($1,412+) Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA

Full-service movers handle loading, transportation, and unloading on the 2,710-mile move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles, California, with costs ranging from $2,434 - $11,947. You can have movers pack your boxes for an additional $382 - $2,544. Like most long-distance moves, your price is determined by the total weight of your belongings and the distance between Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Local movers in Philadelphia typically start around $282 as a base rate plus $130/hour per mover.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Philadelphia to Los Angeles:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,434 - $5,564
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $3,490 - $7,415
• 4+ bedrooms: $7,256 - $11,947

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 Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

Specialty moving services from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA

Specialty needs vary by market: 55% of Philadelphia movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 60% nationally. In Los Angeles, 56% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Philadelphia to Los Angeles?

All three below meet the standards set by the California Moving & Storage Association, the group most California 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 Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA

Moving containers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles, California, cost between $1,818 and $7,048. 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 Philadelphia typically runs around $80/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Philadelphia to Los Angeles:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,818 - $3,570
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,552 - $4,969
• 4+ bedrooms: $3,485 - $7,048

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $95 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $191 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 $890 in Philadelphia, PA, 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 Los Angeles, CA, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Philadelphia to Los Angeles?

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 Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA

Truck rentals from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles, California, range from $1,412 - $4,167 for the 2,710-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $1,097 - $1,253
• Daily insurance: $38/day
• Equipment rentals: $9 - $25
• Philadelphia daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.89 - $0.99

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Philadelphia to Los Angeles based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,412 - $2,736
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,577 - $3,430
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,973 - $4,167

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $191 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 $83 and $413 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $1,097 - $1,253 in fuel for the 2,710-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Philadelphia to Los Angeles?

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 Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA

Freight trailers are well suited for larger moves from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles, California, when you want to do the loading yourself without having to drive a massive vehicle. The trailer is delivered, you pack it up, and the carrier handles the long haul.

What sets freight trailers apart is the pay-for-what-you-use pricing model. Each additional foot of trailer space you occupy adds to the cost. Pricing for a 2 - 3 bedroom move of this distance typically lands between $1,905 and $4,178.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Philadelphia to Los Angeles:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,636 - $3,278
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,905 - $4,178
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,707 - $5,804

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading help. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hiring 2 movers for about 5 hours typically costs $890.
• More space: You only pay for the trailer footage you use, but underestimating your load can add roughly $95 - $191 per additional foot to your total.
• Time of year: Rates tend to climb during peak moving season (mid-May through mid-September) when trailer demand is at its highest.

What are the best freight companies from Philadelphia to Los Angeles?

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.

Cost of living: Philadelphia, PA vs Los Angeles, CA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in Los Angeles, side by side with Philadelphia on housing, income, and taxes.

Cost of living index is relative to the U.S. average of 100. Figures reflect the latest available city and state data.

Our take

A move from Philadelphia, PA, to Los Angeles, CA, gives you several options depending on your budget and how much you want to do yourself. Full-service movers handle everything but cost the most, ranging from $2,434 - $11,947 on the 2,710-mile route. Moving containers from PODS or U-Pack bring that cost down to $1,818 - $7,048, and rental trucks from Budget or U-Haul are the most economical at $1,412 - $4,167. For full-service movers, Safeway Moving, starting around $3,490 for a 2-bedroom move with 30 days of free storage and round-the-clock live support.

Worth knowing beyond the move itself: Major employers in the area include County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Unified School District.