Australian car hire price trends
Car hire prices move a lot — by season, by how far ahead you book, by city, and by where you collect the car. We pulled together millions of real searches made through VroomVroomVroom across 2025 to show how those prices actually behave, so you can plan when to book.
Rolling 90-day average (Apr 2025 – July 2025), compared like-for-like and weighted to the same vehicle-type mix. Updated monthly.
Book earlier, pay less
Save money by booking your hire car early
Booking ahead paid off across 2025. Same-day bookings were the most expensive band, averaging $95/day nationally, while a week ahead averaged $89/day, and two weeks ahead — the cheapest band in our data — averaged $84/day.
When is the cheapest time of the year to hire a car in Australia?
Australian car hire prices: Seasonal variations
Nationally, May was cheapest at $84/day in 2025, while April peaked at $105, typically driven by school holidays. City patterns vary widely; Darwin is distinct for a genuine seasonal inversion, peaking in July at $129/day during its dry season rather than merely drifting off the national curve. Cairns showed a similar mid-year peak at $150/day. Hobart had the widest swing of any single city, peaking in January and bottoming out in August.
2025 Cheapest and most expensive car hire by month by city
| City | Cheapest month | Most expensive month |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Aug ($67) | Apr ($109) |
| Brisbane | May ($85) | Jul ($113) |
| Cairns | Feb ($80) | Jul ($150) |
| Canberra | Dec ($64) | Oct ($90) |
| Darwin | Feb ($56) | Jul ($129) |
| Gold Coast | May ($71) | Jul ($96) |
| Hobart | Aug ($64) | Jan ($171) |
| Melbourne | Jun ($69) | Dec ($97) |
| Perth | Jul ($92) | Apr ($124) |
| Sydney | Jun ($77) | Oct ($110) |
Cheapest type of hire car in Australia
Hire prices by vehicle type
The Economy car class opened the range in 2025, from $88/day on average at city branches, with Compact cars at $92/day. At the top, Premium SUVs averaged $211/day.
City, on-airport or off-airport — which is cheaper?
Airport hire cars
On-airport means a rental counter in or beside the terminal. Off-airport means a nearby depot reached by a short shuttle. Off-airport was the lowest-priced pickup type in every city where it was available in 2025 — Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Canberra had no off-airport depots in the data; there, city pickup was the cheaper of the two available options. On-airport was the priciest pickup type in nine of the ten cities — the exception is Sydney, where city-centre pickup ($95/day) actually outpriced the airport ($90/day), reversing the usual pattern.
Biggest airport vs. city gaps by vehicle type: Gold Coast Passenger Van — $256/day at the airport vs $138/day in the city (~85% gap, ~$118, the widest in the data). Hobart Premium car — $236/day airport vs $146/day city (~61% gap, ~$89). Melbourne Economy car — $116/day airport vs $78/day city (~48% gap). Canberra Premium SUV — $220/day airport vs $154/day city (~43% gap).
Pick your city
Each city has its own seasonal pattern. Open a city for the full breakdown, or jump straight to today’s live rates.
Adelaide
| Lowest month | Aug ($67) |
| Peak month | Apr ($109) |
| City pickup avg | $82/day |
| On-airport avg | $88/day |
| Off-airport avg | $51/day |
Adelaide’s cheapest month in 2025 was August, averaging $67/day, while April peaked at $109. Off-airport pickup was the standout saver here, averaging $51/day, well below the $82 city rate.
Brisbane
| Lowest month | May ($85) |
| Peak month | Jul ($113) |
| City pickup avg | $98/day |
| On-airport avg | $105/day |
| Off-airport avg | $64/day |
Brisbane city rates were cheapest in May at $85/day and peaked in July at $113, as the school holidays arrived. The airport swung harder, from $77/day in February to $146 in July. Off-airport depots averaged $64/day across the year.
Cairns
| Lowest month | Feb ($80) |
| Peak month | Jul ($150) |
| City pickup avg | $106/day |
| On-airport avg | $125/day |
| Off-airport avg | $84/day |
Cairns swung further than most, from $80/day in February to $150 in July, in line with the dry-season tourist peak. Off-airport pickup averaged $84/day, below the $106 city rate but still the highest off-airport rate among all cities in the data.
