Removalist costs in Australia, route by route
What removal businesses publish as their prices, by bedrooms, city and interstate route, and what the regulators tell you to check. Each number has a note to where it came from.
- Sydney to Melbourne, 3-bedroom home: $4,800-$6,800 with a dedicated truck, $2,400-$3,600 by backloading.
- Brisbane to Melbourne, 3-bedroom home: $5,500-$7,800 with a dedicated truck, $2,800-$4,100 by backloading.
- Melbourne to Brisbane, 3-bedroom home: $5,200-$8,500 with a dedicated truck, $3,200-$5,800 by backloading.
- Sydney to Canberra, 3-bedroom home: $2,200-$3,800, truck type not stated.
- Sydney to Brisbane, 3-bedroom home: $3,400-$5,800, truck type not stated.
- Sydney to Adelaide, 3-bedroom home: $4,200-$6,800, truck type not stated.
- Sydney to Perth, 3-bedroom home: $7,500-$11,500, truck type not stated.
- Melbourne and Adelaide, 3-bedroom home: $3,200-$5,400, truck type not stated.
- Melbourne and Perth, 3-bedroom home: $8,500-$14,000, truck type not stated.
How many bedrooms are moving?
Totals for a local move, from two 2026 price guides. Pick a size.
1-bedroom home
2-bedroom home
3-bedroom home
Interstate departures
A 3-bedroom home on nine routes. Backloading shares the truck with other households, so it costs less and takes longer: 4-10 days 7 from Sydney to Melbourne, against 2-4 days 7 with a truck of your own. Three of the routes split the two prices; the rest come as a single range from guides that don't say which truck they assume.
| Route | Distance | Dedicated truck | Backloading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney to Melbourne | about 875 km 7 | $4,800-$6,800 7 | $2,400-$3,600 7 |
| Brisbane to Melbourne | 1,750 km 10 | $5,500-$7,800 10 | $2,800-$4,100 10 |
| Melbourne to Brisbane | 1,800 km 11 | $5,200-$8,500 11 | $3,200-$5,800 11 |
| Sydney to Canberra | roughly 290 km 13 | $2,200-$3,800 13 Truck not stated | |
| Sydney to Brisbane | Not published | $3,400-$5,800 13 Truck not stated | |
| Sydney to Adelaide | Not published | $4,200-$6,800 13 Truck not stated | |
| Sydney to Perth | over 3,900 km 13 | $7,500-$11,500 13 Truck not stated | |
| Melbourne and Adelaide | Not published | $3,200-$5,400 12 Truck not stated | |
| Melbourne and Perth | Not published | $8,500-$14,000 12 Truck not stated | |
What regulators say before you book
Five plain rules from the NSW, Queensland and Western Australian governments, each noted back to the page that says it.
-
Your goods may not be insured
Removalists are not required by law 1 to insure your belongings during a move.
NSW Government
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Most insure the truck only
Most removalist companies hold insurance covering their vehicle only 1 in an accident.
NSW Government
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Bring your own cover
You will probably need your own insurance 2 for damage or loss.
Queensland Government
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Keep the last payment
Don't pay upfront or hand over the last payment halfway through. Keep to full payment only at the end 3 , as WA advises.
Consumer Protection WA
-
Ask for proof, then a quote
Request a copy of the Certificate of Currency 3 , and insist on a written, itemised quote 1 .
Consumer Protection WA and NSW Government
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See the website planWork out what your move costs
- By size
Moving house cost by bedrooms
Local move totals for 1 to 4 bedrooms, Australia-wide, in Sydney and in Melbourne, with hourly rates by city.
3-bed local move $800-$2,000 - SYD
Removalist cost in Sydney
Hourly rates by crew tier, totals by home size and the extra charges Sydney movers add.
Budget crew $110-$145/hr - MEL
Removalist cost in Melbourne
Rates for two and three movers, totals by bedrooms, storage, and what Consumer Affairs Victoria recorded.
Typical rate $147 an hour - BNE
Removalist cost in Brisbane
Brisbane rates and totals, moves to and from Melbourne by truck type, and Queensland's advice on deposits.
3-bed local move $800-$2,000 - PER
Removalist cost in Perth
Perth rates and totals, what the long haul from the east costs, and the WA payment rule.
3-bed local move $840-$2,100 - ADL
Removalist cost in Adelaide
Adelaide rates and totals, the Melbourne and Sydney routes, and storage prices that break the usual ranking.
3-bed local move $735-$1,850 - Interstate
Interstate removalist costs
Nine routes, dedicated truck against backloading where published, and two guides that disagree on Sydney to Melbourne.
SYD to MEL backload $2,400-$3,600 - Piano
Piano removal cost
What moving an upright or a grand costs, the stairs and crane charges, tuning afterwards, and interstate add-ons.
Upright piano $280-$450 - Storage
Storage unit costs
Median monthly prices by unit size in five cities, and how stored goods are insured.
Medium unit $210/mo - Backload
Backloading, explained
How sharing a truck cuts the price of an interstate move, and how much longer the goods take to arrive.
Delivery window 4-10 days - Insurance
Removalist insurance: what is covered
What transit insurance covers, what a removalist usually insures, and what to ask for.
Insuring your goods not required by law - Scams
How to avoid removalist scams
The tactics regulators describe, the licence question, and where to complain.
Pay the balance full payment only at the end - Quotes
How to compare removalist quotes
A checklist built from four state consumer agencies: what every quote and contract should say.
WA advice three written quotes