Which airport had the dearest car hire in November 2026?
Queenstown. The typical compact cost NZ$207 a day (about €103) for 3-day hires picked up 8 to 21 Nov 2026. Orlando was next at US$112 (NZ$202), then Christchurch at NZ$196.
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Car hire prices at 38 airports, November 2026
Queenstown was the dearest of 38 airports to hire a small car in November. Lisbon was the cheapest. Every airport ranked, with the biggest swings by pick-up day.
By the DayRunner team ·
Queenstown was the dearest of 38 airports to hire a small car in November. The typical compact cost NZ$207 a day (about €103). That's 8.6 times Lisbon, the cheapest, at €12 (NZ$24).
The middle airport of the 38 was about NZ$84 (€42) a day. These are 3-day hires picked up on each of 14 days, 8 to 21 Nov 2026, from one Rate Pulse sweep of rentalcars.com on 7 Nov 2026.
The numbers to quote
- Dearest: Queenstown, NZ$207 a day (about €103).
- Cheapest: Lisbon, €12 a day (NZ$24).
- Biggest swing: Frankfurt, from €36 for a Friday 13 Nov pick-up to €90 for Wednesday 11 Nov. That's 2.5 times, two days apart.
- Dearest region: North America. Its middle airport was NZ$154 (€76) a day, 2.4 times Europe's NZ$65 (€32).
- Tasman gap: Auckland's NZ$140 was 1.7 times Melbourne's A$65 (NZ$81).
Small car, typical daily rate at 38 airports
Ranked cheapest first. Brands and offers are for the whole airport, all car types.
| Rank | Airport | Region | Typical day, local | NZD | EUR | Brands | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | Europe | €12 | NZ$24 | €12 | 24 | 7,000 |
| 2 | Faro | Europe | €13 | NZ$27 | €13 | 24 | 7,000 |
| 3 | Athens | Europe | €18 | NZ$37 | €18 | 28 | 7,000 |
| 4 | Dublin | Europe | €20 | NZ$40 | €20 | 9 | 4,105 |
| 5 | Rome | Europe | €21 | NZ$42 | €21 | 20 | 7,000 |
| 6 | Palma de Mallorca | Europe | €24 | NZ$49 | €24 | 18 | 7,000 |
| 7 | Cancún | Latin America | MX$550 | NZ$53 | €26 | 13 | 7,000 |
| 8 | Bali (economy) | Asia-Pacific | Rp562,000 | NZ$56 | €28 | 3 | 152 |
| 9 | Santiago | Latin America | CLP 31,460 | NZ$58 | €29 | 15 | 6,808 |
| 10 | Mexico City | Latin America | MX$632 | NZ$61 | €30 | 13 | 6,955 |
| 11 | São Paulo | Latin America | R$192 | NZ$63 | €31 | 8 | 5,789 |
| 12 | Barcelona | Europe | €32 | NZ$64 | €32 | 15 | 7,000 |
| 13 | Málaga | Europe | €32 | NZ$65 | €32 | 18 | 7,000 |
| 14 | Rio de Janeiro | Latin America | R$198 | NZ$65 | €32 | 6 | 5,332 |
| 15 | Madrid | Europe | €33 | NZ$66 | €33 | 13 | 7,000 |
| 16 | Lima | Latin America | S/135 | NZ$71 | €35 | 6 | 2,177 |
| 17 | London Heathrow | Europe | £30 | NZ$74 | €36 | 11 | 6,863 |
| 18 | Melbourne | Asia-Pacific | A$65 | NZ$81 | €40 | 18 | 7,000 |
| 19 | Nice | Europe | €41 | NZ$83 | €41 | 8 | 6,801 |
| 20 | Paris CDG | Europe | €42 | NZ$86 | €42 | 6 | 3,048 |
| 21 | Amsterdam | Europe | €45 | NZ$91 | €45 | 7 | 7,000 |
| 22 | Sydney | Asia-Pacific | A$77 | NZ$96 | €48 | 18 | 3,937 |
| 23 | Bangkok | Asia-Pacific | ฿1,800 | NZ$97 | €48 | 12 | 2,967 |
