Car rentals in Downtown, Santa Monica

Based on our data, the cost to rent a car in Downtown is $40 per day on average. However, you might be able to find rental car deals as low as $26 per day which is a 65% difference from the highest price per day at $73.

At the moment, Downtown’s cheapest rental car company is Hertz, where users have found prices for as low as $25/day. You may also consider renting from Sixt or Dollar which are also some of the cheapest rental companies in the neighborhood. Users have recently found prices at Sixt for $27/day and $29/day from Dollar.

Consider renting a car from Midway, which is currently the best rental agency in Downtown, according to our users, with 13 reviews and an average rating of 9.9/10.

Although there are plenty of other rental car types to choose from, the most popular type for a trip to Downtown are Intermediate sized cars. 43% of our users chose this rental type and found prices for $64/day on average.

The cheapest neighborhoods to rent a car in Santa Monica are Mid City and Sunset Park. At the moment, Thrifty in Mid City has an average rental price of $26 per day. In Sunset Park you can find a $51 per day average rental price from Budget.

Most people tend to rent a car in Downtown for 9 days which costs, on average, $48 per day. If you plan on renting a car for one week, then you can expect to pay around $357 total. For a quick weekend rental, the total cost tends to average $129. $1,002 is the average cost of a month-long Downtown road trip car rental.

The most ideal time of year to rent a car is in January, which is when prices are often the cheapest. Our users have found rental car prices averaging $37 per day when booking in January. In contrast, December is the least ideal time to rent a car. Prices in Downtown during this month tend to be $56 per day on average. Don’t forget to book your Downtown car rental at least 50 days in advance for the best deals.

Prices for cars in Downtown are refreshed on a daily basis.

The number of operators available for cars in Downtown is 19 as of April 2025.

The minimum age for drivers varies by country, including Downtown. In many EU countries drivers must be 18 years old. As a rule, you’ll need to be 21 to hire a car abroad, and a young driver surcharge may be applied if you are under 25. We recommend reading through the policy of your chosen rental company before booking.

To rent a car in Downtown, all drivers must have a valid full driving license. If the license is written in a language other than the language of the country of rental, an International Driving Permit may be required to avoid the risk of potential fines. If you're renting a car abroad, you may also need to provide proof of return travel and accommodation information during your stay. We recommend that you verify with the specific rental company you're booking with.