San Francisco, CA Moving Costs 2026
San Francisco is one of the most expensive metros in the country for local moves, steep labor costs, hills, walk-ups, and high-rise COI rules all push crew hours up.
Typical local move, 2-bedroom home
$1,050–$1,550
2-mover crew
$149/hr
3-mover crew
$223/hr
4-mover crew
$298/hr
Truck included · how we calculate
San Francisco hourly moving rates
| Crew size | Rate / hour | Typical for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers | $149 | Studio – 1BR |
| 3 movers | $223 | 2BR – 3BR |
| 4 movers | $298 | 4BR+ |
Local move cost by home size
| Home size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $400 | $475 | $600 |
| 1 Bedroom | $550 | $650 | $800 |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,050 | $1,300 | $1,550 |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,450 | $1,775 | $2,150 |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,300 | $2,825 | $3,450 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $2,825 | $3,450 | $4,200 |
What makes San Francisco cost more
A local move is crew hours, so the question is always what the housing here does to those hours. This is the hardest access market in the country: Victorian walk-ups with four flights and no elevator, streets too narrow for a full-size truck, and permitted parking that has to be reserved with the city days ahead. Many jobs need a shuttle.
Net of all that, San Francisco prices 20% above the national average. The same 2-bedroom local move that typically costs $1,075 nationally runs $1,300 in San Francisco, a difference of $225 more.
Who is moving in San Francisco, and when
San Francisco sends more households out than it takes in, with heavy long-distance flow to Texas, the Pacific Northwest, and the Mountain West, while inbound demand concentrates around tech hiring cycles.
Summer and month-end are peak; strict building move-in windows and elevator reservations make weekday scheduling essential.
Moving from San Francisco to nearby metros
The closest markets we publish rates for, with the real road distance from San Francisco and what a 3-bedroom household costs over exactly that distance. Anything under about 50 miles is still priced as a local, hourly job; past that, per-mile transport starts stacking on top of the crew hours.
| Corridor | Distance | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco to San Jose, CA | 49 mi | $1,700 | $1,400–$2,075 |
| San Francisco to Stockton, CA | 74 mi | $1,850 | $1,525–$2,250 |
| San Francisco to Sacramento, CA | 89 mi | $1,925 | $1,575–$2,350 |
| San Francisco to Fresno, CA | 190 mi | $2,350 | $1,925–$2,875 |
Get your exact San Francisco quote
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San Francisco moving cost FAQ
In 2026, San Francisco movers charge about $149/hour for a 2-mover crew, $223/hour for 3 movers, and $298/hour for 4, truck included.
Typical San Francisco local moves run $400–$600 for a studio up to $2,825–$4,200 for a large house.
This is the hardest access market in the country: Victorian walk-ups with four flights and no elevator, streets too narrow for a full-size truck, and permitted parking that has to be reserved with the city days ahead. Many jobs need a shuttle. That is why San Francisco sits 20% above the national average: a typical 2-bedroom local move runs $1,300 here versus $1,075 nationally, a difference of $225.
San Francisco sends more households out than it takes in, with heavy long-distance flow to Texas, the Pacific Northwest, and the Mountain West, while inbound demand concentrates around tech hiring cycles.
Summer and month-end are peak; strict building move-in windows and elevator reservations make weekday scheduling essential.
San Francisco to San Jose is roughly 49 miles. A 3-bedroom household on that corridor runs about $1,400–$2,075 off-peak, typically $1,700.
Moving across California
See statewide costs, every city we cover, and popular routes in and out on the moving to California hub.
Price San Francisco by home size and square footage
The table above is priced by bedroom count. If you know your home's finished square footage instead, the cost by square footage guide converts sq ft to a planning weight and a price. To sanity-check a written bid from a national brand against these figures, see how the major moving companies set their rates.