Moving quotes cover the truck or the crew. The full cost of a move is often half again as much, because the rest of it never shows up on a quote. Here's how to compare the three ways to move, and the list of costs that catch people out. To run it for your own home size and distance, use the free moving cost calculator.
Three ways to move
| You do | They do | Best when | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental truck | Pack, load (with paid helpers), drive | Rent you the truck | Short distance, small home, you can take the days |
| Moving container | Pack, load | Drive it, store it if needed | Long distance, flexible dates, gap between homes |
| Full-service movers | Pack (or pay extra) | Load, drive, unload | Big home, stairs, little time |
Rough 2026 US ranges for a 2-bedroom:
| Distance | Truck | Container | Movers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 miles | $640 to $900 | $1,010 to $1,430 | $990 to $1,390 |
| 450 miles | $1,590 to $2,240 | $1,810 to $2,550 | $2,920 to $4,130 |
| 1,500 miles | $2,810 to $3,970 | $3,150 to $4,440 | $6,490 to $9,170 |
These numbers include boxes and supplies, and paid helpers for the truck and container. For local moves, movers usually charge by the hour. For long moves, they charge by weight and distance, which is why the gap widens with distance.
The costs people forget
- Deposit and first month at the new place. Often the biggest single number in the whole move.
- Overlap rent. A lease that ends on the 31st and a new one that starts on the 1st leave no room for a moving day.
- Utility setup and internet install fees.
- Cleaning and small repairs to get your old deposit back.
- Unpaid days off. Moving yourself usually takes one or two days.
- The road trip. On long moves, plan on a hotel and meals for roughly every 500 miles.
In the calculator's default example (a 2-bedroom moving 450 miles), these add about $3,700 to a truck move of roughly $1,900. That is about two-thirds of the total.
How to keep it down
- Avoid summer and month-ends if you can. Demand, and prices, peak then.
- Get three quotes. For long-distance movers, check that they have a USDOT number.
- Sell or donate before you pack. Long-distance moves are priced by weight.
- Ask for the deposit back in writing, with a move-out checklist from the landlord.
For the planning side, my printable Moving Checklist and Budget Planner has an 8-week countdown, a moving budget with these forgotten costs, an address change list, a room-by-room box log and a moving-day plan.
Rough averages for comparing options, not quotes. Season, stairs and your area move prices a lot.
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