Moving Cost Calculator
Local moves are billed by the hour; interstate moves by volume — this sorts out which you're facing and what it costs.
Estimate what a house move costs in Australia — local removalists priced by the hour (crew, hours and access) or an interstate move priced by volume and distance, with backloading vs a dedicated truck, plus a DIY truck-hire comparison. AUD, GST-inclusive, 2026 rates.
Estimates from your home size and typical AU removalist rates — pricing is regional and operator-set, so confirm with a quote.
How the moving cost is worked out
Two very different pricing models
Australian removalists price a local move by the hour and an interstate move by volume, so the calculator switches method with the Local/Interstate toggle. For a local move it estimates the hours the job takes from your home size and crew, multiplies by the hourly rate (set from your city and crew), adds a call-out or travel fee, and layers on time for stairs and long carries plus a weekend loading. For an interstate move it takes the volume of your home in cubic metres, multiplies by a per-m³ rate for the route's distance, and applies a discount for backloading or a premium for a dedicated truck.
Worked examples
A 2-bedroom local move — two movers at about $140/hr for roughly 3.5 hours plus a $75 call-out — comes to about $565. A 3-bedroom local move — three movers at about $190/hr for around 5 hours plus the call-out — is roughly $1,025. A 3-bedroom Sydney→Melbourne move is about $2,678 backloaded or roughly $4,165 with a dedicated truck. Every figure is an editable estimate, not a quote.
Local moves and the hourly rate
Local removalists charge by the hour, GST-inclusive, with the rate set by crew size and your city:
- Two movers + truck — ~$140/hr (national). Suits a studio, 1-bed or small 2-bed. Sydney sits above the national mid; Adelaide and Perth a little below.
- Three movers — ~$190/hr. The usual crew for a 3-bedroom house — more hands means fewer hours, which often costs about the same as a slow two-person job while being far less risky.
- Four movers for a large 4–5 bedroom home, where the extra hands earn their keep on a big load.
Because you pay for time, anything that slows the crew adds cost: stairs with no lift at either end, a long carry from a distant park or lift, heavy items like pianos and fridges, and poor prep on the day. Most operators also charge a call-out or travel fee (often billed as depot-to-depot time) and add a 20–30% loading on weekends and public holidays. Pack yourself, disassemble beds in advance, reserve a parking spot and have everything boxed and ready, and you'll cut the hours — and the bill.
Interstate moves and backloading
Priced by cubic metres, not hours
Over long distances, removalists price by the volume your goods take up in the truck — measured in cubic metres (m³) — multiplied by a rate that reflects the route distance. A 2-bedroom home is roughly 20–25 m³, a 3-bedroom house around 35–40 m³, and a 4-bedroom home 50 m³ or more. The further the haul, the higher the per-m³ rate.
Backloading vs a dedicated truck
Backloading means your goods ride in the spare space of a truck already running your route on the operator's schedule. Because you're filling space that would otherwise travel empty, backloading typically saves 30–60% versus a dedicated truck booked to your own dates. On our Sydney→Melbourne 3-bedroom example that's roughly $2,678 backloaded against about $4,165 dedicated. The trade-off is flexibility: you accept the operator's pickup window and a wider delivery window (often a range of days), so backloading suits movers who aren't tied to an exact date.
Insurance and inventory
Interstate goods change hands and travel a long way, so transit cover is worth pricing in — most removalists offer it as an add-on and it's cheap relative to replacing a truckload. Do a room-by-room inventory before you get quotes; the m³ figure is what the price hangs on.
❓ Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
How much do removalists cost in Australia?
Local removalists are priced by the hour and quoted GST-inclusive. Expect roughly $140/hr for two movers and a truck at the national level, around $190/hr for three movers, and more in Sydney. A 2-bedroom local move typically runs about $565 and a 3-bedroom home about $1,025 once you add the call-out or travel fee. Interstate moves are priced by volume and distance instead — a 3-bedroom Sydney to Melbourne move is roughly $2,678 by backloading or about $4,165 with a dedicated truck. Every rate is an editable estimate, not a quote.
How long does a house move take?
As a rough guide, two movers clear a 1-bedroom flat in about 3–4 hours, a 2-bedroom home in 4–5 hours, and a 3-bedroom house needs three movers for around 6–7 hours. Stairs with no lift, long carries to the truck, and heavy or bulky items all add time — and because local moves are billed by the hour, they add cost. Booking the right crew size for your home size keeps the hourly bill down.
