Movers Cost: What Professional Moving Companies Charge in 2026

Professional movers cost $875 to $2,547 for a local move and $2,700 to $10,000 or more for long-distance.¹ Local moves price by the hour; long-distance moves price by weight and mileage.^1,4 Prices below are national averages* for 2026.

*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on distance, home size, how much you pack yourself, and the services you add.

$1,696

average local move (Angi)

$80–$100

per hour, 2 movers (ConsumerAffairs)

$3,020

average move, all types (This Old House survey)

$2,700–$10,000+

long-distance (Angi)

What sources say

Source	Figure	Scope
Angi	$1,695 average; local $876 – $2,547, long-distance $2,700 – $10,000+	6,434 reported projects
This Old House	$3,020 average; local $1,489, long-distance $3,129	Survey of 1,000 people who hired full-service movers; $2,000 most common total
ConsumerAffairs	$80 – $100 per hour for two movers; about $5,000 over 1,000 miles	Industry pricing model
Forbes Home	$600 – $14,000+	Full spectrum, DIY-assist to international
moveBuddha	local $300 – $3,500+; long-distance $1,000 – $12,000+	Quote dataset

The averages disagree mostly because of what they measure. This Old House asked people what they actually paid and got $3,020 across every kind of move. Angi averages its own reported projects. The wide long-distance ranges everywhere else come down to distance times shipment weight, which the tables below break apart.^1,3

Local move cost by home size (Angi)

Home size	Cost
1 bedroom	$250 – $700
2 bedroom	$500 – $1,200
3 bedroom	$900 – $2,000
4 bedroom	$1,200 – $3,500
5 bedroom	$3,000 – $4,000

Local moves by the hour (ConsumerAffairs)

Home size	Typical hours	Cost
One-bedroom	3 to 5	$240 – $500
Two-bedroom	5 to 7	$400 – $700
Three-bedroom	7 to 10	$560 – $1,000
Four-bedroom	over 10	$800 – $2,000

Hourly rates run $25 to $100 per mover depending on market and company, usually with a two-to-four-hour minimum.⁵ Forbes puts the typical crew rate at $40 to $80 per mover per hour, up to $150 in some markets.²

Long-distance cost by mileage and size (Angi)

Miles	1 to 2 bedrooms	3 to 5 bedrooms
250	$700 – $2,500	$2,000 – $6,000
500	$1,000 – $3,000	$3,500 – $7,500
1,000	$1,400 – $3,500	$4,000 – $8,000
2,000+	$2,000 – $6,000	$6,500 – $9,000+

A two-to-three-bedroom move of 500 to 1,000 miles typically lands at $3,060 to $5,280 in the moveBuddha quote data.⁵

Alternatives to full-service movers

Option	Cost	Source
Rental truck, local	$30 – $500	moveBuddha
Moving container, local	$400 – $700	moveBuddha
Moving container, long-distance	$900 – $6,500+	moveBuddha
DIY move, all-in	$100 to several thousand	ConsumerAffairs

Add-ons

Item	Cost	Source
Packing service	about $1,000 (Angi); $350 – $600 (ConsumerAffairs); $900 – $1,500 (moveBuddha)	three sources
Storage	$90 and up per month	ConsumerAffairs
Full-value moving insurance	1% to 5% of insured value	ConsumerAffairs
Tips	$20 – $60 per mover (moveBuddha); $20 – $50 per worker per day (ConsumerAffairs)	two sources

Packing is the add-on with the widest disagreement, because some quotes bundle materials and some bill them separately. Ask whether boxes and padding are included before comparing packing prices.^1,4,5

DIY or hire

A one-bedroom local move is the realistic DIY case: a rental truck and a day of your time against $250 to $700 for pros. Past two bedrooms or across state lines, the math shifts toward at least hiring loading help by the hour. If you pack yourself, the Home Depot moving supplies category shows current box and kit pricing.

Sources
1. Angi — How Much Do Movers Cost
2. Forbes Home — Movers and Packers Cost
3. This Old House — Moving Costs
4. ConsumerAffairs — How Much Do Movers Cost
5. moveBuddha — Average Cost of Movers