($619+) Albany, NY to Chicago, IL Movers

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

Full-service movers handle loading, transportation, and unloading on the 817-mile move from Albany, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, with costs ranging from $1,619 - $7,023. You can have movers pack your boxes for an additional $305 - $2,036. Like most long-distance moves, your price is determined by the total weight of your belongings and the distance between Albany and Chicago. Local movers in Albany typically start around $295 as a base rate plus $115/hour per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,619 - $3,930
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,048 - $5,153
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,560 - $7,023

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 Albany to Chicago.

Specialty moving services from Albany, NY to Chicago, IL

Specialty needs vary by market — 75% of Albany 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 Albany to Chicago?

Movers licensed to operate in Illinois are typically members of the Illinois Movers’ and Warehousemen’s Association, worth checking for before you book any of the three below.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this list. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 customer support, and 30 days of free storage are included with every move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list, 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, combining fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan that covers damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Albany, NY to Chicago, IL

Moving containers from Albany, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, cost between $1,140 and $3,692. 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 Albany costs roughly $100/month if you need it.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,140 - $2,162
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,437 - $3,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,928 - $3,692

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $76 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $153 per month for larger units (12 - 16 feet).
• Moving labor: Containers don't come with loading help, so many customers hire hourly movers for the job. Two movers for about 5 hours will run you around $713 in Albany, NY, per moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Standard coverage only reimburses by weight. Full-value protection gives you more complete coverage for higher-value items and typically costs 1% - 2% of your total declared value, around $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 shipment.
• Access: National providers generally operate in both cities, but verify that a facility near your Chicago, IL, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Albany 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 Albany, NY to Chicago, IL

Truck rentals from Albany, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, range from $607 - $1,650 for the 817-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $265 - $302
• Daily insurance: $31/day
• Equipment rentals: $7 - $20
• Albany daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.99

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $607 - $1,134
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $668 - $1,268
• 4+ bedrooms: $797 - $1,650

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $153 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 $66 and $331 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $265 - $302 in fuel for the 817-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $713 in Albany, New York, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Albany 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 Albany, NY to Chicago, IL

For larger DIY moves from Albany, New York, 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 $1,172 and $2,285.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,005 - $1,890
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,172 - $2,285
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,574 - $3,132

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 $76 - $153 more per foot.
• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading crews. Two movers in Albany, New York, for about five hours typically runs $713.

What are the best freight companies from Albany 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. Warren W Fane, Inc. (4.5/5 stars): Warren W Fane, 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: Albany, NY vs Chicago, IL

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