What is backloading and how much does it save?
Backloading means your goods share the spare space on a truck that's already running your route on the operator's schedule, rather than booking a whole truck to yourself on your chosen dates. Because the removalist fills otherwise-empty space, backloading typically saves 30–60% versus a dedicated interstate truck — our Sydney to Melbourne 3-bedroom example drops from about $4,165 dedicated to roughly $2,678 backloaded. The trade-off is less control over pickup and delivery dates and a wider delivery window.
Is it cheaper to hire a truck and move myself?
It can be, for a small or short move. A one-tonne or larger truck hires for roughly $140 a day plus fuel — a thirsty truck burns about 20 L/100km, so fuel adds up over distance — plus you supply the labour and take on the lifting and the risk. For a studio or 1-bedroom move across town, DIY often beats removalists; for a 3-bedroom home or an interstate move, professional removalists or backloading usually win once you count the days, the fuel and your own time. The calculator's DIY comparison puts both side by side.
Do removalists charge more on weekends?
Yes. Most removalists charge a premium of about 20–30% for weekends and public holidays because demand is highest then. If your dates are flexible, a mid-week move is the cheapest — and it's easier to book the crew and time slot you want. The calculator adds a 25% weekend loading when you select a weekend or public-holiday move.
Where these figures come from
There's no single official price for a house move — it depends on your home size, city, access, dates, and whether the move is local or interstate. The rates below are 2026 ranges drawn from typical Australian removalist and truck-hire pricing; they are approximate, GST-inclusive and vary from one quote to the next, so treat them as a planning guide and use your own operator's price.
- Local hourly rates — about $140/hr for two movers and a truck (national mid), ~$190/hr for three, higher in Sydney. Priced by the hour, usually with a call-out or travel fee.
- Weekend loading — roughly 20–30% more on weekends and public holidays; the calculator uses 25%.
- Interstate — priced by volume (m³) × route distance; a 3-bedroom home is about 35–40 m³. Backloading saves roughly 30–60% versus a dedicated truck.
- DIY truck hire — a one-tonne or larger truck is around $140/day plus fuel; a large truck burns roughly 20 L/100km.
Last checked: July 2026. All prices are indicative and vary by home size, city, access, dates and operator. This is a planning estimate — get a current quote from your removalist before you book.
Select the question that matches where you are right now.
The headline number is the estimated cost of your move: for a local move, the hourly crew cost plus access and call-out; for interstate, the volume × distance charge with backloading or dedicated pricing. The breakdown shows where each dollar goes, and the DIY box compares hiring a truck yourself.
Use it to set a moving budget and to sanity-check quotes. If a local quote is well above the hourly estimate, ask how many movers and hours it assumes; if an interstate quote is high, ask the m³ and whether it's backload or dedicated.
It's not a fixed quote. It doesn't price a piano or pool table, difficult access, storage between dates, or an insurance claim. Operators set their own rates and minimums, and interstate delivery windows vary.
The toggle changes the whole pricing model — hours for local, cubic metres for interstate — so switch it to match your actual move before you read the number.
Four things move the price the most: home size, whether it's local or interstate, access, and your dates.
More rooms mean more volume and more hours. On a local move the right crew size actually saves money — three movers finishing fast can beat two movers grinding through a big house.
Stairs with no lift, long carries and tight parking all add time on a local move and can add a surcharge interstate. Reserve a park and clear the path before the crew arrives.
Weekends and public holidays add 20–30%; mid-week and mid-month are cheapest. For interstate, backloading trades an exact date for a 30–60% saving, while a dedicated truck buys you your own schedule at a premium.
A few moves cut the bill without cutting corners.
Box everything, disassemble beds and empty the fridge before the crew arrives. On an hourly local move, ready-to-load rooms are the single biggest time — and cost — saver.
Move mid-week and mid-month to dodge the weekend loading and peak demand. Flexible interstate dates unlock backloading and its 30–60% saving.
Fewer boxes means fewer hours or fewer cubic metres. Sell or donate what you won't use in the new place — you pay to move every carton.
A move is one line in a bigger relocation budget. Price the rest of the change too.