($878+) Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX Movers
Moving from Durham, NC, to San Antonio, TX, runs anywhere from $878 for a DIY rental-truck move of a small home up to $8,318 for full-service movers handling a larger 4+ bedroom household. The two cities sit about 1,370 miles apart, and a move on this route usually takes 3 to 8 days door to door. Use our moving cost calculator to compare estimates and options for your specific move.
- Full-service moves for smaller spaces (studio apartments and 1-bedrooms) start around $2,160, while larger 4+ bedroom relocations can reach $8,318 or more.
- Moving containers run $1,341 - $4,599, and renting a moving truck from Budget or U-Haul is the cheapest route at $878 - $2,366.
- Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars) is our top recommendation for a move from Durham, NC, to San Antonio, TX. They're known for transparent pricing, with 2-bedroom quotes starting around $2,610 on this route. They also throw in 30 days of free storage and have 24/7 customer support.
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Compare moving options from Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
Moving options from Durham to San Antonio fall into 3 main service types: full-service movers, moving containers, and rental trucks. A 2-3 bedroom full-service move costs $2,610 - $5,895 on this route, with movers handling all labor and transportation. Moving containers come in around 37% less for the same home size, and rental trucks are around 66% less, though both require you to handle the loading. This 1,370-mile route typically takes 3 to 8 days door to door.
Here is how full-service movers, moving containers, rental trucks, and freight trailers compare on the 1,370-mile route from Durham to San Antonio, broken down by home size:
- A studio or 1-bedroom move runs $2,160 - $4,808 with full-service movers, $1,341 - $2,355 with a container, $878 - $1,534 with a rental truck, or $1,231 - $2,275 by freight.
- A 2 - 3 bedroom home costs $2,610 - $5,895 full-service, $1,645 - $3,321 by container, $876 - $1,995 by rental truck, or $1,357 - $2,875 by freight.
- A larger 4+ bedroom household runs $4,490 - $8,318 full-service, $2,325 - $4,599 by container, $1,171 - $2,366 by rental truck, or $1,861 - $3,643 by freight.
Pricing reflects moveBuddha's monthly dataset of 1,500+ live quotes across our vetted mover network. Last updated October 30, 2026.
Full-service moving costs from Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
For the 1,370-mile move from Durham, North Carolina, to San Antonio, Texas, full-service movers cost between $2,160 and $8,318. A long-distance moving company takes care of loading, hauling, and unloading. For an added cost of $287 - $1,916 (1 - 5+ bedrooms), crews will pack your boxes. The weight of your shipment and the mileage between the two cities are what drive your final cost. For scale, local movers in Durham generally start around $240 plus $122 per hour, per mover.
Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Durham to San Antonio:
- Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,160 - $4,808
- 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,610 - $5,895
- 4+ bedrooms: $4,490 - $8,318
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 Durham to San Antonio.
Pro tip: Moving company rates climb during peak moving season (May –-September) when demand peaks. Scheduling your move outside of that window can lead to noticeably lower costs and better availability.
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Specialty moving services from Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
Specialty needs vary by market: 59% of Durham movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 60% nationally. In San Antonio, 72% of movers offer the same service.
| Service | When you need it | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full packing | Full crew packing75% of local movers | $479 - $4,790 |
| Storage in transit | New place not ready59% of local movers60% nationallyTop pick: Truckin' Movers Corporation | $192 - $1,150/mo |
| Shuttle fee | Truck can't reach door | $287 - $2,299 |
| Full-value protection | More than $0.60/lb coverage21% of local movers | $300 - $600 (1% - 2% of value) |
| Small moves | Under ~2,000 lbs61% of local movers | $958 - $2,874 |
| Office / commercial | Workplace relocation | $2,395 - $9,580 |
| Car shipping | Second vehicle | $718 - $1,363 |
| Antiques & fine art | Fragile, high-value items32% of local movers26% nationallyTop pick: Truckin' Movers Corporation | $958 - $2,395 |
| Piano | Any piano type49% of local movers40% nationallyTop pick: Truckin' Movers Corporation | $766 - $3,353 |
| Pool table | Disassembly & re-leveling10% of local movers | $287 - $1,437 |
| Hot tub | Heavy, needs disconnect4% of local movers9% nationallyTop pick: Athens Moving Experts | $623 - $1,916 |
| Wine collection | Climate-controlled transport | $287 - $14,370+ |
| Pet relocation | Ground, air, or concierge | $287 - $3,353+ |
What are the best full-service movers from Durham to San Antonio?
