Pick your home and how far you are moving. You see what the move costs three ways (driving a rental truck with hired loaders, a moving container, or full-service movers), what packing adds, what to tip the crew, and what an hourly crew costs. HireAHelper's 2026 prices, read in September 2026.
Your move
About $1,480 with full-service movers$578 driving a rental truck with hired loaders · $1,046 with a moving container
Quick answer: with full-service movers, a local move (under 50 miles) costs about $879 for a 1-bed apartment up to $2,300 for a 5-bed house, and a 1,200-mile move $5,078 to $7,975. Renting the truck and driving it yourself, with hired loaders, cuts that to $403–$774 locally and $1,397–$3,454 long distance. These are HireAHelper’s 2026 averages.
How to use the moving cost calculator
- Pick your home and how far you are going. The answer is the full-service price, with the two cheaper ways beside it.
- Say whether the movers pack, and how many movers there are and for how long. You get what packing adds, what to tip the crew, and what the same crew costs by the hour, so you can check a quote.
- Get quotes. Averages are for budgeting; your price depends on your stairs, your street, the season and how much you own. Copy link keeps the result.
What a move costs, by home size
HireAHelper’s 2026 averages, from its own bookings and its transport-cost data. Local moves, within 50 miles:
| Home | Rental truck + loaders | Moving container | Full-service movers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed or small 2-bed apartment | $403 | $766 | $879 |
| Large 1-bed or typical 2-bed apartment | $488 | $916 | $1,158 |
| 3-bed apartment or 2-bed house | $578 | $1,046 | $1,480 |
| 3-bed house or large townhome | $590 | $1,076 | $1,625 |
| 4-bed house | $636 | $1,176 | $2,013 |
| 5-bed house or larger | $774 | $1,405 | $2,300 |
Long-distance moves, 1,200 miles:
| Home | Rental truck + loaders | Moving container | Full-service movers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed or small 2-bed apartment | $1,397 | $2,398 | $5,078 |
| Large 1-bed or typical 2-bed apartment | $1,818 | $3,036 | $5,666 |
| 3-bed apartment or 2-bed house | $2,132 | $3,251 | $6,261 |
| 3-bed house or large townhome | $2,280 | $3,935 | $6,729 |
| 4-bed house | $2,719 | $4,329 | $7,393 |
| 5-bed house or larger | $3,454 | $4,963 | $7,975 |
A long move is priced on weight and distance, so one shorter than 1,200 miles costs less and a cross-country one more. We print only the distances HireAHelper publishes, rather than invent a price per mile between them.
Movers by the hour, packing and tips
| Crew | Loading and unloading only | Local full service, with their truck |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers | $80–$120 an hour | $120–$160 an hour |
| 3 movers | $120–$160 an hour | $160–$200 an hour |
| 4 movers | $160–$200 an hour | $200–$240 an hour |
- Packing: movers packing the home adds about $400–$600 for a 1-bedroom, $650–$1,000 for 2 bedrooms, $850–$1,100 for 3 and $1,200–$1,800 or more for 4 or more (HireAHelper’s packing guide, 2026).
- Tips: per mover, $20–$25 for a 2–3 hour job, $30–$40 for 4–5 hours, $30–$50 for 6–8 hours and $40–$50 for a longer day: about $4–$5 a mover an hour. On a long-distance move, up to $60 a mover (HireAHelper’s tipping guide, February 2026).
Three worked examples
A 2-bed apartment across town. Full-service movers: about $1,158. Driving a rental truck with two hired loaders: $488, saving $670. Two movers for 4 hours cost $320–$480 to load and unload; tip them $60–$80 between them.
A 3-bed house, 1,200 miles, movers pack. The move is about $6,729, packing adds $850–$1,100 and a tip for three movers $120–$180: $7,699–$8,009 all in. Driving the truck yourself would be $2,280 for the move.
A 4-bed house, locally, checked by the hour. The average full-service price is $2,013. A four-mover crew for 7 hours at local full-service rates is $1,400–$1,680. A quote far above both is worth questioning; ask how many hours and movers it assumes.
Common moving budget mistakes
- Budgeting for the move and nothing else. Packing, tips, boxes and a day or two off work are real costs; the calculator adds the first two.
- Comparing an hourly quote with a flat one. An hourly quote grows with every hour on the stairs. Check it against the crew rates above, times the hours the job really takes.
- Moving things you will not keep. Every box costs you twice, packed and moved. Sort before you pack.
Then count what goes in the truck: the moving box calculator gives the boxes to buy, the truck size and the storage unit, and the free 2D room planner lets you try your furniture in the new home’s rooms before moving day.
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- Apartment decor ideas that make a rented space your own
- Clever apartment hacks every renter should know
- 1-bedroom apartment decor ideas
Moving cost questions
How much do movers cost?
For a local move with full-service movers, about $879 for a 1-bed apartment, $1,480 for a 3-bed apartment or 2-bed house, and $2,300 for a 5-bed house (HireAHelper’s 2026 averages). A 1,200-mile move costs about $5,078 to $7,975 for the same homes.
How much do movers cost per hour?
About $80–$120 an hour for two movers who only load and unload, and $120–$160 for a local two-person full-service crew with a truck. Each extra mover adds about $40 an hour.
How much does it cost to move long distance?
For 1,200 miles, about $5,078 (a small apartment) to $7,975 (a 5-bed house) with full-service movers, $2,398–$4,963 with a moving container, and $1,397–$3,454 if you drive the rental truck and hire loaders. Shorter moves cost less, cross-country ones more.
How much should you tip movers?
Per mover: $20–$25 for a 2–3 hour job, $30–$40 for 4–5 hours, $30–$50 for 6–8 hours and $40–$50 for a longer day, or about $4–$5 a mover an hour. On a long-distance move, up to $60 each.
Is it cheaper to rent a truck or hire movers?
Renting the truck is cheaper even with hired loaders: $578 against $1,480 for a local move of a 3-bed apartment or 2-bed house, and $2,132 against $6,261 for 1,200 miles. The saving is the driving, the time and the risk, which you take on.
How much does it cost to hire a moving company for a 3-bedroom house?
About $1,625 for a local move and $6,729 for 1,200 miles with full-service movers, plus about $850–$1,100 if they pack.