How Much Does It Cost to Move Out of State? 2024 Guide for Interstate Moving Costs 

Key Takeaways:

• The average cost to move out of state falls between $2,000 and $7,000 for DIY moves and $4,200 to $12,000 for full-service movers.
• Factors that impact how much it costs to move out of state include the distance, time of year, how much stuff you’re moving, and the type of service you’re employing for the interstate move.
• The primary services available for interstate moving are portable storage containers and truck rentals, partial moving and packing services, or full-service movers. 
• Additional interstate moving costs to consider are fuel, maintenance, insurance, labor, storage, and travel expenses.

A long-distance move across the country can be overwhelming to imagine. Interstate moving is especially intimidating when you consider financial factors such as the average prices of truck rentals and fuel costs. 

Still, studies show that 57.5% of Americans move to a different state 1–4 times in their lives. 

That means, at least once in their lives, over half of our readers have to ask themselves, how much does it cost to move out of state? 

If you move yourself, out-of-state moves typically cost between $2,000 and $7,000. But depending on how far you’re moving, when you’re moving, how much stuff you’re moving, and where you’re moving to, interstate moving costs can be as low as $650 and as high as $16,000.

It’s all in the details, which is why we’ve assembled this detailed guide explaining how various factors influence how much it costs to move out of state. 

We’ll dissect the average cost to move out of state and examine how the amenities compare to those offered by the cheapest way to move out of state. 

Average Cost to Move Out of State in 2024

Research shows that the average cost of moving interstate without a team of professional movers is between $2,000 and $7,000. If you hire full-service movers, the average rises between $4,200 and $12,000.

The primary factors determining how much money you need to move out of state include how much stuff you’re moving and how far. 

The handy table below provides the average cost to move out of state based on the moving method and the distance you’re driving or shipping your belongings. Methods include renting a moving truck, which costs between $20 and $50 per day and $0.75-$0.99 per mile. We also consider storage container rental and shipping services such as PODs and hiring professional movers. 

Note: Price ranges depend on how much maintenance your personal vehicle needs, the size of the truck/container and how many full-service movers you hire. 

Factors That Affect Interstate Moving Costs

The primary factors that impact the cost to move out of state include the distance between houses and the number of rooms worth of furniture, clothes, decorations, and appliances you plan to move. 

Other hidden costs of moving pertain to the time of year of the out of state move and, if you’re hiring a moving company, what type and whether they have additional labor costs associated with interstate moving.

Type of Moving Company Used

You may have little choice regarding the time of year of the move or how many miles are between your current pad and your new home, but the type of moving company you hire is one interstate moving cost you do have control over. 

In order to calculate the ballpark of how much it costs to move out of state, let’s take a look at the various kinds of moving services you can employ for a long-distance move. It’s ultimately up to you to decide which services are non-negotiable for you. Then you can seek out the type of moving company that offers the cheapest way to move out of state while still providing them.

Portable Storage Containers: 

Portable storage container services like PODS are great options if you’re flying from one state to the other, as they don’t require any driving. You simply pack your belongings into the container, which the company drops off right in front of your house. The container moving company will then pick up your loaded container and drop it off at your new spot. 

Depending on the company you use, you may be able to take up to 30 days to slowly unpack the container at your leisure. Portable storage containers are one of the most convenient options, but you pay for the extra luxury. And unless you’re paying for a full-service move, you’ll likely have to load and unload all your own stuff, meaning you’ll have to find help for those heavy items on both ends.

Portable Storage Container Companies include:

• PODS
• 1-800-PACK-RAT
• U-Pack

DIY Truck Rental: 

A truck rental company is the cheapest option for moving out of state, but it also leaves you with the most amount of work to do on your own. A moving truck can cost as low as $80 a day. 

That said, with this option, you’re packing and unpacking the truck yourself and driving it across the country, which requires a valid license. And if you plan to pull your personal vehicle behind you, we suggest renting a hitch trailer rather than putting your car in neutral and free-towing it, which can cause excessive wear. 

• U-HAUL
• Penske Truck Rental
• Budget Truck Rental

Self-Service Moving Companies: 

Partial-service moving companies, labor-only movers, and packing services do some of the work – but not all – at a more affordable rate than your typical full-service moving company. 

A partial-service moving company won’t pack or help with storage. But they are still professional movers. You can also hire labor-only movers who show up to help you load or unload but won’t drive. If you go this route, you’ll have to hire one crew to help pack the truck and another crew to help unload once you get to your new place. 

Full-Service Moving Companies: 

Full-service moving companies offer additional services at additional costs. A full-service, long-distance moving company will wrap your fragile items, appliances, and furniture. These professional movers will help pack your boxes and load everything on the truck or container for you. 

During the interstate move, full-service moving companies offer add-on services like real-time transport updates. Once they arrive at your new pad, they’ll set everything where you tell them to and unpack it. Full-service movers are no doubt one of the easiest options for an out of state move, which is why it’s one of the more expensive options.

Here are a few examples of Full-Service Moving Companies: 

• Safeway Moving
• American Van Lines
• Mayzlin Relocation

The following chart compares the process of each of the primary interstate moving options based on the average cost for moving 500 miles: 

Distance

Distance is a primary factor in determining how much money you need to move out of state. Mileage impacts the total cost of an out of state move in several ways, including fuel costs, insurance costs, vehicle maintenance, and hiring long-distance movers.

