
Costs & Pricing
How Much Does It Cost to Move a 1-Bedroom Apartment?
A one-bedroom is the most common move in New York, but the price can still vary a lot. Here is what shapes the number and how to keep it reasonable.
Costs & Pricing · August 12, 2025 · 5 min read
Start with a proper estimate, ideally in person or through a detailed video walkthrough. Two one-bedroom apartments can differ by a few hundred square feet, and one may be minimally furnished while the other is packed wall to wall. Your movers need to see what they are actually carrying before they can price it fairly.
Three things move the price more than anything else: the volume of your belongings in cubic feet, the floors and access at each building (elevator or walk-up), and how flexible your date is. End-of-month dates are usually the most expensive because that is when leases turn over across the city.
Where the Money Goes
Labor is almost always the biggest line item. Packing up and loading a full one-bedroom can take around five hours. With a two-person crew billing in the neighborhood of $60 per mover per hour, labor alone can reach roughly $700 as a typical estimate. Transportation and handling come on top of that, and they rise quickly if you are leaving the city with our long-distance movers.
Then there are the extras that depend on your situation: long carries from the truck to your door, shuttle service when a big truck cannot reach your block, storage, professional packing, and heavy pieces such as an upright piano that call for piano movers.
The best way to avoid a surprise charge is to give your mover a complete, honest inventory up front. If the closet full of boxes or the second dresser is not on the list, it is not in the price.
How Much Does It Cost to Move a Studio?
A studio usually costs about a third less to move than a one-bedroom. With fewer things to carry, a crew of one or two movers is often enough instead of two or three.
Less stuff also means fewer hours. A studio might wrap up in about three hours rather than five, and you can save even more by having every box packed, taped and labeled before the crew arrives.
That said, a studio crammed with furniture and boxes can easily cost as much as a sparse one-bedroom. Your estimate is built on the actual items you want moved, not the apartment's label.
Cost to Move a 2-Bedroom Apartment
A two-bedroom typically needs three movers to load efficiently. Using the same rough $60-per-mover hourly figure, minimum labor can come to around $700, and a heavier inventory that adds a couple of hours can push labor toward $1,000.
These moves usually require a larger truck as well. All in, a local two-bedroom move often lands around $2,000 or more as a typical range, depending on how much you are bringing. Our apartment movers can give you an exact figure in writing.
How Much Does It Cost to Move From a House?
House moves are priced the same way: by what goes on the truck. A three-bedroom home with beds, dressers, dining and living room sets and several appliances can easily estimate above $4,000 as a typical range.
A small, lightly furnished house, on the other hand, may cost about the same as a one-bedroom apartment move. Moving from Long Island or New Jersey follows the same logic.
If you plan to sell or donate most of your furniture and buy new at your destination, the cost of hiring professional movers can be surprisingly modest.
How to Save on Your Moving Expenses
If your budget is tight, these strategies can help bring your total below the typical range.
- Step 1
Pack yourself
Any part of the job you handle on your own saves money. Packing your boxes and prepping smaller furniture before moving day is one of the easiest ways to cut labor hours.
- Step 2
Source materials for free
Ask neighborhood shops, liquor stores and grocers to set aside sturdy boxes. Towels, sweaters and linens make excellent padding for fragile items, so you buy less bubble wrap.
- Step 3
Ask about deals
If you are moving outside the busy summer season, ask whether a lower rate is available. The worst you will hear is no.
- Step 4
Pick a quieter day
Some costs, such as a walk-up building, are unavoidable. But midweek and mid-month dates are usually less in demand than weekends and the last days of the month, which can mean a better price.
- Step 5
Consider a DIY move
You can always rent a van and do the heavy lifting yourself. A small local DIY move can cost under a couple hundred dollars in rental fees, though you take on the driving, parking, loading and risk.
Are You Getting Ready to Move in NYC?
Moving can feel financially overwhelming. Between deposits, broker fees, first month's rent and the move itself, it helps to have a few months of expenses saved before you sign. Rent is the biggest monthly cost for most households, so many people aim to keep it to roughly a third of their income.
Every household also has its own extras to account for. Trimming a few lifestyle costs in the months before the move can give you a meaningful cushion.
Planning ahead is what makes moving day predictable. Get an estimate, agree on exactly what is being moved, and look for the places you can save. Choosing a flat-fee move is another way to lock in your number before the truck arrives.
Get a Price for Your 1-Bedroom Move
Send MPs New York your inventory and dates, and we will reply with a clear written quote. Typical ranges here are estimates; your written quote is final.