($616+) Chicago, IL to Charleston, SC Movers

Full-service moving costs from Chicago, IL to Charleston, SC

Full-service movers for the 910-mile relocation from Chicago, Illinois, to Charleston, South Carolina, cost between $1,982 and $7,658. 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 $325 - $2,168, 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 Charleston:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,982 - $4,901
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,541 - $6,178
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,957 - $7,658

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 Charleston.

Specialty moving services from Chicago, IL to Charleston, SC

Specialty needs vary by market — 93% of Chicago movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Charleston, 60% of movers offer the same service.

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

South Carolina Trucking Association membership is a quick way to confirm a mover is legitimate in South Carolina, on top of the picks below.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this route. Flat-rate pricing means no surprise charges on moving day, and their support team is consistently rated among the most responsive in the industry.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover here, 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, with fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan that covers damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Chicago, IL to Charleston, SC

Moving containers from Chicago, Illinois, to Charleston, South Carolina, cost between $1,163 and $3,919. You're in charge of loading, and the timeline is yours to set. U-Haul allows 3 days while PODS gives you a full 30. After that, the company picks it up and delivers it to your new address. Running behind schedule? Storage in Chicago costs roughly $100/month if you need it.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,163 - $2,088
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,510 - $2,901
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,930 - $3,919

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Access: Most major container brands operate in both Chicago, IL and Charleston, SC. 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 $759 in Chicago, IL, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: Monthly container rental after the first 30 days averages $81 for small units (7 - 8 feet) and about $163 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 Chicago to Charleston?

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 Charleston, SC

Renting a moving truck for the 910-mile move from Chicago, Illinois, to Charleston, South Carolina, costs between $622 and $1,787, before these typical add-ons:

• Fuel for the drive: $314 - $359
• Daily insurance: $33/day
• Equipment rentals: $8 - $22
• 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 Charleston based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $622 - $1,262
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $728 - $1,486
• 4+ bedrooms: $826 - $1,787

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 $81 and $379.
• Lodging: An overnight stop typically averages around $163.
• Gas: Expect fuel to run between $314 and $359 for the 910-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 $759 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 Charleston?

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 Charleston, SC

For larger DIY moves from Chicago, Illinois, 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 Charleston, South Carolina.

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 $1,184 and $2,488.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,046 - $2,015
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,184 - $2,488
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,626 - $3,073

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• More space: Freight pricing is based on exactly how much of the trailer you fill. If your items take up more than expected, the added footage can increase your cost by between $81 and $163.
• Peak season impact: Moving during peak season (mid-May to mid-September) often means higher trailer rates as demand increases across the board.
• Moving labor: Unless you plan to load everything yourself, factor in labor costs. Two movers in Chicago, Illinois, for roughly five hours typically average $759.

What are the best freight companies from Chicago to Charleston?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is the best for large moves pick. While it's a top moving container option for the DIY hybrid setup (you handle the loading, they handle the driving), the same approach makes it a strong freight choice for 3 to 5+ bedroom homes that need 53 feet of trailer capacity with pay-as-you-go pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack is the best value freight trailer here. In addition to their popular container service, U-Pack delivers a top-tier freight trailer option that uses the same pay-by-the-foot pricing model and skips deposits and upfront fees entirely.
3. Keller Trucking Co, Inc. (4.54/5 stars): Keller Trucking Co, Inc. is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Local ownership translates to accessible support staff and facilities based in the communities they serve, giving customers more direct communication than they'd typically get from a national-only freight network.

Cost of living: Chicago, IL vs Charleston, SC

Day-to-day costs in Charleston are close to what you're used to in Chicago: cost of living index of 112 versus 106, with average rent of $2,500/mo compared to $2,045/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 77/100 and 33.87/100 in Chicago versus 40/100 and 55.03/100 in Charleston.