Canada
Moving costs in Canada: what 532 people said they paid
In the recent window, 532 priced reviews show a median of C$2,100, with C$1,193 at the lower quartile and C$4,133 at the upper, as of 21 Sept 2026. Moves inside one province had a median of C$1,500, and moves between provinces had a median of C$3,615.
Haulest data team · 17 September 2026 · Research fallback. Not a first-party median.
What people actually paid
The number that predicts the bill is the paper, and whether anyone saw the stairs.
People paid a median of C$2,100, not a brochure rate. The file has 2,453 priced reviews in Canadian dollars. In the recent window there are 532, as of 21 Sept 2026, with C$1,193 at the lower quartile and C$4,133 at the upper. The numbers are self-reported and skewed toward people with something to say. Haulest is not a carrier, and the desk reads these reviews every week.
A move that stays in one province is a different bill from a move that crosses. The within-province median is C$1,500 across 322 reviews in the recent window. The between-provinces median is C$3,615 across 170 reviews. Moves that leave the country sit at a median of C$6,000 across 29 reviews. Those three cuts are the ones worth quoting to a friend.
The number that predicts the bill is the paper, and whether anyone saw the stairs. An hourly figure on a website has not walked your building. The reviews behind these medians are on the Canada review index. Use them when a quote feels smooth and the access notes are blank. Smooth paper with no stairs is how a small quote becomes a large bill.
What reviewers said they paid in Canada, median by year, CAD. 2,453 priced reviews as of 21 Sept 2026. A cell is left blank below eight reviews.
| Year | All priced reviews | Between provinces | Within one province |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | C$1,600 (n 332) | C$3,630 (n 73) | C$1,200 (n 242) |
| 2022 | C$2,000 (n 313) | C$4,180 (n 107) | C$1,500 (n 182) |
| 2023 | C$2,000 (n 297) | C$4,400 (n 103) | C$1,300 (n 178) |
| 2024 | C$1,700 (n 253) | C$3,700 (n 60) | C$1,432 (n 172) |
| 2025 | C$2,000 (n 185) | C$3,350 (n 58) | C$1,400 (n 113) |
| 2026 to date | C$3,500 (n 94) | C$4,000 (n 52) | C$1,800 (n 37) |
Source: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported, CAD only).
Paying more did not buy a better move
The angrier review paid more.
The angrier review paid more. One-star and two-star reviews in the recent window, 127 in all, show a median of C$2,800. Four-star and five-star reviews, 400 in all, show a median of C$2,000. The outcome split runs the wrong way if you think price buys care. A higher bill sat with the worse rating.
Damage and over-quote language mark the same pile. 27.4% of priced reviews in the recent window mention damage. 5.6% use over-quote language. Mentions are not inspections, and the skew toward people with something to say was already stated with the medians. The gap between the star groups is still large enough to change how you read a cheap quote. A low quote is not the same thing as a safe move.
Paying more did not buy a better move. The high-star median is the lower of the two, which is the opposite of a premium story. What separates the groups is the paper and the access, not the hourly sticker. Read how companies are scored on the Canada hub before you rank them by the first figure in the email. That first figure is the one that moves.
Where the bills landed, priced reviews dated 2024 or later.
| Price paid | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Under C$1,000 | 105 |
| C$1,000 to C$2,000 | 138 |
| C$2,000 to C$4,000 | 149 |
| C$4,000 to C$8,000 | 83 |
| Over C$8,000 | 57 |
Source: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported, CAD only).
Local is hourly, across provinces is weight and kilometres
The hourly rate is the least useful number in the category.
The hourly rate is the least useful number in the category. Local moves are sold by the hour because the truck stays nearby and the clock is what you buy. Moves between provinces are sold by weight and kilometres because the truck leaves, and fuel, nights, and linehaul are what you buy. Treating those prices as one kind of number is how a comparison goes wrong.
Match the quote unit to the trip. If the truck returns the same day, hours and crew size are the contract. If the truck crosses a province, weight and kilometres are the contract. The within-province median of C$1,500 and the between-provinces median of C$3,615 are the review-file version of that split. The hourly calculator fits the first case. It does not price a coast-to-coast load.
Stairs and weight are the facts the rate cannot see. A local quote that skipped the walk-up will burn hours you did not plan. A long-haul quote that skipped the scale will rewrite the bill after pickup. Sketch either case with the cost calculator, then read a real lane such as Toronto to Vancouver before you trust the sketch. The sketch has no elevator and no mountain weather.
