a credit card in the lead driver's name to avoid being turned away.

Only 49% of prices at Oakland Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

An Intermediate car like a Volkswagen Jetta is $59 a day at Oakland Airport for October 2026, offering the best balance of cabin space and cost. It seats 5 people and holds 3 bags, so a full group with luggage will find the boot tight. A Compact car like a Nissan Versa saves $5 a day at $54 but offers no extra luggage space, while a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu takes 4 bags for $66. Every car offered at this airport is an automatic at no extra cost, while electric cars and hybrids are entirely absent from current quotes.