($926+) Austin, TX to San Diego, CA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA

Full-service movers for the 1,302-mile relocation from Austin, Texas, to San Diego, California, cost between $2,582 and $9,724. 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 $418 - $2,788, 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 Austin typically charge a base rate around $191 plus $90 per hour, per mover.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Austin to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,582 - $5,920
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $3,057 - $6,938
• 4+ bedrooms: $5,435 - $9,724

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 Austin to San Diego.

Add-ons and specialty services from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA

What are the best full-service movers from Austin to San Diego?

If you're vetting a mover on your own instead, membership in California Moving & Storage Association is a good first thing to confirm.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving offers the best overall value on this route. Flat-rate pricing locks in your cost upfront, and 24/7 customer support is available throughout the move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. Operating since 1995, AVL staffs every move with full-time in-house crews trained on antiques, art, and other high-value items.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. As one of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, real-time shipment tracking, and an optional full-value protection plan.

Moving container costs from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA

Moving containers from Austin, Texas, to San Diego, California, cost between $1,478 and $4,846. A container is delivered to your home and you load it on your own time. Loading windows vary by company: U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30. From there, the company takes over and transports it to San Diego. If you go over that window, storage in Austin adds around $80/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Austin to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,478 - $2,587
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,829 - $3,648
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,533 - $4,846

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $105 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $209 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 $976 in Austin, TX, 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 San Diego, CA, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Austin to San Diego?

1. PODS (4.8/5 stars): PODS is best for nationwide coverage. It runs the widest service network of any container company, with secure month-to-month storage and steel-frame containers you load on your own schedule.
2. Units Moving & Portable Storage (4.3/5 stars): Units is best for locally owned service. Their steel containers come in multiple sizes that fit tight driveways, and locally owned branches mean you reach a live support team that knows your area.
3. 1-800-Pack-Rat: 1-800-Pack-Rat is best for weatherproof storage. Their all-steel containers hold up well in transit and long storage windows, with flexible month-to-month terms when your move-in date slips.

Moving truck rental costs from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA

Plan on $898 - $2,592 for a rental moving truck on the 1,302-mile route from Austin, Texas, to San Diego, California. The rental company provides nothing beyond the vehicle, so add:

• Fuel for the drive: $577 - $660
• Daily insurance: $42/day
• Equipment rentals: $10 - $28
• Austin daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.99

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Austin to San Diego based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $898 - $1,682
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,040 - $2,104
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,234 - $2,592

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $209 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 $91 and $453 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $577 - $660 in fuel for the 1,302-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $976 in Austin, Texas, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Austin to San Diego?

1. Budget Truck Rental (4.3/5 stars): Budget Truck Rental is our pick for best value rental. Their base rates are typically the lowest among national truck rental companies, and Budget regularly offers discounts for online bookings, AAA members, and military.
2. Penske Truck Rental (4/5 stars): Penske Truck Rental is the most reliable on this list. Penske maintains a newer fleet (averaging under 2 years old) and includes unlimited mileage and 24/7 roadside assistance on every one-way move.
3. U-Haul Truck Rental (4.2/5 stars): U-Haul Truck Rental is the best availability option. With more than 23,000 locations and 7 truck sizes ranging from 8 to 26 feet, U-Haul covers nearly every U.S. zip code and accommodates same-day pickups in most markets.

Freight trailer costs from Austin, TX to San Diego, CA

For larger DIY moves from Austin, Texas, 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 San Diego, California.

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 $1,478 and $2,979.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Austin to San Diego:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,329 - $2,476
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,478 - $2,979
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,945 - $3,877

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Moving labor: Freight trailers don't include loading help. In Austin, Texas, hiring 2 movers for about 5 hours typically costs $976.
• More space: You only pay for the trailer footage you use, but underestimating your load can add roughly $105 - $209 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 Austin to San Diego?

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. Molina Trucking (4.34/5 stars): Molina Trucking 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: Austin, TX vs San Diego, CA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in San Diego, side by side with Austin 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.