($1,703+) Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA

Full-service movers for the 2,865-mile relocation from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Oakland, California, cost between $2,500 and $12,088. With a long-distance moving company, loading, transportation, and unloading are all taken care of. If you want to skip packing boxes, too, that can be added for $422 - $2,816, depending on your home size. What you pay in the end is mainly a function of how much your shipment weighs and how far it's traveling. As a point of reference, local movers in Philadelphia typically charge a base rate around $282 plus $130 per hour, per mover.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Philadelphia to Oakland:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,500 - $6,416
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $3,926 - $7,883
• 4+ bedrooms: $7,310 - $12,088

Packing, storage, shuttle fees, and added coverage can stack on top of the base price. See the full add-ons and specialty services table below for what each runs from Philadelphia to Oakland.

Specialty moving services from Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA

Specialty needs vary by market — 90% of Philadelphia movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Oakland, 85% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Philadelphia to Oakland?

Movers licensed to operate in California are typically members of the California Moving & Storage Association, worth checking for before you book any of the three below.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this list. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 customer support, and 30 days of free storage are included with every move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list, with 30+ years in business since 1995. AVL is one of the few national carriers that uses full-time in-house crews instead of contracted labor.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage, combining fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan that covers damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA

Moving containers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Oakland, California, cost between $2,075 and $7,762. With a moving container, you load on your own schedule. U-Haul gives you 3 days to fill yours, while PODS gives you up to 30. Once you're ready, the company transports it straight to your new place. Need more time first? Storage in Philadelphia typically costs about $80/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Philadelphia to Oakland:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,075 - $3,844
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,771 - $5,352
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,826 - $7,762

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $106 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $211 per month for larger units (12 - 16 feet).
• Moving labor: Containers don't come with loading help, so many customers hire hourly movers for the job. Two movers for about 5 hours will run you around $986 in Philadelphia, PA, per moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Standard coverage only reimburses by weight. Full-value protection gives you more complete coverage for higher-value items and typically costs 1% - 2% of your total declared value, around $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 shipment.
• Access: National providers generally operate in both cities, but verify that a facility near your Oakland, CA, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Philadelphia to Oakland?

1. Units Moving and Portable Storage (4.3/5 stars)
2. U-Pack (5.0/5 stars)
3. MovingYourself (5.0/5 stars)

Moving truck rental costs from Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA

Renting a moving truck for the 2,865-mile move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Oakland, California, costs between $1,703 and $4,782, before these typical add-ons:

• Fuel for the drive: $1,284 - $1,467
• Daily insurance: $42/day
• Equipment rentals: $10 - $28
• Philadelphia daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.89 - $0.99

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Philadelphia to Oakland based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,703 - $3,208
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,702 - $3,666
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,377 - $4,782

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Additional insurance: Supplemental coverage typically averages around $30 per day.
• Lodging: Budget around $211 per night if your drive requires an overnight stop. Typically, you'll make 1 - 3 overnight stops, depending on move distance.
• Moving labor: Bringing in professional loading help in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, usually costs about $986 for 2 movers and 5 hours of labor.
• Gas: Fuel for the 2,865-mile drive falls between $1,284 and $1,467, depending on whether your truck runs on gas or diesel.
• Equipment: Appliance dollies, moving pads, and vehicle trailers are easy to overlook but can add between $70 and $422 to your total.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Philadelphia to Oakland?

1. Budget Truck Rental (4.3/5 stars)
2. Penske Truck Rental (4.0/5 stars)
3. U-Haul Truck Rental (4.2/5 stars)

The best truck rental companies for this route, based on moveBuddha's ratings.

Freight trailer costs from Philadelphia, PA to Oakland, CA

Freight trailers are a good fit for medium-to-large moves where you need more space than a container but don't want to drive a rental truck from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Oakland, California. The trailer is delivered to your address, you load it, and the carrier takes it the rest of the way.

Unlike truck rentals with flat rates, freight trailers scale with your shipment. Every additional section of trailer space you fill increases your total. Most long-distance moves using this method run roughly between $2,175 and $4,281.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Philadelphia to Oakland:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,794 - $3,708
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,175 - $4,281
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,914 - $6,331

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Demand cycles: Trailer costs climb during peak moving season, especially from mid-May through mid-September when demand is at its highest.
• More space: You're billed only for the linear feet you use, but underestimating your inventory means paying for extra space, typically around $106 - $211 more per foot.
• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading crews. Two movers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for about five hours typically runs $986.

What are the best freight companies from Philadelphia to Oakland?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is our pick for best for large moves. The company is best known as a top moving container option for its hybrid model where you load and they drive, and that same model translates well to freight thanks to their 53-foot trucks and pay-by-the-foot pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Beyond their flagship container service, U-Pack also runs freight trailers with the same no-deposit, no-upfront-fee model, charging only for the linear footage you actually fill.
3. Pipco Transportation, Inc. (4.66/5 stars): Pipco Transportation, Inc. is our pick for best locally owned freight company. Their locally owned and operated facilities mean you work with support staff who know the route and the area, giving you more responsive scheduling than national-only carriers typically offer.

Cost of living: Philadelphia, PA vs Oakland, CA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in Oakland, side by side with Philadelphia on housing, income, and taxes.

Cost of living index is relative to the U.S. average of 100. Figures reflect the latest available city and state data.