How Much Does It Cost to Hire Movers for a 1-Bedroom Apartment? [2025 Data]
Moving a one-bedroom apartment costs between $400 and $3,000 or $1,850 on average, depending on whether it's a local or long-distance move.
The cost of movers for a one-bedroom apartment depends largely on distance, with local moves being less expensive than long-distance ones.
Other factors affecting the cost include apartment size, the weight of your belongings, and whether you need additional services like packing.
The cost to move a one-bedroom apartment yourself is lower, but it’s a labor-intensive process that takes significant time.
Wondering how much movers cost for a one-bedroom apartment? The range is often between $400 and $3,000 or $1,850 on average. Your overall moving cost depends on many factors, including apartment size, distance, and more. Our guide will show you how much movers cost for a one-bedroom apartment, whether you’re moving locally or far away.
How Much Do Movers Cost for a 1-Bedroom Apartment?
If you’re searching for how much movers cost, our guide breaks down the various factors that will impact your final bill. These variables include moving distance, labor, the weight of your belongings, your location, and more.
| Move Distance | Average Cost | Packing Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Local Move (under 100 miles) | $400–$1,600 | $200–$400 |
| Long Distance (over 100 miles) | $700–$3,000 | $1,000 |
Distance of Move
The distance of your move significantly impacts the price tag. It goes without saying that the further away you move, the higher the cost will be.
Local Moves
If you’re wondering how much it costs to move a one-bedroom apartment locally, this is considered a distance of less than 100 miles. You can expect to pay $400 to $1,600, on average, for a local move. Your overall price will depend on the accessibility of your apartment, whether you need professional packing, and other factors. You can tack on an additional $200 to $400 for packing services.
Long-Distance Moves
When hiring long-distance movers, you’ll pay $700 to $4,200 for a one-bedroom apartment. The price will also depend on the mileage traveled, insurance, whether you need professional packing, and more. Plan to add around $1,000 for packaging services when making a long-distance move.
| Mileage | Average Moving Cost |
|---|---|
| 250 miles | $700–$2,500 |
| 500 miles | $1,000–$3,000 |
| 1,000 miles | $1,400–$3,500 |
| 2,000 miles | $2,000–$4,000 |
| 3,000 miles | $3,700–$4,200 |
Labor
Movers often charge hourly for local moves. You can expect to pay around $80 per hour for each mover, though the price can vary widely. One-bedroom apartments might require two movers, and the labor often takes three to five hours, so you'll spend a minimum of $200 to $400 on labor. Some companies also have a three-hour $300 minimum for two professional movers.
Weight
For long-distance relocations, movers might calculate costs based on mileage and weight of your belongings. The average weight for a one-bedroom apartment runs between 1,800 and 3,500 pounds. Because movers often charge $0.50 to $0.80 per pound, the cost range might be between $900 and $2,800 without add-ons. The more belongings you have, the higher you can expect your total bill.
Access
Labor costs are higher for locations that are difficult to access. One-bedroom apartments sometimes come with accessibility challenges like long hallways, narrow stairwells, or elevators in high-rise buildings. Parking can be another issue, especially in metropolitan cities like New York, where you may need to acquire a parking permit for your moving truck.
You can help your pros by removing potential obstacles ahead of time, making items easily accessible, and ensuring furniture can fit through the doorways. Otherwise, the movers may waste crucial time disassembling bed frames or tripping on area rugs.
Packing Services
You might hire movers to pack and unpack your belongings. If you’re moving a small amount of belongings locally, the cost might be as low as $200. In other cases, it can be upwards of $1,000. As an alternative, you can spend around $150 on cardboard boxes, tape, and packing paper if you purchase packing supplies yourself.
Season
Peak moving season is from May to September, with weekends having the highest demand. If you move during the summer rush, you’ll likely incur higher moving charges. You can save money by planning your one-bedroom apartment move during the off-season or on a weekday.
Moving Speciality Items
When calculating the cost to move a one-bedroom apartment, you need to consider large or fragile items. These raise the price because they need special handling or packaging. Here are some examples:
Piano moving cost: $260–$590
Hot tub moving cost: $150–$800
Grandfather clock moving cost: $400–$4,000
Car moving cost: $1,000 - $2,000
Pool table moving cost: $375 - $1,500
Additional Moving Costs to Consider
Moving Insurance
You’ll want to consider getting moving insurance to protect your belongings. You can choose full-value protection, which costs 1% of the total estimated value of your belongings. Full value protection offers repair, replacement, or money to replace lost or damaged items.
You can also choose released value protection, which is cost-free and comes standard with many moving companies. Released value protection means the moving company is responsible for no more than $0.60 per pound per item for lost or damaged items. Lastly, you can purchase third-party insurance through your homeowners’ insurance or a private lender.
Tipping
Tipping shows your gratitude for a moving job done well. It’s not required, but if you want to know how much to tip movers, a good rule is to tip between $4 to $5 per hour per mover. For long-distance moves, it’s customary to tip a flat rate of 10% to 20% of your total bill in gratuity.
| Average Move Cost | Example Tip | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $1,850 | 10% | $2,035 |
| $1,850 | 15% | $2,128 |
| $1,850 | 20% | $2,220 |
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
If you’re on a tight budget, you might consider moving a one-bedroom apartment yourself, especially if you can wrangle people to help you load and unload your belongings. That said, moving is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task, and you’ll need to take care of every detail.
One major factor is renting a moving truck or van—probably 10-12 feet for a one-bedroom apartment. If you’re moving less than 50 miles, you can expect to pay around $130 for a moving van, plus the cost to refill the tank. You’ll pay between $1 and $2 per mile for long-distance moves, and these costs can add up quickly. Other expenses for moving yourself include packing supplies, moving equipment, road tolls, and parking fees.
Moving professionals will save you time, prevent injury, and eliminate some logistical concerns. If you hire a moving company near you, you’ll pay an average price of $1,850, but you’ll know that your belongings are in good hands by experienced movers with the proper equipment.
Tips to Reduce Cost While Moving a 1-Bedroom Apartment
Although moving a one-bedroom apartment may seem daunting and cost-prohibitive, you can still adhere to a budget. Here are tips to reduce your cost before embarking on your one-bedroom move:
Declutter: The fewer items you have, the less time movers will take to load and unload. Start by donating, selling, or removing unwanted items.
Look for deals: Check local stores or online neighborhood markets for free cardboard boxes and packing supplies.
Pack early: Packing all your belongings in advance will save you $200 to $1,000 in packing fees from professional movers.
Solicit quotes: Get at least three quotes from local and long-distance moving companies to ensure you get the best deal for your needs.
Handle the furniture: Disassemble and reassemble your furniture yourself to save costs.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Professional movers take care of safely loading, transporting, and unloading all of your belongings. Many movers also offer specialty pricing for whole-house packing, furniture disassembly, relocating fragile items, and more. You’ll benefit from having a moving team take care of your move quickly and efficiently.
Professionals can typically move a one-bedroom apartment in three to five hours. It will take longer if you have many belongings or the destination is far away. The time will also increase if the movers must handle large and cumbersome items, like full sets of dressers and antique wood furniture. DIY moves take significantly longer, typically lasting a full day or more.
Moving a one-bedroom apartment yourself can range from $150 to more than $1,500, depending on distance, the amount of belongings you have, and more. On the other hand, the cost of hiring movers for a one-bedroom apartment is around $1,850 on average. You’ll save money with the DIY route, but the process is much more labor-intensive and time-consuming.
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