($779+) Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL Movers

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

Full-service movers for the 1,172-mile relocation from Chicago, Illinois, to Tampa, Florida, cost between $2,134 and $8,117. 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 $316 - $2,104, 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 Chicago typically charge a base rate around $220 plus $100 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,134 - $5,195
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,753 - $6,361
• 4+ bedrooms: $4,724 - $8,117

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 Chicago to Tampa.

Specialty moving services from Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL

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

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

All three below meet the standards set by the Professional Movers Association of Florida, the group most Florida movers are affiliated with.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this list, with flat-rate pricing that holds firm on moving day and a customer support team available around the clock.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover here. With 30+ years of interstate moves behind them, AVL uses full-time in-house crews instead of the contracted labor most national carriers rely on.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage, with fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment tracking, and an optional full-value protection plan available on every long-distance move.

Moving container costs from Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL

Moving containers from Chicago, Illinois, to Tampa, Florida, cost between $1,223 and $4,216. 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 Chicago typically runs around $100/month.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,223 - $2,480
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,625 - $3,354
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,221 - $4,216

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $79 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $158 per month.
• Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in Tampa, FL, if you need to retrieve anything while items are still in storage.
• Moving labor: Since you're responsible for loading the container yourself, many customers bring in hourly help. Based on moveBuddha data, hiring 2 movers for approximately 5 hours costs about $736 in Chicago, IL. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Full-value protection goes beyond the standard minimum and covers repair, replacement, or reimbursement at declared value. Pricing is typically 1% - 2% of your total shipment value, about $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 move.

What are the best moving containers Chicago to Tampa?

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 Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL

Truck rentals from Chicago, Illinois, to Tampa, Florida, range from $741 - $2,150 for the 1,172-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $392 - $448
• Daily insurance: $32/day
• Equipment rentals: $7 - $21
• Chicago daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.79

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $741 - $1,395
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $859 - $1,764
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,068 - $2,150

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Equipment: Tow dollies, appliance dollies, and moving pads are not included in the base rate. These extras often total between $79 and $368.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $158.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $392 and $448 for the 1,172-mile drive, depending on whether your truck runs on gas or diesel.
• Moving labor: If you'd rather not do all the heavy lifting, budget around $736 for 2 movers in Chicago, Illinois, for about 5 hours.
• Additional insurance: Damage protection plans generally add about $30 per day.

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

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 Chicago, IL to Tampa, FL

If you're moving a larger household from Chicago, Illinois, and want to stay in control of the loading process, freight trailers offer a practical middle ground between hiring movers and renting a truck yourself. A 28-foot trailer is delivered to your door, you load what you need, and the carrier handles the drive to Tampa, Florida.

Freight trailers are priced by the linear feet your belongings take up, so you only pay for the space you use. Most moves on this route fall between $1,392 and $2,658.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,181 - $2,167
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,392 - $2,658
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,723 - $3,549

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Seasonal demand: Pricing tends to rise during peak moving season, particularly between mid-May and mid-September.
• Moving labor: Most customers hire loading help since freight is self-loaded. Two movers in Chicago, Illinois, for roughly 5 hours typically costs $736.
• More space: Freight companies bill by linear footage. If your belongings take up more room than anticipated, the extra space adds between $79 and $158 per foot.

What are the best freight companies from Chicago to Tampa?

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. Keller Trucking Co, Inc. (4.54/5 stars): Keller Trucking Co, 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: Chicago, IL vs Tampa, FL

There's not a big cost-of-living gap between Chicago and Tampa to plan around. Cost of living index: 106 vs. 104. Average rent: $2,045/mo vs. $1,930/mo. The bigger factor in your budget is the one-time cost of the move itself, covered above. Walkability: 77 vs. 51. Safety index: 33.87 vs. 53.85.