| 24 | Buenos Aires (economy) | Latin America | ARS 83,900 | NZ$98 | €49 | 9 | 2,276 |
| 25 | Brisbane | Asia-Pacific | A$84 | NZ$105 | €52 | 19 | 6,438 |
| 26 | Frankfurt | Europe | €56 | NZ$112 | €56 | 8 | 7,000 |
| 27 | Bogotá | Latin America | COP 233,500 | NZ$128 | €64 | 6 | 1,235 |
| 28 | Munich | Europe | €64 | NZ$130 | €64 | 7 | 7,000 |
| 29 | Las Vegas (intermediate) | North America | US$74 | NZ$134 | €67 | 8 | 6,883 |
| 30 | Denver | North America | US$77 | NZ$139 | €69 | 9 | 6,003 |
| 31 | Auckland | Asia-Pacific | NZ$140 | NZ$140 | €69 | 19 | 4,488 |
| 32 | Miami (intermediate) | North America | US$79 | NZ$143 | €71 | 9 | 4,916 |
| 33 | New York JFK (intermediate) | North America | US$85 | NZ$154 | €76 | 8 | 7,000 |
| 34 | San Francisco | North America | US$88 | NZ$159 | €79 | 8 | 4,065 |
| 35 | Los Angeles (intermediate) | North America | US$104 | NZ$188 | €93 | 8 | 4,525 |
| 36 | Christchurch | Asia-Pacific | NZ$196 | NZ$196 | €97 | 18 | 1,830 |
| 37 | Orlando | North America | US$112 | NZ$202 | €100 | 9 | 4,423 |
| 38 | Queenstown | Asia-Pacific | NZ$207 | NZ$207 | €103 | 18 | 1,820 |
Fourteen airports reached the 7,000-offer limit. Bali had 152 offers from 3 brands, so read its row with care.
The biggest swings across 14 pick-up days
The eight airports where the dearest pick-up day's median was furthest above the cheapest.
| Airport | Cheapest pick-up day | Dearest pick-up day | Dearest ÷ cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt | Fri 13 Nov: €36 (NZ$73) | Wed 11 Nov: €90 (NZ$182) | 2.49 |
| Munich | Fri 13 Nov: €39 (NZ$79) | Mon 9 Nov: €73 (NZ$147) | 1.86 |
| São Paulo | Mon 9 Nov: R$177 (NZ$58) | Fri 20 Nov: R$305 (NZ$100) | 1.72 |
| New York JFK (intermediate) | Mon 9 Nov: US$75 (NZ$136) | Thu 19 Nov: US$129 (NZ$233) | 1.71 |
| Madrid | Fri 13 Nov: €27 (NZ$54) | Wed 11 Nov: €45 (NZ$90) | 1.67 |
| Christchurch | Sun 8 Nov: NZ$149 | Wed 18 Nov: NZ$242 | 1.62 |
| Málaga | Mon 9 Nov: €26 (NZ$53) | Mon 16 Nov: €39 (NZ$79) | 1.49 |
| Miami (intermediate) | Mon 9 Nov: US$72 (NZ$130) | Fri 20 Nov: US$106 (NZ$191) | 1.47 |
At the other end, Lisbon moved 4% across the 14 days, Lima 6% and Santiago 7%. Bali didn't move at all, which says more about 3 brands than about the market. Day-by-day patterns are in car hire prices by pick-up day.
Cheapest and dearest regions
"Middle airport" is the median of the typical rates in that region.
| Region | Airports | Middle airport | Cheapest airport | Dearest airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin America | 8 | NZ$64 (€32) | Cancún, NZ$53 | Bogotá, NZ$128 |
| Europe | 15 | NZ$65 (€32) | Lisbon, NZ$24 | Munich, NZ$130 |
| Asia-Pacific | 8 | NZ$101 (€50) | Bali, NZ$56 | Queenstown, NZ$207 |
| North America | 7 | NZ$154 (€76) | Las Vegas, NZ$134 | Orlando, NZ$202 |
Latin America and Europe sat level. North America was the dearest region, and every one of its seven airports was in the dearest ten overall.
