I have noticed that the price of car rentals can vary quite a bit between countries and interestingly the GDP per capita or general cost of life does not correlate at all with the price of car rentals.
I have used the site CarRentals.com to compare prices in major European cities and capitals (airports only). I chose a 48 hours rental period selected in dates 3 months in the future (first week of September) on weekdays (Tuesday 10 am to Thursday 10 am). I chose the cheapest rate available for small, medium and large cars.
I found that Britain and Spain were the cheapest places to rent a car, with London, Edinburgh then Madrid offering the best deals for all car types. Incredibly it costs half the price to rent a car in London than the average in the eastern half of Europe. It might be due to the competition, but other big cities like Paris, Berlin or Vienna are far more expensive.
Cities like Bern, Oslo, Cologne, Munich and Vienna were the most expensive for small and medium cars, while Bern, Reykjavik, Cologne, Luxembourg, Helsinki, Malta and Vienna were the dearest for large cars.
There are some surprises. Greece, Cyprus and the South of France are among the most expensive places along with Austria, Germany and Nordic countries. Prices can vary a lot between French and German cities, but not so much within Italy (except Sardinia) and Spain.
Nordic countries
Helsinki
Small car : from 87€
Medium car: 87€
Large car : 172€
Stockholm
Small car : from 97€
Medium car: 98€
Large car : 122€
Oslo
Small car : from 126€
Medium car: 129€
Large car : 159€
Copenhagen
Small car : from 74€
Medium car: 80€
Large car : 158€
Reykjavik
Small car : from 99€
Medium car: 105€
Large car : 222€
Northeast Europe
Moscow
Small car : from 76€
Medium car: 76€
Large car : 89€
St Petersburg
Small car : from 69€
Medium car: 69€
Large car : 81€
Tallinn
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 62€
Riga
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 54€
Vilnius
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 53€
Large car : 61€
Western Europe
Hamburg
Small car : from 80€
Medium car: 89€
Large car : 128€
Berlin
Small car : from 89€
Medium car: 100€
Large car : 143€
Cologne-Bonn
Small car : from 133€
Medium car: 138€
Large car : 193€
Frankfurt
Small car : from 88€
Medium car: 90€
Large car : 133€
Munich
Small car : from 122€
Medium car: 126€
Large car : 134€
Amsterdam
Small car : from 46€
Medium car: 52€
Large car : 77€
Brussels
Small car : from 63€
Medium car: 70€
Large car : 100€
Luxembourg
Small car : from 98€
Medium car: 117€
Large car : 178€
Zurich
Small car : from 103€
Medium car: 103€
Large car : 178€
Bern
Small car : from 235€
Medium car: 235€
Large car : 280€
Geneva
Small car : from 103€
Medium car: 103€
Large car : 164€
Paris
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 60€
Large car : 89€
Marseille
Small car : from 79€
Medium car: 87€
Large car : 143€
Bordeaux
Small car : from 72€
Medium car: 74€
Large car : 131€
UK & Ireland
Dublin
Small car : from 44€
Medium car: 44€
Large car :58€
Edinburgh
Small car : from 24€
Medium car: 25€
Large car : 38€
Manchester
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 40€
Large car : 63€
London
Small car : from 22€
Medium car: 23€
Large car : 33€
Central Europe
Vienna
Small car : from 112€
Medium car: 112€
Large car : 166€
Prague
Small car : from 41€
Medium car: 43€
Large car : 65€
Bratislava
Small car : from 40€
Medium car: 42€
Large car : 62€
Warsaw
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 37€
Large car : 60€
Budapest
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 54€
Large car : 69€
Zagreb
Small car : from 35€
Medium car: 36€
Large car : 52€
Southeast Europe
Belgrade
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 38€
Large car : 85€
Bucharest
Small car : from 33€
Medium car: 33€
Large car : 39€
Sofia
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 76€
Tirana
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 53€
Large car : 94€
Istanbul
Small car : from 54€
Medium car: 54€
Large car : 66€
Mediterranean Europe
Athens
Small car : from 76€
Medium car: 88€
Large car : 142€
Nicosia
Small car : from 96€
Medium car: 104€
Large car : 125€
Malta
Small car : from 49€
Medium car: 51€
Large car : 162€
Palermo
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 72€
Cagliari
Small car : from 64€
Medium car: 72€
Large car : 125€
Naples
Small car : from 52€
Medium car: 58€
Large car : 78€
Rome
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 66€
Milan
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 51€
Large car : 68€
Barcelona
Small car : from 33€
Medium car: 35€
Large car : 66€
Palma de Mallorca
Small car : from 30€
Medium car: 32€
Large car : 46€
Madrid
Small car : from 29€
Medium car: 30€
Large car : 46€
Seville
Small car : from 35€
Medium car: 37€
Large car : 105€
Lisbon
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 58€
Large car : 124€
Tenerife
Small car : from 34€
Medium car: 39€
Large car : 144€
I have used the site CarRentals.com to compare prices in major European cities and capitals (airports only). I chose a 48 hours rental period selected in dates 3 months in the future (first week of September) on weekdays (Tuesday 10 am to Thursday 10 am). I chose the cheapest rate available for small, medium and large cars.
