The Burrow
Sep 25, 2025
Whether you’re heading down the road or flying out to another country, moving house is exciting, but it can also get expensive. From hiring a moving company or packing up your belongings yourself, to any relevant solicitor and fuel payments, your costs can quickly add up – and that’s before you include the actual price of your new home!
So, to help you better understand exactly how much it costs to move in 2025, the home and contents insurance experts at Compare the Market have analysed a full breakdown of the 2025 moving cost data for both the US and Australia.
The results also reveal the least and most expensive states to move house, the cheapest interstate routes, and everything you need to know for your next move. So, how much does it cost to relocate in the US? What is the cheapest city to move to in Australia? Let’s take a closer look at all the latest data to find out!
In the US, the cost of hiring movers depends on a range of different factors. You’ll need to consider how far you’re moving and the level of demand for removal companies in your state. You’ll also need to think about average hourly rates and just how much it costs to hire movers, trucks, or packing containers in your local area.
The average state moving costs typically range from USD$1,220 (New Mexico) to $3,191 (Vermont). You may also find that cross-state moves can exceed $5,000 in particularly expensive locations and large five-plus bedroom moves, such as in New Hampshire, where this costs an average of $6,014.
Even “DIY” routes like truck rental can add up to roughly $60 per day, plus container costs. You’ll need to research all of these charges before going ahead with your next big move.
According to Compare the Market’s 2025 report, Vermont is the most expensive state to hire professional movers in the US, closely followed by Iowa, New Hampshire and South Dakota.
Here’s a quick look at how much it costs on average to hire moving services in some of the most expensive US states:
Working with a mover encompasses everything from labour-only movers to vehicle hire. Some professional removal services may charge a flat rate, but hourly costs are usually more common.
Location is key. Compare Vermont, for example, to cheaper states like New Mexico, where moving costs range from just $312 to $2,658 (average mid-point $1,220).
The cheapest states to move to in the US include New Mexico, Arizona, and Arkansas. Here’s a look at the average total cost you can expect to pay:
This dataset shows a clear variance in cost by state, especially compared to the most expensive states for movers. Your costs will also depend on local vs. long-distance moving. If your home removal company charges per hour, long-distance moving costs can really start to rack up.
Moving to a new home in your local state is a popular choice, but it’s not cheap. Montana is the most expensive state for cross-state removal services, with an average cost of $5,127. New York is the most affordable at just $2,931.
Moving across Idaho costs an average of $4,981, Washington costs roughly $4,744, and it typically costs around $4,795 to move house in North Dakota. And seeing as these are five of the most popular cross-state relocations, this may cause an increased demand for removal services, which could mean you end up paying more in hourly costs to transport your possessions.
In Australia, there’s a much larger discrepancy between state and city moving costs compared to the US, where most costs tend to fall between $1,000 and $5,000 per relocation. The cost of cross-state moves in Australia can range from as little as A$220 (Sydney to Wollongong) to as much as A$14,145 (Adelaide to Perth).
Perth consistently emerges as the most expensive hub for movers, both to and from the city. In comparison, Sydney is the most affordable city to move from. You’ll pay an average of A$5,000 in moving costs.
According to the latest data for 2025, Perth is the most expensive city to move to in Australia. It costs an average of A$11,968 across various local destinations. This is closely followed by Adelaide (A$8,956), Canberra (A$7,649) and Melbourne (A$7,017), while it costs roughly A$6,249 to move to the Sunshine Coast.
Additionally, Perth is the most expensive city to move from, with an average cost of A$9,488, depending on the type of moving services you need. This is due to Perth’s geographic isolation and favourable labour market.
Movers in Perth will need to travel further to transport belongings to your new home – and they’ll be paid a higher wage to do it.
Some cities may be cheaper than others for moving costs like truck rental, containers and labour-only movers. Here are some of the cheapest cities to move from in Australia:
On average, Sydney is by far the most affordable place to move home in Australia. This takes into account all major cities surveyed for Compare the Market’s report.
Whether you’re relocating for work or purchasing your dream home, prices for moving between different states can vary significantly depending on location. Here are 5 of the cheapest interstate city routes in Australia:
Moving from Brisbane to Perth is one of the most expensive interstate routes. It’ll cost you from A$12,450 to A$12,776. Comparatively, moving from Brisbane to Adelaide will almost cut your moving costs in half – you’ll pay roughly A$6,861.
Long-distance interstate moves consistently cost from A$6,000 to A$12,000. This is because interstate distances in Australia are usually longer than in the US, which makes moving costs disproportionately more expensive.
Moving home is one of life’s biggest changes – and biggest expenses. But hopefully our data set can help give you a better idea of the costs associated with doing so to help you budget properly for it.
Touching on our study further, Adrian Taylor, Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, says that moving house is a good time to review home and contents cover, as the policy will likely have to end and a new one will need to be taken out.
“You will need to call your insurer and let them know you’re moving house. They’ll likely suggest taking out a new policy with them, but moving house is a great time to take stock and compare your options,” Mr Taylor says.
“If you’re culling a lot of stuff and down-sizing to a smaller home, it’s important to take stock of your possessions to ensure your coverage limits in the previous policy are still adequate, or if they need updating. In many cases, people are actually underinsured, where they could face being out-of-pocket if their coverage limits don’t cover the cost of a claim.
“Moving house is also a great time to compare home and contents insurance policies to see if you can save money by switching to a better deal. Always make sure to read through the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before purchasing a policy.”
Data was collected for the USA and Australian moving services, including:
For the USA: Midpoints of cost ranges and top five cross-state moves were calculated.
For Australia: Average costs for city-to-city interstate moves were calculated.
Data was normalised into comparable figures to allow state-by-state and route-based comparisons.
All data correct as of 04/09/2025.