Research planning bands, Canada, as of September 2026. Planning range, not a bid. Research fallback. Not a first-party median. Compiled in September 2026 from published industry tables and public quote examples. A phone survey still wins.
| Home size | Local / under 50 miles | 50–400 miles | 400–1,000 miles | 1,000–2,000 miles | 2,000+ miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | C$500–C$1,100 | C$1,600–C$3,000 | C$2,200–C$4,000 | C$2,800–C$5,000 | C$3,400–C$6,000 |
| 1 bedroom | C$800–C$1,600 | C$2,100–C$3,800 | C$2,800–C$5,000 | C$3,600–C$6,400 | C$4,400–C$7,600 |
| 2 bedroom | C$1,200–C$2,400 | C$2,800–C$4,900 | C$3,600–C$6,400 | C$4,800–C$8,400 | C$5,800–C$9,800 |
| 3 bedroom | C$1,800–C$3,400 | C$3,600–C$6,400 | C$4,800–C$8,600 | C$6,200–C$10,800 | C$7,600–C$12,800 |
| 4+ bedroom | C$2,600–C$4,800 | C$4,800–C$8,400 | C$6,200–C$11,000 | C$8,000–C$13,800 | C$9,800–C$16,000 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (not a first-party median).
Provinces and cities we can put a number on
A missing city means we will not pretend.
Five cities have their own priced pages. Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa each draw on local reviews rather than one blended national figure. The origin-city table on this page is that same file, grouped by where the move started. If your city is not listed, do not paste in a figure from a bigger market. A missing city means we will not pretend.
A city median mixes short jobs and long hauls that share a start. A lane does not. Use Calgary to Vancouver when both ends are known, and use a city page when only the pickup is known. The lane table is the review file cut by route, which is why it will not match the city row. Same dollars, different question.
Thin slices fall back to labelled research bands, not to invented precision. Those bands are not reviewer bills. They sit on the page so a small province is not left blank, and they are marked as fallback. For a move out of Canada, use Canada to the United States instead of stretching a city median across the border. The border is a third market, with a median of C$6,000 on 29 reviews.
Province runs with enough priced reviews to print, all years. Median of what the reviewer paid.
| Run | Median paid | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Within Ontario | C$1,300 | 895 |
| Within Alberta | C$1,300 | 202 |
| Within British Columbia | C$1,400 | 193 |
| Within Quebec | C$900 | 102 |
| Ontario to Alberta | C$3,000 | 74 |
| Ontario to British Columbia | C$3,250 | 65 |
| British Columbia to Alberta | C$3,200 | 65 |
| Alberta to British Columbia | C$3,600 | 63 |
| Alberta to Ontario | C$2,970 | 57 |
| Ontario to Nova Scotia | C$4,400 | 52 |
| British Columbia to Ontario | C$3,800 | 47 |
| Quebec to Ontario | C$2,000 | 44 |
Source: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported, CAD only).
Where the move started: cities with 25 or more priced reviews, all years, all distances mixed.
| Leaving from | Median paid | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | C$1,500 | 308 |
| Calgary | C$1,600 | 145 |
| Montreal | C$1,400 | 110 |
| Ottawa | C$1,356 | 76 |
| Mississauga | C$1,250 | 73 |
| Edmonton | C$1,600 | 67 |
| Vancouver | C$2,500 | 58 |
| Winnipeg | C$1,400 | 52 |
| Kelowna | C$1,947 | 39 |
| Brampton | C$1,580 | 35 |
Source: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported, CAD only).
From the review file
Movers in Canada whose reviewers reported a price most often
How this list was made. Every mover here has at least 10 reviews on record, and at least 5 held reviews dated since January 2022 that carry a price in CAD. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Median reported, CAD | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pegasus Vanlines | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 6574.3 mean, dated | $1,800 | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Diamond Relocation | Edmonton, AB | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 5864.3 mean, dated | $1,700 | 2 May 2026 |
| Enterprise Moving | Mississauga, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 3384.3 mean, dated | $1,500 | 27 May 2024 |
| Total Care Moving | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 1654.4 mean, dated | $3,407 | 8 Dec 2024 |
| Let's Get Moving | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 1524.8 mean, dated | $1,000 | 10 Sept 2026 |
| Bust a Move | Montreal, QC | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 1064.8 mean, dated | $1,200 | 11 Feb 2026 |
| Calgary Movers Pro | Calgary, AB | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 964.8 mean, dated | $845 | 16 Sept 2026 |
| Essential Movers | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 904.2 mean, dated | $3,150 | 13 Jan 2024 |
| Cedar Strong Transportation Inc | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 723.9 mean, dated | $2,495 | 8 Oct 2025 |
| Raptor Мovers | Etobicoke, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 624.8 mean, dated | $1,150 | 13 Aug 2026 |
| 401 Moving & Storage | Toronto, ON | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 433.6 mean, dated | $1,500 | 27 Jan 2026 |
| Total Moving Winnipeg | Headingley, MB | Canada, no federal licence | 20 | 254.2 mean, dated | $1,100 | 1 Jun 2026 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
The extras that turn a quote into a bill
The extras are how a quote becomes a bill.