What stands out
New Zealand topped the table. Queenstown was 38th of 38 and Christchurch 36th at NZ$196. Only Orlando (US$112, NZ$202) came between them. Auckland was 31st at NZ$140.
The Tasman gap is wide. Melbourne's typical compact was A$65 (NZ$81), Sydney's A$77 (NZ$96) and Brisbane's A$84 (NZ$105). Auckland was 1.7 times Melbourne. Christchurch was 2.4 times.
Germany swung hardest. Frankfurt ran from €90 for a Wednesday 11 Nov pick-up to €36 two days later. Munich went from €73 on Monday 9 Nov to €39 on Friday 13 Nov. Both German airports had their cheapest day on Friday 13 Nov.
One currency, a 5.4 times gap. Lisbon (€12) and Munich (€64) both price in euros. The six cheapest airports were all in Europe: Lisbon, Faro, Athens, Dublin, Rome and Palma de Mallorca.
The "from" price isn't the market. At Palma the lowest single compact offer was about €2 a day (NZ$4), against a typical €24. At Rome it was €2 against €21. A headline "from" price says little about where most offers sit.
Limits
- Advertised prices. These are prices on rentalcars.com at the time of the search, not what customers paid or brands earned. Discounts, extras and insurance aren't in them.
- One sweep. One run on 7 Nov 2026, covering 14 pick-up days in a shoulder month for most of these markets. It's a reading for those two weeks, not a yearly average.
- Searched from New Zealand. Prices are as rentalcars.com showed them to a New Zealand searcher, in NZD. Someone searching from another country may see different prices. Local and EUR figures are converted, not measured.
- Bali is thin. 3 brands and 152 offers in total, with 28 economy offers across the 14 days. Treat its row as a pointer only.
- Not always a compact. Each dashboard keeps the six car types with the most offers. Compact wasn't one of them at Bali and Buenos Aires (economy used) or at Las Vegas, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Miami (intermediate used, one size up). Those four US rows likely overstate a small car's price. Their dashboards lead with SUVs, the most offered type there.
Questions
Which airport had the cheapest car hire?
Lisbon, at €12 (NZ$24) a day for a compact. Faro was second at €13. The six cheapest airports were all in Europe.
How much does a small hire car cost per day at a typical airport?
The middle of the 38 airports was about NZ$84 (€42) a day for a compact or the nearest car type, on a 3-day hire picked up 8 to 21 Nov 2026.
Are these the prices customers actually pay?
No. They're advertised prices on rentalcars.com at the time of the search, as shown to someone searching from New Zealand. Discounts, extras, insurance and cancellations change what a brand earns.
Why don't these numbers match the 18-airport piece?
Two reasons. This is a newer sweep, run on 7 Nov 2026. And here the typical rate is the middle of the 14 daily medians, the same figure each airport dashboard shows. The 18-airport piece used the median of every offer.
Can I quote these numbers?
Yes, free to quote with a link to dayrunner.co.nz/rates. Please say it's one sweep of advertised prices on 7 Nov 2026.
Sources
- Rate Pulse sweep of rentalcars.com, 7 Nov 2026 (all 38 airport dashboards)
- Rate Pulse: Queenstown
- Rate Pulse: Christchurch
- Rate Pulse: Auckland
- Rate Pulse: Lisbon
- Rate Pulse: Frankfurt
- Rate Pulse: Munich
- Rate Pulse: Melbourne
- Rate Pulse: Palma de Mallorca
- Rate Pulse: Orlando
- Rate Pulse: Bali
- ECB euro reference exchange rates, 6 Nov 2026
- ExchangeRate-API open rates (CLP, COP, PEN, ARS)
- How Rate Pulse works
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