Key takeaways
- Hotels: 7.9-26% lower on some hotels in NordVPN's studies, almost nothing in USA Today's test.
- Car rental: one Edinburgh rental was 41% lower in NordVPN's study; Hertz in USA Today's test was $7-28 higher through a VPN.
- Flights: $9 at best across 10 countries in Tom's Guide's test. Subscriptions: Google cancelled YouTube Premium plans bought through foreign VPNs in 2024.
- Arbitrica does the country search for you on hotels, online shopping and event tickets: 195 countries at the checkout, the lowest price in the world, prepared for you to pay.
Short answer
A VPN can save money where prices are set by market, mainly hotels, some car rentals and some event tickets, and rarely on flights. The savings in published tests range from nothing to about a quarter of the price, and some uses break the seller's rules. The table below sums up what each category showed.
For hotels, online shopping and event tickets, Arbitrica does the market search for you: it searches the same item from 195 countries at the checkout, checks it is identical with all taxes and fees, and prepares the purchase at the lowest price in the world.
What a VPN saved, by category
| Category | Best result in tests | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 26% on a Bali resort (NordVPN UK study, April 2024) | USA Today found $3-4 differences, some higher |
| Car rental | 41%: Ford Galaxy, Edinburgh Airport, 7 days, $1,248.56 to $736.50 (NordVPN US study, April 2024) | Hertz was $7-28 higher through a VPN in USA Today's test |
| Flights | $9 on LAX to San Francisco (Tom's Guide test, updated January 2026) | Most routes no saving |
| Concert tickets | No test figures published | Claims only (TechRadar, August 30, 2024) |
| Subscriptions | Regional prices exist | Google cancelled VPN-bought YouTube Premium (The Star, June 23, 2024) |
Hotels: where the gap is real but random
Hotels set rates and promotions by market, so the country you search from can change the price. The problem is picking the country. In Arbitrica's own price check, 4 nights at White House Hotel Istanbul cost $1,066 searched from the UK and $708 searched from India, 33.6% less, for the same hotel and the same dates. Full details: does a VPN make hotels cheaper?, the Booking.com VPN trick and best VPN country for cheaper hotels.
Car rental
NordVPN's US study reported a 7-day Ford Galaxy at Edinburgh Airport for $1,248.56 from the US and $736.50 through a UK server, and a Hertz Polestar 2 in Italy 11.4% lower (NordVPN US study, April 2024). USA Today's Hertz checks went the other way: a Heathrow small car was about $229 from the UK site vs $222 from the US, and $273 vs $245 through Turkey (USA Today test, January 2026). Check what insurance and mileage each rate includes before you book.
Concert and event tickets
TechRadar argues a VPN can get around regional ticket pricing, but gives no test figures (TechRadar, August 30, 2024). Ticket prices do vary across resale sites and markets, which is where Arbitrica works: on event tickets it searches the same event, section and row from 195 countries and across sellers at the checkout. Research demonstrated an average of $107 per event ticket purchase with Arbitrica.
Subscriptions and apps
Streaming, music and game subscriptions have regional prices, and people search for VPN tricks to get them. Sellers enforce country of residence: in June 2024 Google told YouTube Premium members who signed up through a foreign VPN, "We believe that you did not enter your actual country of residence when you signed up," and asked them to resubscribe (The Star, June 23, 2024). Other services may enforce country of residence the same way, so check their terms.
Flights
Airfares barely move with location; see does a VPN get you cheaper flights?.
Frequently asked questions
Can a VPN save you money?
Sometimes. Published tests found up to 26% on individual hotels and 41% on one car rental, but many searches showed no change and flights rarely moved.
Can a VPN get cheaper car rental?
Sometimes. NordVPN's study found a 41% lower price on one Edinburgh rental, while USA Today's Hertz checks were higher through a VPN. Check what insurance each local rate includes.
Can a VPN get cheaper concert tickets?
Claims exist but no published tests show figures. Arbitrica searches the same event tickets from 195 countries and across sellers at the checkout.
Is using a VPN for cheaper subscriptions allowed?
Often not. Google cancelled YouTube Premium memberships bought through foreign VPNs in 2024 because the country of residence did not match.
What is the easiest way to get the lowest price from another country?
For hotels, online shopping and event tickets, Arbitrica searches the same item from 195 countries at the checkout and prepares the purchase at the lowest price in the world.