Car rental prices at Chicago O'hare Airport

A good price at Chicago O'Hare Airport in October 2026 is around $59 a day for an Intermediate car like the Volkswagen Jetta, when booked about a month ahead. A Compact car such as the Nissan Versa is about $55 a day, while an Economy car is $54. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks drops the Intermediate to $55. Across the year, prices swing between $63 a day for an Economy in October 2026 and $113 for a higher-spec class in August 2027, so check our price checker for your exact dates.

At Chicago O'Hare Airport, booking late saves about 26%, with typical Intermediate rates dropping from $85 a day 9 months before pickup to $69 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026 specifically, waiting until the last 2 weeks brings an Intermediate car down to $55 a day from $59 a month before pickup. If you have not booked yet, you have missed nothing. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for on our sites, 48% of people book within 14 days of travel.

Budget is the cheapest company at Chicago O'Hare Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $61 a day over the last 12 months from 1,870 prices. Budget operates directly at the airport, but you must pay by credit card and wait an average of 18 minutes at the desk. Thrifty is $1 more a day at $62 and accepts debit cards. Sixt averages $75 a day but scores only 17 reviews, whereas Budget holds an overall score of 82/100.

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.

Budget is the best-reviewed qualifying company at Chicago O'Hare Airport, scoring 82/100 from 42 reviews with an average desk wait of 18 minutes. Budget is also the cheapest supplier on offer, averaging $61 a day for an Intermediate car. Competitors with more reviews, such as National with 84 reviews and Alamo with 80, average longer waits of 34 and 25 minutes respectively while costing more. Other suppliers, including Hertz and Thrifty, do 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 Chicago O'Hare Airport, deposits range from $0 to $299, and 4 of the 10 desks take a debit card for any rental. Another 3 desks take a debit card for some cars only, while 3 desks refuse them entirely and require a credit card. Avis holds the highest typical deposit at $299, while Budget and Sixt each hold $200. Filter for a debit card on the results page before comparing prices so you see only matching cars, and check the extras listed beneath each car.

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

Long desk queues and strict card rules catch people out at Chicago O'Hare Airport, where all 10 desks sit on-site but desk waits stretch up to 34 minutes. National averages 34 minutes and Sixt takes 30 minutes, so arriving alongside busy flight banks can cost you half an hour before you reach the motorway. Another catch is payment: 3 of the 10 desks refuse debit cards completely, and another 3 take them for some cars only. You can easily spend longer clearing the terminal desk than clearing the exit booths.

Only 51% of prices at Chicago O'hare 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 runs around $59 a day for October 2026 at Chicago O'Hare Airport, giving a party of 5 room for luggage. It seats 5 passengers and holds 4 bags, which gives you the boot space and highway comfort you need once you leave the city. A Compact car like the Nissan Versa costs $55 a day but fits only 3 bags, while stepping up to a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu costs $73 for 6 seats. Every car offered is an automatic, while electric and hybrid models are absent from the fleet.