Southwest Movers Association membership is a quick way to confirm a mover is legitimate in Texas, on top of the picks below.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Good to know: For moves over 500 miles, national carriers are typically lower-priced than local moving companies in Durham, NC. At that distance, local movers often charge 30% - 40% more because they don't spread long-haul costs across multiple shipments the way national carriers do. If a direct route and faster delivery (averaging 2 days) are priorities, a local mover may be worth considering, but that service comes at a higher price.
Moving container costs from Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
Moving containers from Durham, North Carolina, to San Antonio, Texas, cost between $1,341 and $4,599. The container gets dropped at your door and you load it at your own pace. U-Haul gives you 3 days to load and PODS gives you up to 30. Once you're done, the company handles all the transportation. If you need extra time, storage in Durham runs about $100/month.
Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Durham to San Antonio:
- Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,341 - $2,355
- 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,645 - $3,321
- 4+ bedrooms: $2,325 - $4,599
What other costs come with moving containers?
- Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $72 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $144 per month.
- Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in San Antonio, TX, 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 $671 in Durham, NC. 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.
Every price below reflects an actual quote from a moveBuddha reader planning a North Carolina to Texas move in the past 90 days. Our pricing data is drawn from 1,500+ monthly data points across our vetted mover network and refreshed every month.
Pro tip: Before ordering moving containers, take a careful inventory of everything you're moving. A typical 1-bedroom home weighs around 3,000 pounds and fits in a single container starting at $1,341. Underestimating how much you have and needing an extra container means paying for another one, so getting your count right upfront saves you from a costly surprise. For reference, a 2 - 3 bedroom home typically runs $1,645 - $3,321.
What are the best moving containers Durham to San Antonio?
- Units Moving and Portable Storage (4.3/5 stars)
- U-Pack (5.0/5 stars)
- MovingYourself (5.0/5 stars)
Want a hand without paying for full service? A container or truck move does not mean doing all the heavy lifting yourself. You can hire a labor-only crew in Durham to load and unload while you handle the drive, then book full help later if you change your mind. Three top-rated local crews for labor-only help in Durham:
- Athens Moving Experts (4.9/5), 9 years in business
- TWO MEN AND A TRUCK (4.7/5), 28 years in business
- Bellhop Moving (4.1/5), 15 years in business
Moving truck rental costs from Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
Truck rentals from Durham, North Carolina, to San Antonio, Texas, range from $878 - $2,366 for the 1,370-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:
- Fuel for the drive: $418 - $477
- Daily insurance: $29/day
- Equipment rentals: $7 - $19
- Durham daily rental rate: $19 - $39
- Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.59 - $0.89
| Home size | Typical truck size |
|---|---|
| Studio / 1 bedroom | 10 - 12 ft |
| 2 - 3 bedrooms | 15 - 17 ft |
| 4+ bedrooms | 20 - 26 ft (typically requires diesel) |
These are typical moving truck rental costs from Durham to San Antonio based on home size:
- Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $878 - $1,534
- 2 - 3 bedrooms: $876 - $1,995
- 4+ bedrooms: $1,171 - $2,366
Pro tip: Truck rental pricing for a move from Durham to San Antonio starts at $878 - $2,366, but that number does not tell the whole story. Fuel ($418 - $477), overnight lodging ($144/night), meals, and equipment rentals are all separate. Plan for roughly $600 - $1,200 more on top of fuel and lodging to cover meals, equipment, and other extras.
What other costs come with rental trucks?
- Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $144 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 $62 and $311 to your total.
- Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
- Gas: Plan on spending $418 - $477 in fuel for the 1,370-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
- Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $671 in Durham, North Carolina, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.
What are the best moving truck rentals from Durham to San Antonio?
- Budget Truck Rental (4.3/5 stars)
- Penske Truck Rental (4.0/5 stars)
- 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 Durham, NC to San Antonio, TX
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 Durham, North Carolina, to San Antonio, Texas. 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. A 2 - 3 bedroom long-distance move using this method runs roughly between $1,357 and $2,875.
Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Durham to San Antonio:
- Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,231 - $2,275
- 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,357 - $2,875
- 4+ bedrooms: $1,861 - $3,643
Pro tip: Freight trailers offer generous space but reward good packing strategy. The 4-foot ramp can be challenging for large or heavy pieces, and using the full 8-foot height takes careful stacking. Because you're billed by the linear foot, maximizing vertical space keeps your costs lower.
What other costs come with freight trailers?
- More space: Freight trailers are billed by the section you fill. If you misjudge your shipment size, each extra foot of trailer space adds around $72 - $144 to your final bill.
- Peak season pricing: Expect higher rates during peak season (mid-May to mid-September) when trailer availability tightens across the country.
- Moving labor: Loading is on you unless you hire outside help. A half-day crew of two movers in Durham, North Carolina, typically costs $671.
What are the best freight companies from Durham to San Antonio?
- 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.
- 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.
Pro tip: If speed matters on your move from Durham to San Antonio, freight trailers are one of the fastest interstate options available, second only to renting a truck and driving it yourself. The tradeoff is that freight works best when you're ready to receive your belongings on the other end. If your timeline is tight on the receiving side or you need a short storage buffer, a moving container might be a better fit.
Cost of living: Durham, NC vs San Antonio, TX
Good news for your budget: San Antonio isn't meaningfully more or less expensive to live in than Durham. Cost of living index runs 91 there against 99 here. Focus your planning on the move itself rather than a change in monthly expenses. For reference, walkability and safety scores are 30/100 and 45.28/100 here versus 37/100 and 51.94/100 there.
Moving the reverse route? We've got you covered with our San Antonio, TX to Durham, NC guide.
Why moveBuddha is the smarter way to find a mover:
Over the last 3 months, moveBuddha has processed 10 real quotes from North Carolina to Texas, so we know current pricing better than most. Checking our moving cost calculator before you talk to movers helps you avoid low-ball or inflated estimates. North Carolina alone has 255 movers in our database, worth knowing for a 1,370-mile move like this one.
Our take
How you handle your interstate move from Durham, NC, to San Antonio, TX, comes down to your budget and how much time and work you're able to put into it. Hands-off relocations handled by full-service movers range from $2,160 - $8,318 on the 1,370-mile route and handle everything. Moving containers from PODS or U-Pack run $1,341 - $4,599 and put you in charge of loading. Rental trucks from Budget or U-Haul are the lowest-cost option at $878 - $2,366 with you handling everything. For full-service moves, Safeway Moving is our top pick, starting around $2,610 for a 2-bedroom move with 30 days of free storage and 24/7 live support.
Beyond the move itself, people who've relocated to San Antonio tend to point to diversity and sight-seeing, though abundant stray pets and brutal summers come up as common complaints. Major employers in the area include Joint Base San Antonio (Three Military Bases) and H-E-B.
FAQs: Moving from Durham, NC, to San Antonio, TX
What do local movers charge in Durham?
Local movers based in Durham typically start around $240 as a base rate, plus $122/hour per mover. That's a useful baseline if you're hiring help just to load a rental truck or container rather than booking a full long-distance move. Rates in San Antonio run similarly and are worth checking if you need help unloading on the other end.
How do I know a mover is licensed in Texas?
In-state movers operating in the Lone Star State are legally required to be licensed by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TXDMV), which issues 10-digit TXDMV numbers to commercial carriers.
What are the best neighborhoods in San Antonio?
For families, Alamo Heights, Great Northwest, and Northwest Crossing are worth a look in San Antonio. If you're moving solo or without kids, Alamo Heights, Downtown, and Tobin Hill tend to be popular picks instead.
How walkable is San Antonio?
San Antonio has a walkability score of 37 out of 100 and a bike-friendliness score of 45, compared to 30 and 38 in Durham. If you're used to getting around on foot or by bike, this is worth factoring into which neighborhood you pick.
Is San Antonio a safe place to live?
San Antonio has a safety index of 51.94 out of 100 and a crime index of 48.06, compared to 45.28 and 54.72 in Durham. Neither figure tells the whole story on its own, so it's worth digging into specific neighborhoods before you commit to an address.
What percentage of Durham movers handle specialty items like pianos or antiques?
About 49% of movers in Durham handle piano moves, and 32% handle antiques and fine art, compared to 40% and 26% nationally.