I found that Britain and Spain were the cheapest places to rent a car, with London, Edinburgh then Madrid offering the best deals for all car types. Incredibly it costs half the price to rent a car in London than the average in the eastern half of Europe. It might be due to the competition, but other big cities like Paris, Berlin or Vienna are far more expensive.
Cities like Bern, Oslo, Cologne, Munich and Vienna were the most expensive for small and medium cars, while Bern, Reykjavik, Cologne, Luxembourg, Helsinki, Malta and Vienna were the dearest for large cars.
There are some surprises. Greece, Cyprus and the South of France are among the most expensive places along with Austria, Germany and Nordic countries. Prices can vary a lot between French and German cities, but not so much within Italy (except Sardinia) and Spain.
Nordic countries
Helsinki
Small car : from 87€
Medium car: 87€
Large car : 172€
Stockholm
Small car : from 97€
Medium car: 98€
Large car : 122€
Oslo
Small car : from 126€
Medium car: 129€
Large car : 159€
Copenhagen
Small car : from 74€
Medium car: 80€
Large car : 158€
Reykjavik
Small car : from 99€
Medium car: 105€
Large car : 222€
Northeast Europe
Moscow
Small car : from 76€
Medium car: 76€
Large car : 89€
St Petersburg
Small car : from 69€
Medium car: 69€
Large car : 81€
Tallinn
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 62€
Riga
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 54€
Vilnius
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 53€
Large car : 61€
Western Europe
Hamburg
Small car : from 80€
Medium car: 89€
Large car : 128€
Berlin
Small car : from 89€
Medium car: 100€
Large car : 143€
Cologne-Bonn
Small car : from 133€
Medium car: 138€
Large car : 193€
Frankfurt
Small car : from 88€
Medium car: 90€
Large car : 133€
Munich
Small car : from 122€
Medium car: 126€
Large car : 134€
Amsterdam
Small car : from 46€
Medium car: 52€
Large car : 77€
Brussels
Small car : from 63€
Medium car: 70€
Large car : 100€
Luxembourg
Small car : from 98€
Medium car: 117€
Large car : 178€
Zurich
Small car : from 103€
Medium car: 103€
Large car : 178€
Bern
Small car : from 235€
Medium car: 235€
Large car : 280€
Geneva
Small car : from 103€
Medium car: 103€
Large car : 164€
Paris
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 60€
Large car : 89€
Marseille
Small car : from 79€
Medium car: 87€
Large car : 143€
Bordeaux
Small car : from 72€
Medium car: 74€
Large car : 131€
UK & Ireland
Dublin
Small car : from 44€
Medium car: 44€
Large car :58€
Edinburgh
Small car : from 24€
Medium car: 25€
Large car : 38€
Manchester
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 40€
Large car : 63€
London
Small car : from 22€
Medium car: 23€
Large car : 33€
Central Europe
Vienna
Small car : from 112€
Medium car: 112€
Large car : 166€
Prague
Small car : from 41€
Medium car: 43€
Large car : 65€
Bratislava
Small car : from 40€
Medium car: 42€
Large car : 62€
Warsaw
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 37€
Large car : 60€
Budapest
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 54€
Large car : 69€
Zagreb
Small car : from 35€
Medium car: 36€
Large car : 52€
Southeast Europe
Belgrade
Small car : from 37€
Medium car: 38€
Large car : 85€
Bucharest
Small car : from 33€
Medium car: 33€
Large car : 39€
Sofia
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 76€
Tirana
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 53€
Large car : 94€
Istanbul
Small car : from 54€
Medium car: 54€
Large car : 66€
Mediterranean Europe
Athens
Small car : from 76€
Medium car: 88€
Large car : 142€
Nicosia
Small car : from 96€
Medium car: 104€
Large car : 125€
Malta
Small car : from 49€
Medium car: 51€
Large car : 162€
Palermo
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 72€
Cagliari
Small car : from 64€
Medium car: 72€
Large car : 125€
Naples
Small car : from 52€
Medium car: 58€
Large car : 78€
Rome
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 50€
Large car : 66€
Milan
Small car : from 50€
Medium car: 51€
Large car : 68€
Barcelona
Small car : from 33€
Medium car: 35€
Large car : 66€
Palma de Mallorca
Small car : from 30€
Medium car: 32€
Large car : 46€
Madrid
Small car : from 29€
Medium car: 30€
Large car : 46€
Seville
Small car : from 35€
Medium car: 37€
Large car : 105€
Lisbon
Small car : from 53€
Medium car: 58€
Large car : 124€
Tenerife
Small car : from 34€
Medium car: 39€
Large car : 144€