($787+) Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL Movers

Full-service moving costs from Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL

Full-service movers for the 1,172-mile relocation from Tampa, Florida, to Chicago, Illinois, cost between $1,881 and $7,454. 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 $314 - $2,096, 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 Tampa typically charge a base rate around $266 plus $84 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,881 - $4,635
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,577 - $5,900
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,967 - $7,454

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 Tampa to Chicago.

Specialty moving services from Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL

Specialty needs vary by market — 93% of Tampa movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Chicago, 93% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Tampa to Chicago?

If you're vetting a mover on your own instead, membership in Illinois Movers’ and Warehousemen’s Association is a good first thing to confirm.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving offers the best overall value on this route. Flat-rate pricing locks in your cost upfront, and 24/7 customer support is available throughout the move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. Operating since 1995, AVL staffs every move with full-time in-house crews trained on antiques, art, and other high-value items.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. As one of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, real-time shipment tracking, and an optional full-value protection plan.

Moving container costs from Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL

Moving containers from Tampa, Florida, to Chicago, Illinois, cost between $1,249 and $4,480. You load everything on your own schedule (U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30). When you're ready, the company takes care of getting the container from point A to point B. Need more time than that? Extra storage in Tampa typically runs around $100/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Tampa to Chicago:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,249 - $2,504
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,592 - $3,188
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,221 - $4,480

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Access: Most major container brands operate in both Tampa, FL and Chicago, IL. Still, double-check that a nearby facility is available if you need to access your belongings before delivery.
• Moving labor: Because containers are self-loaded, many customers hire hourly help. Two movers for about 5 hours typically cost around $734 in Tampa, FL, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: Monthly container rental after the first 30 days averages $79 for small units (7 - 8 feet) and about $157 for larger ones (12 - 16 feet).
• Added contents protection: For more coverage beyond the standard minimum, full-value protection is the typical upgrade, generally 1% - 2% of your declared shipment value. On a $50,000 household, that's roughly $500 - $1,000 as a one-time fee.

What are the best moving containers Tampa to Chicago?

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 Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL

A rental truck is the cheapest way to cover the 1,172 miles from Tampa, Florida, to Chicago, Illinois, running $803 - $2,022. It's also the most hands-on option, and the base rate doesn't include:

• Fuel for the drive: $391 - $447
• Daily insurance: $31/day
• Equipment rentals: $7 - $21
• Tampa daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.60 - $0.99

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Tampa to Chicago based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $803 - $1,395
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $876 - $1,782
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,058 - $2,022

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $157 per night. Most long-distance moves with rental trucks require 1 - 3 overnight stops.
• Equipment: Tow dollies, auto trailers, and specialty moving equipment can add between $68 and $341 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $391 - $447 in fuel for the 1,172-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $734 in Tampa, Florida, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Tampa to Chicago?

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 Tampa, FL to Chicago, IL

For larger DIY moves from Tampa, Florida, freight trailers give you plenty of room without putting you behind the wheel. Standard trailers are 28 feet long. You load the section you need, and the carrier transports everything to Chicago, Illinois.

Because freight companies bill by linear footage, your total is based on how much of the trailer you occupy, not the full length. For most medium-to-large moves on this route, pricing typically falls between $1,379 and $2,658.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,100 - $2,103
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,379 - $2,658
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,813 - $3,514

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 $79 - $157 more per foot.
• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading crews. Two movers in Tampa, Florida, for about five hours typically runs $734.

What are the best freight companies from Tampa to Chicago?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is the pick for best for large moves. The company is well-regarded as a top moving container option for its load-it-yourself, we-drive-it model, and that same model makes it a strong freight option for larger homes that benefit from the company's 53-foot trucks and footage-based pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Alongside their flagship container service, U-Pack provides a top-notch freight trailer option that follows the same model: no deposits, no upfront fees, and pricing based on the linear footage you actually use.
3. Quality Carriers (4.42/5 stars): Quality Carriers is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Locally owned and based facilities mean accessible support staff and area-specific scheduling flexibility that national-only freight carriers typically don't match.

Cost of living: Tampa, FL vs Chicago, IL

Day-to-day costs in Chicago are close to what you're used to in Tampa: cost of living index of 106 versus 104, with average rent of $2,045/mo compared to $1,930/mo. Housing, income, and taxes are all in a similar range, so budgeting for this move mostly comes down to the moving costs above rather than a shift in your monthly expenses. Walkability and safety scores are close too, at 51/100 and 53.85/100 in Tampa versus 77/100 and 33.87/100 in Chicago.