Canberra
| Lowest month | Dec ($64) |
| Peak month | Oct ($90) |
| City pickup avg | $80/day |
| On-airport avg | $104/day |
| Off-airport avg | – |
Canberra ran to its own calendar: city rates were cheapest in December at $64/day and most expensive in October at $90. With no off-airport depots in the data for Canberra, city pickup was the value option, averaging $80/day against $104 at the airport.
Darwin
| Lowest month | Feb ($56) |
| Peak month | Jul ($129) |
| City pickup avg | $83/day |
| On-airport avg | $100/day |
| Off-airport avg | $71/day |
Darwin peaked in winter rather than summer: city rates reached $129/day in July, typically driven by dry-season travel, and fell to $56 in February, the cheapest month. Off-airport depots were the cheapest pickup type, averaging $71/day across the year.
Gold Coast
| Lowest month | May ($71) |
| Peak month | Jul ($96) |
| City pickup avg | $84/day |
| On-airport avg | $102/day |
| Off-airport avg | $65/day |
Gold Coast airport rates nearly doubled between February ($72/day) and July ($140). City pickup moved less, from $71/day in May to $96 in July. Off-airport depots were the cheapest way in, averaging $65/day for the year.
Hobart
| Lowest month | Aug ($64) |
| Peak month | Jan ($171) |
| City pickup avg | $106/day |
| On-airport avg | $108/day |
| Off-airport avg | $78/day |
Hobart showed the steepest seasonal swing in the data. City rates peaked at $171/day in January — in line with Tasmania’s summer tourist peak — then fell to $64 by August. Off-airport depots averaged $78/day, dipping to $35 in June.
Melbourne
| Lowest month | Jun ($69) |
| Peak month | Dec ($97) |
| City pickup avg | $81/day |
| On-airport avg | $103/day |
| Off-airport avg | $68/day |
Melbourne city rates bottomed out in June at $69/day and peaked in December at $97, in line with the summer holiday rush. Off-airport depots averaged $68/day against $103 at the airport — a saving of about 34%.
Perth
| Lowest month | Jul ($92) |
| Peak month | Apr ($124) |
| City pickup avg | $107/day |
| On-airport avg | $111/day |
| Off-airport avg | $76/day |
Perth peaked in April across every pickup type — $146/day at the airport, $124 in the city, and $95 off-airport. City rates were cheapest in July at $92/day. Across the year, off-airport pickup averaged $76/day against $111 at the airport.
Sydney
| Lowest month | Jun ($77) |
| Peak month | Oct ($110) |
| City pickup avg | $95/day |
| On-airport avg | $90/day |
| Off-airport avg | $69/day |
Sydney city rates were cheapest in June at $77/day and peaked in October at $110. Off-airport depots were the cheapest way in, averaging $69/day. Unusually, airport pickup averaged $90/day across the year — under the $95 city average.
Car hire price questions
Which month has the lowest car hire prices in Australia?
Nationally, May was the cheapest month to hire a car in 2025, averaging $84/day, while April was the priciest at $105, typically driven by school holidays. City patterns vary widely: Hobart bottomed out in August ($64/day), Darwin in February ($56), and Canberra in December ($64). Darwin stands out for a genuine seasonal inversion, peaking in July during its dry season rather than following the national curve.
Is it cheaper to pick up a hire car at the airport or in the city?
Off-airport depots — nearby sites reached by a short shuttle — were the cheapest pickup type in nine of the ten cities in 2025. Canberra was the one exception, with no off-airport depots in the data; city pickup was cheapest there at $80/day versus $104/day at the airport. Even in Sydney, off-airport led at $69/day, though the airport average ($90/day) sat below the city average ($95/day). Always compare all pickup types available for your city.
How far ahead should I book a hire car?
Booking earlier cost less in 2025. Same-day bookings averaged $95/day nationally, a week ahead averaged $89/day, and two weeks ahead averaged $84/day — about 12% cheaper than same-day. Two weeks was the longest booking window in the data, so aim to book at least that far out.
Why do car hire prices change so much?
Rates moved with lead time, season and pickup type in the 2025 data. Booking earlier, avoiding school holiday peaks, and choosing off-airport pickup where available were typically linked to lower rates, though many other factors can affect any individual quote.
Ready to book?
These trends show the past 12 months. For live availability and today’s price in your city, head to our location pages.
Compare today’s car hire rates