The first question anyone planning an international move asks is: how much is this going to cost? The honest answer is that it depends on a lot of variables, but the ranges are real and knowable. This guide breaks down every shipping method with current, realistic cost ranges, and covers the destination charges that most online guides leave out entirely.
For most 1–2 bedroom homes, sea groupage (shared container service) offers the best value at $2,500–$6,000. Groupage shipment will typically include Terminal Handling Charges for most destinations. For larger homes, a full container load (FCL) works out cheaper per cubic foot of volume. Air freight is 1.5-2× more expensive but takes 5–10 days instead of weeks.
Before looking at numbers, it helps to understand what you're actually comparing. There are five main ways to move household goods from the US to another country, and they work very differently.
| Method | Best For | Transit Time | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea – Full Container (FCL) 20ft or 40ft, yours exclusively |
3-4+ bedroom homes | 8–12 weeks depending on destination | $8,500–$20,000+ | Best value for large moves |
| Sea – Groupage Your goods grouped with other customers' |
1–2 bedroom homes, partial moves | 6–16 weeks | $2,500–$7,000 | Best value for mid-size moves |
| Sea – LCL Priced per cubic meter; THC charged separately |
Studios, small apartments | 8–10 weeks | $2,700–$8,500 | Watch for destination surcharges |
| Air Freight Priced by volumetric weight |
Urgent shipments, irreplaceable items | 5–10 business days | $2,500–$10,000+ | Most expensive; fastest |
| Baggage & Parcel Courier-style boxes, curbside delivery |
Books, clothing, overflow luggage | 5–14 business days | $800–$2,500+ | Not suitable for furniture |
International moving is priced primarily by volume (cubic feet or cubic meters), the amount of space your shipment occupies in a shipping container. A 20-foot shipping container holds 1,200 cubic feet. A typical 2-bedroom apartment comes in around 600–800 cubic feet. The more volume you ship, the higher the cost, but larger shipments are going to be a better value with a lower price per cubic foot. Weight is generally not a factor for sea-freight (excluding very-heavy items like a pool table or safe). Weight is always factor in air-freight and can be a factor in land-truck shipments to Canada.
East Coast ports (New York, Baltimore, Savannah) and West Coast ports (Los Angeles, Seattle, Oakland) have different transit times and surcharge structures. Moves from the East Coast to Europe are generally cheaper and faster. Moves to Asia and Australia are more competitive from the West Coast.
Some destinations have notoriously high port fees, customs handling costs, or limited service frequency. Countries with complex customs procedures (Brazil, India, some parts of Southeast Asia) can add weeks to transit times and hundreds to thousands of dollars in compliance costs.
There is a big difference between door-to-door, white-glove service and port-to-port pricing. Always confirm what's included. Common add-ons that get charged separately include: origin box packing, insurance, and elevator or long-carry fees.
This is where international moves catch people by surprise. The quotes you receive typically cover collection, freight, customs clearance, and delivery, however, your shipment can be subject to additional charges. Not all back-end charges are predatory and will include charges your mover cannot reliable predict. Here are the charges to be aware of:
When requesting quotes, ask movers questions and review your quotes carfully to understand exactly what's included and what's not. A quote that looks $2,000 cheaper may have $2,500 in destination charges that appear on the final invoice.
For most 1–2 bedroom moves, sea groupage offers better value than LCL (Less than Container Load). Your goods share a container with other customers' shipments, and you pay only for the space you use — THC charges are usually included. LCL shipments are faster, but don't typically include THC/ LCL shipments are shipped loaded on pallets or in to lift vans which will always have wasted space unusable and increase you final volume.
The trade-off: groupage shipments take longer to consolidate before sailing, meaning transit times are typically 2–4 weeks longer than LCL. If you're on a tight timeline, LCL gives you more predictability.
Not sure which option fits your move?
Get quotes from vetted movers and let them assess your shipment volume and service needs.Air freight is typically 1.5-2× more expensive than sea freight per cubic foot, but it gets your goods there in days rather than weeks. It makes sense for: urgent relocations with a tight start date, high-value items that need to move quickly, small shipments of irreplaceable goods, or as a supplement to a larger sea shipment (the "advance box" approach).
A common strategy is to send a small shipment by air to cover the first few weeks at your new address - clothes, essential documents, a laptop - while the bulk of your household goods travels by sea.
If you're not moving furniture - just books, clothes, and personal items - baggage and parcel shipping can make sense. You can book parcel directly with companies like FedEx and DHL, however you mover will often have cheaper parcel rates for the very same carriers and even cheaper excess baggage rates. Expect $200–$400 per box depending on volume/weight and destination. Beyond a few boxes, this approach gets expensive quickly.
The most reliable way to know what your move will cost is to get a proper survey quote. Reputable movers will offer a free video survey or in-home survey to assess your actual volume before quoting. Online calculators and rule-of-thumb estimates are useful for budgeting, but certified movers who can see your goods will give you the most accurate numbers.
When comparing quotes, confirm they use the same scope: same service level, same insurance coverage, and the same set of destination charges. Apples-to-apples comparison is the only fair one.
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