What is the cheapest way to move a one-bedroom apartment cross country?

By: Brittney Lee Jun 5, 2023

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Making a cross-country small apartment move on a budget

If you’re moving between apartments across town, it’s often as simple as asking for help from a few friends and buying everyone pizza for dinner. But when you need to move to another small apartment all the way across the country, it may be a bigger commitment than your family and friends can make. While renting a truck might seem like the cheapest way to move cross country for a one-bedroom apartment, you may find the advertised rental prices too good to be true by the time you add in the cost of fuel, liability coverage, fees and taxes. Often, the cheapest option is a DIY solution like U-Pack® where you can get excellent cross-country service and budget-friendly prices.

Couple smiling with moving boxes after moving into a one-bedroom apartment.

The cost of moving a one-bedroom apartment across the country

We know every move is different, and you’ll want to check prices for your specific situation. To figure out the cheapest way to move your small apartment, this price comparison is a good place to start. We looked at prices from Budget®, Penske®, U-Haul® and U-Pack for a one-bedroom apartment move from Boise, ID, to Atlanta, GA, in July 2023.

Prices were accurate at the time of posting and used the equipment options recommended by each company. Actual moving costs will vary based on date, home size, origin, destination and equipment availability.

Let’s see how they compared:

Budget: $4,396.59 (Price included $3,258.92 for 12’ truck rental, fees, taxes and damage coverage plus $1,137.67 in estimated fuel costs for up to 2,571 miles at 8 MPG)
Penske: $3,759.41 (Price included $3,000.96 for 12’ truck rental, fees, taxes and Value damage coverage plus $758.45 in estimated fuel costs for up to 2,571 miles at 12 MPG)
U-Haul: $3,489.69 (Price included $2,731.24 for 10’ truck rental, fees, taxes and Safemove Plus® damage coverage plus $758.45 in estimated fuel costs for up to 2,571 miles at 12 MPG.)
U-Pack: $1,803 — $3,087 depending on the space used (Prices included delivery, transportation, taxes and standard liability coverage.) Here were the available options:
- $3,087 for two ReloCube® moving containers
- $1,985 if you use only one container (empty containers are picked up for free!)
- $1,864 for 7 linear feet of space in a moving trailer
- $1,803 for the minimum of 5 linear feet in the moving trailer

Note: Fuel costs were estimated using the MPG listed on each company’s website for the truck and AAA’s average gas prices at the time of posting.

Move one-bedroom apartments cheaper with U-Pack

U-Pack door-to-door prices are already budget-friendly (and cheaper than the other example moves listed above), but we also service center delivery to save you even more money. It requires a little bit of extra work to load and unload at a service center but doing so can help you save hundreds on your move since there are no delivery or pick-up costs. Learn more about how U-Pack works.

Get your moving quote

Use our free, no-obligation quote form online or call 844-362-5303844-594-3077 to speak to a moving consultant about the best options for cross-country moving with U-Pack. Let us know if you have any questions. We’re always happy to help!

In the meantime, check out our apartment moving guide to get ready for your move.

Budget® is a registered trademark of Budget Truck Rental, LLC. Penske® is a registered trademark of Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P. U-Haul® is a registered trademark of U-Haul International, Inc. Use of third-party trademarks or registered trademarks does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by such third-party.