Bozeman Tops Nation for Car Rental Costs

BOZEMAN — Visitors to Yellowstone country are paying America’s highest car rental rates this summer, with Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport topping a new national survey at $156 per day.

The study by Cheapcarrental.com, which compared prices across 100 U.S. airports for the June through August travel period, found that Bozeman commands the highest average daily cost for the cheapest available rental car in the nation.

Anchorage’s Ted Stevens Airport came in second at $154 per day, followed by Portland, Maine at $131. The national average across all surveyed airports is $73.20 per day.

“This is a strong indication of a significant decline in travel demand this summer,” said Paul Joseph of Cheapcarrental.com, noting that rental rates have dropped more than 11% compared to 2024 nationally. Yet Bozeman’s position at the top of the list underscores the continued draw of Yellowstone National Park and the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

The survey results highlight the economic dynamics of gateway communities to major tourist destinations. While Florida dominates the cheapest rental markets—Tampa leads at just $40 per day, followed by Miami ($42) and Jacksonville ($44)—Montana’s premier tourist gateway commands premium prices.

Other expensive rental markets include major metropolitan areas: Boston ($112), Spokane ($108), New York’s JFK ($106) and LaGuardia ($104), Minneapolis-Saint Paul ($99), and Chicago’s airports at $98 and $95 respectively.

The full survey considered only rental companies located directly at airports or at airport rental car centers for the summer 2025 period.