($584+) Chicago, IL to Albany, NY Movers

Full-service moving costs from Chicago, IL to Albany, NY

Full-service movers for the 817-mile relocation from Chicago, Illinois, to Albany, New York, cost between $1,692 and $8,285. 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 $310 - $2,064, 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 Albany:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,692 - $4,235
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,394 - $5,611
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,876 - $8,285

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 Albany.

Specialty moving services from Chicago, IL to Albany, NY

Specialty needs vary by market — 93% of Chicago movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Albany, 75% of movers offer the same service.

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

All three below meet the standards set by the New York State Movers & Warehousemen’s Association, the group most New York 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 Albany, NY

Moving containers from Chicago, Illinois, to Albany, New York, cost between $1,163 and $3,879. 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 Chicago typically costs about $100/month.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,163 - $2,142
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,422 - $2,886
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,986 - $3,879

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $77 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $155 per month.
• Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in Albany, NY, 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 $722 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 Albany?

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 Albany, NY

Truck rentals from Chicago, Illinois, to Albany, New York, range from $619 - $1,554 for the 817-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $268 - $307
• Daily insurance: $31/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 Albany based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $619 - $1,078
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $624 - $1,374
• 4+ bedrooms: $829 - $1,554

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 $77 and $361.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $155.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $268 and $307 for the 817-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 $722 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 Albany?

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 Albany, NY

Freight trailers are a solid option for larger DIY moves from Chicago, Illinois, to Albany, New York. Standard trailers run 28 feet long, and you're only charged for the portion you actually fill. The carrier drops the trailer off, you load it at your own pace, and they handle the drive to your new city.

Pricing is based entirely on the linear footage your shipment occupies, not the full trailer length. Most long-distance freight moves land somewhere between $929 and $2,308.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,026 - $1,946
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,196 - $2,308
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,481 - $3,073

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 $77 - $155 more per foot.
• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading crews. Two movers in Chicago, Illinois, for about five hours typically runs $722.

What are the best freight companies from Chicago to Albany?

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

Chicago and Albany land in a similar range on everyday costs. The cost of living index sits at 106 in Chicago and 99 in Albany, and rent tracks closely too ($2,045/mo vs. $1,450/mo). You likely won't need to rework your monthly budget much after this move. Walkability (77 vs 65) and safety scores (33.87 vs 49.65) come out about the same too.