($980+) Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA Movers

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

Full-service movers for the 1,760-mile relocation from Austin, Texas, to San Francisco, California, cost between $2,266 and $10,537. 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 $526 - $3,508, 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 Francisco:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,266 - $5,082
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $3,301 - $7,115
• 4+ bedrooms: $5,742 - $10,537

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 Francisco.

Specialty moving services from Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA

Specialty needs vary by market: 62% of Austin movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 60% nationally. In San Francisco, 54% of movers offer the same service.

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

Movers licensed to operate in California are typically members of the California Moving & Storage 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 Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA

Moving containers from Austin, Texas, to San Francisco, California, cost between $1,543 and $5,161. 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 Francisco. 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 Francisco:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,543 - $2,885
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,918 - $3,766
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,464 - $5,161

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $132 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $263 per month.
• Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in San Francisco, CA, 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 $1,228 in Austin, TX. 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.

What are the best moving containers Austin to San Francisco?

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 Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA

Truck rentals from Austin, Texas, to San Francisco, California, range from $980 - $2,717 for the 1,760-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $982 - $1,123
• Daily insurance: $53/day
• Equipment rentals: $12 - $35
• 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 Francisco based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $980 - $1,983
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,128 - $2,407
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,408 - $2,717

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Gas: Fuel adds $982 - $1,123 for the 1,760-mile drive, depending on whether your rental truck runs on gas or diesel.
• Moving labor: You'll handle the heavy lifting unless you bring in help. Two movers in Austin, Texas, for about 5 hours typically costs around $1,228.
• Additional insurance: Supplemental damage protection adds roughly $30 per day to your rental cost.
• Lodging: The 1,760-mile drive typically calls for 2 - 3 overnight stops at around $263 per night, adding $526 - $789 in hotel costs total.
• Equipment: Dollies, furniture pads, and vehicle tow gear are almost always billed separately. These extras typically add between $88 and $526.

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

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 Austin, TX to San Francisco, CA

If you're moving a larger household from Austin, Texas, and want to stay in control of the loading process, freight trailers offer a practical middle ground between hiring movers and renting a truck yourself. A 28-foot trailer is delivered to your door, you load what you need, and the carrier handles the drive to San Francisco, California.

Freight trailers are priced by the linear feet your belongings take up, so you only pay for the space you use. A 2 - 3 bedroom move on this route typically falls between $1,443 and $3,261.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,283 - $2,397
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,443 - $3,261
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,158 - $3,962

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 $132 and $263.
• 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 Austin, Texas, for roughly five hours typically average $1,228.

What are the best freight companies from Austin to San Francisco?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is our pick for best for large moves. The company is best known as a top moving container option for its hybrid model where you load and they drive, and that same model translates well to freight thanks to their 53-foot trucks and pay-by-the-foot pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Beyond their flagship container service, U-Pack also runs freight trailers with the same no-deposit, no-upfront-fee model, charging only for the linear footage you actually fill.

Cost of living: Austin, TX vs San Francisco, CA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in San Francisco, 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.

Our take

How you handle your interstate move from Austin, TX, to San Francisco, CA, 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 $2,266 - $10,537 on the 1,760-mile route and handle everything. Moving containers from PODS or U-Pack run $1,543 - $5,161 and put you in charge of loading. Rental trucks from Budget or U-Haul are the lowest-cost option at $980 - $2,717 with you handling everything. For full-service moves, Safeway Moving is our top pick, starting around $3,301 for a 2-bedroom move with 30 days of free storage and 24/7 live support.

Worth knowing beyond the move itself: Major employers in the area include Lyft and Securitize.