Moving Cost Calculator: Local, Long-Distance and International

How moving costs are estimated

Moving companies price a move three different ways. Local moves usually bill by the hour for a crew and truck. Long-distance moves bill by shipment size and distance. International moves bill by the container, plus trucking at both ends, port fees and customs paperwork. This calculator lets you switch between the three and edit every rate.

The default rates are example values you should replace with your own quotes. They are labeled as examples because real prices change by season, fuel cost and route. A weekday move in winter often costs less than a weekend move in June, and a move at the end of the month is usually the busiest. The home sizes map to rough cubic-foot volumes, which is how many long-distance estimates are built. Packing, stairs, storage and insurance are separate lines so you can see which service adds the most.

Here is the default example. A two-bedroom home is about 900 cubic feet. At $3.00 per cubic foot and $1.25 per mile over 500 miles, the base is $2,700 plus $625, or $3,325. Stairs add $150, insurance on $30,000 at 1 percent adds $300, and a 5 percent tip adds about $166. The total lands near $3,941, or about $4.38 per cubic foot.

Use the result to check whether a quote is in a sensible range, not to replace one. Quotes also differ by the season, the floor you live on, and how far the truck must park from your door. Ask each mover whether the price is binding, how damage claims work, whether fuel and packing are included, and what insurance covers. Ask about deposits, cancellation terms and the delivery window too. This page is informational only, not insurance or legal advice. To compare hiring movers with doing it yourself, try the movers vs truck vs container calculator, and plan your runway with the money-abroad calculator.

Where these numbers come from

The formulas and default values in this calculator are based on:

• Adventure Calcs editable example rates
• cubic-foot sizes are common planning sizes for each home type. Note: no mover quote was opened
• every rate, container price and fee is a labeled example to replace with written quotes

This is a planning estimate, not medical, legal or immigration advice. Fees, allowances, limits and entry rules change, so confirm the figures with your airline, cruise line, customs agency or the official government source before you book or travel, and follow their rules if they differ from this page.