• Fuel Costs: It takes a lot of gas to move out of state, and the more distance between your old pad and your new home, the more fuel you’ll need to make the trip. Whether renting a truck and moving yourself or hiring professional movers, fuel costs are typically your responsibility. 
• Vehicle Maintenance: The average cost to move out of state doesn’t always include vehicle maintenance. For example, if you’re taking your own vehicle, a new set of tires and a fluid change can cost thousands of dollars. And if you rent a truck to limit the wear on your own vehicle, you’re either pulling your car behind your rental and racking up miles regardless or paying the extra cost per mile to rent an extra hitch trailer.
• Insurance Costs: Insurance rates for out of state moves tend to be higher. The logic here is that the farther you’re traveling, the higher the statistical chance of a risky situation.
• Mover Costs: You’ve also got your own basic needs to consider. The more miles you’re traveling, the more of a chance you’ll either have to stop somewhere to sleep for the night or pay for another driver to trade off with you. You’ve also got food, drinks, and caffeine to consider – the farther the move, the more often you’ll have to pay the cost of eating out.

Number of Rooms

Another prime factor influencing how much it costs to move out of state is the number of rooms in the house you’re moving out of. To be more specific, the cost to move out of state hinges on how much space you’ll need to fit all your stuff.

Moving companies often gauge their quotes on the number of rooms being packed up and moved.  Even if you’re doing all that heavy lifting yourself, the more belongings you have to move, the larger the container or truck you’ll need to move out of state. And the larger the truck or container, the higher into the range of the average cost of moving out of state the rental price climbs.

Time of Year

Not only are there peak seasons in which moving and rental companies jack up the prices for a cross-country move, but there are also off-seasons. 

One of the cheapest ways to move out of state is to plan far enough ahead that you’re scheduling your move during the off-season.  

For example, movers tend to get a cheaper quote in the winter, whereas the spring and summer months tend to be a more expensive time to move. 

Pro tip: Moving during the week is typically cheaper than moving during the weekend.

Labor Costs

Hiring interstate movers will definitely increase the cost of the out of state move. Even if you’re just hiring extra hands for loading or unloading bulky items and not for driving, the cost of movers is an additional expense.

Additional Costs for an Out of State Move

The cost of moving interstate doesn’t stop at the money you fork over to the rental and moving companies. There are additional costs to consider when calculating how much it costs to move out of state, such as:

• Packing Supplies: If this is a DIY move, you’re covering the cost of packing supplies like boxes, tape, bubble and shrink wrap, packaging paper, and plastic containers. If you’re paying a moving service, it’s safe to bet the packing costs are factored in.
• Insurance Options: There are multiple insurance options available for your rental truck or portable container. There are even insurance packages available that cover your items during the risky out of state move. That said, these insurance options all add to that interstate moving cost. 
• Travel Expenses (Hotels/Food/Gas): The cost of moving interstate can skyrocket depending on your travel plans. In addition to fuel, you’ve got hotel room prices and the additional cost of two or three meals a day to consider. 
• Deposits: Whether you’re renting a moving truck or a portable container or hiring movers to make the trip for you, all these services typically require you to pay a deposit before they’re rendered. 
• Tipping for movers: In addition to the labor costs we mentioned earlier, don’t forget to tip your friendly pro movers!

The Cheapest Way to Move Out of State

The cheapest way to move out of state is to cut costs anywhere by doing as much of the pacing, driving, and moving yourself as possible. We recommend finding a storage unit deal offering a free first month so you don’t keep your rental truck any longer than you need to. 

Here are a few other ways you can save on interstate moving costs:

• Renting a moving truck and driving yourself plus having friends/family help you load/unload
• Decluttering/selling/donating items before the move
• Inquiring about discounts – AAA, military, student, senior, etc.
• Moving during the week
• Moving during the off-season – Oct through April
• Packing your belongings yourself
• Getting quotes from multiple companies – movers, rental trucks, and pods – using a moving cost calculator. 
• Packing Efficiently – will use fewer boxes and take up less space the better the items are packed up.

How SpareFoot Can Help You Prep For Your Out of State Move

The key factors influencing how much it costs to move out of state include distance, time of year, volume of belongings, and the type of moving service you’re employing. Available services range from portable storage containers and truck rentals to partial or full-service movers. 

Most of these services use a combination of per-day and per-mile fees to calculate the final cost, meaning that once you get to your new home, you’ll want to unload your stuff and return any and all rentals asap. 

But SpareFoot is here to help.  Browse our storage deals and get your first month of storage FREE. And even if it takes longer than a month to get situated in the new pad,  you can often rent a storage unit for a whole month for the same amount of money a truck rental costs for a single day!

One of the cheapest ways to move out of state is to get one storage unit next to where you live now so that you can pack and prepare before the big day. You can then use our search tool to find a second unit across the country using the zip code of your new home. 

Whether you need one storage unit or two, our SpareFoot storage search tool makes finding ideal facilities for self-storage as easy as entering your zip code, filtering the options, and scrolling the results until you find exactly what you need.

Interstate moving costs add up fast, so it’s important to get it all right the first time by staying organized, packing beforehand, and storing your belongings in a safe space during downtime. 

Michael Ta’Nous

Michael Ta’Nous is a full-time writer who works and lives with his wife in Taos, New Mexico. “Mikey” spent his early twenties living either out of a van as a touring musician or out of a backpack on motorcycle trips writing from cafes–these rigorous adventure years polished him into a master packer. In addition to managing storage units full of catering supplies and outdoor gear professionally, Michael has used storage units as a band rehearsal space and a motorcycle garage.