($894+) Houston, TX to San Diego, CA Movers

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

Full-service movers for the 1,470-mile relocation from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, cost between $2,207 and $8,861. 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 $361 - $2,404, 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 Houston typically charge a base rate around $175 plus $75 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,207 - $4,903
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,831 - $6,658
• 4+ bedrooms: $4,935 - $8,861

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 Houston to San Diego.

Specialty moving services from Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Specialty needs vary by market: 54% of Houston movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 60% nationally. In San Diego, 69% of movers offer the same service.

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

Look for California Moving & Storage Association membership as a baseline when comparing movers in California beyond this list.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is our pick for best overall value. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 support, and 30 days of free storage make Safeway the clearest value on this list.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. AVL has been moving customers since 1995 and uses full-time in-house crews trained on high-value items like art and antiques.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. One of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, 24/7 monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan against damage, loss, and breakage.

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

Moving containers from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, cost between $1,318 and $4,734. 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 Houston typically runs around $70/month.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,318 - $2,516
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,736 - $3,479
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,288 - $4,734

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Small containers (7 - 8 feet) run about $90 per month after the initial period, while larger units (12 - 16 feet) cost around $180 per month.
• Access: Make sure your container company has a storage facility reasonably close to your new home in San Diego, 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 $841 in Houston, 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 Houston to San Diego?

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 Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

Truck rentals from Houston, Texas, to San Diego, California, range from $894 - $2,537 for the 1,470-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $562 - $643
• Daily insurance: $36/day
• Equipment rentals: $8 - $24
• Houston daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.99

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $894 - $1,695
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $958 - $1,935
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,180 - $2,537

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $180 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 $78 and $391 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $562 - $643 in fuel for the 1,470-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $841 in Houston, Texas, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

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

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 Houston, TX to San Diego, CA

If you're moving a larger household from Houston, 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 Diego, 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 $1,458 and $2,726.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,247 - $2,173
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,458 - $2,726
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,983 - $3,597

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Seasonal demand: Pricing tends to rise during peak moving season, particularly between mid-May and mid-September.
• Moving labor: Most customers hire loading help since freight is self-loaded. Two movers in Houston, Texas, for roughly 5 hours typically costs $841.
• More space: Freight companies bill by linear footage. If your belongings take up more room than anticipated, the extra space adds between $90 and $180 per foot.

What are the best freight companies from Houston to San Diego?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is best for large moves. Best known as a top moving container option thanks to its DIY hybrid model (you load, they drive), MovingYourself also doubles as a strong freight choice with their 53-foot trucks and pay-for-the-space-you-use pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack is the best value freight trailer on this list. In addition to their well-known container service, U-Pack offers freight trailers that follow the same pay-by-the-foot model with no deposits or upfront fees, making them one of the most flexible freight options for budget-conscious moves.

Cost of living: Houston, 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 Houston 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 Houston, TX, to San Diego, 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 $2,207 - $8,861 on the 1,470-mile route and handle everything. Moving containers from PODS or U-Pack run $1,318 - $4,734 and put you in charge of loading. Rental trucks from Budget or U-Haul are the lowest-cost option at $894 - $2,537 with you handling everything. For full-service moves, Safeway Moving is our top pick, starting around $2,831 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 United States Navy and University of California, San Diego.