The extras are how a quote becomes a bill. Stairs, long carries, shuttles, packing, and bulky pieces show up again and again once the crew is in the house. 5.6% of priced reviews in the recent window use over-quote language for that gap. 27.4% mention damage, which is a different failure and often the same day. Start with how to read a moving estimate so the access lines exist before moving day.
Hidden lines are ordinary, not rare. Shuttle fees, stair fees, and packing you thought was included are the comments that follow a low quote. The guide to hidden moving fees names the lines worth hunting on the estimate. If a line can change the total and it is not on the paper, you do not have a price yet. You have a draft.
Get the deposit in writing as a credit, not as a favour. The amount, the refund rule, and what happens if the date slips should sit in one clause. Use the moving company deposit guide as the checklist. In Ontario, remember HST at 13% on top of a quote that is usually written before tax. A pre-tax quote compared with a tax-in quote is not a comparison.
Fee lines that show up on moving invoices in Canada, and the question that settles each one.
| Fee | Why it appears | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs / long carry | A sofa that will not pivot is two people and ten extra minutes, every flight. | How many flights, and is a long carry already in the number? |
| Shuttle van | A 26-foot box that cannot make the last turn becomes a second vehicle and a second clock. | If the street is tight, is the shuttle named or a surprise? |
| Elevator reservation | High-rises run on a weekday freight slot. Miss it and the crew waits. | Who books the freight car, and who pays if the building is late? |
| Certificate of insurance | Many US and Canadian buildings want a COI 48–72 hours ahead. | Do they already have the building’s additional-insured wording? |
| Waiting time | UK completion-day key slip is the classic. US elevator delays do the same thing. | What is the hourly waiting clock, and when does it start? |
| Weekend / month-end | Saturday at month-end is when trucks disappear and the band jumps. | Is the Saturday premium already in the number? |
Source: Haulest desk (from quotes and reviews, September 2026).
When you move changes the price
July 1 is Quebec's moving day, and the trucks already know.
July 1 is Quebec's moving day, and the trucks already know. Leases turn over together, so crews and elevators are booked in a clump. Reviews that name that week talk about overtime, a hold on the elevator, and a total that drifted after the booking. If you can move a few days off that date, you are buying calendar, not a kinder hourly rate. The rate was never the scarce thing.
Elsewhere, month-end is the crowded slot. Ontario leases often end as the month ends, and the same scramble shows up in the comments from other provinces. Test a date with the peak calculator before you pay a deposit to hold it. A mid-week date away from the turn of the month is the quiet part of this file. Quiet dates are where the medians soften.
The tax return does not cut the mover's price. Moving expenses can be deductible when the move brings you at least 40 km closer to a new job or school, claimed on line 21900. That is a filing rule, not a discount from the carrier. Keep the invoice, the tax line, and the proof of the new workplace. The deduction, if it applies, arrives later.
Checking a mover in a country with no mover licence
Canada has no federal licence for household movers.
Canada has no federal licence for household movers. Provinces do not license movers as movers either. Ontario and others rely on consumer protection law, which is not a mover licence you can look up and trust. A firm may hold a voluntary membership in the Canadian Association of Movers, and it must carry commercial insurance. Membership is a club. Insurance is a policy. Neither one is a permit.
Check credentials without pretending a licence number exists. The credentials page is the list of what you can actually verify. Then read reviews that name a price, because a star with no bill is advertising. The pile behind this page is the Canada review index. A company with no priced reviews is an unknown, and an unknown is not a deal.
Call after the paper names access, weight or hours, and tax. If those three are missing, the hourly rate has nothing to attach to. Voluntary membership does not mean someone saw your stairs. Consumer protection law is what you use after a fight, not a shortcut that makes every quote safe. Get the estimate in writing, then decide whether the call is worth it.
Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026; planning bands as of September 2026. Drafted with Grok 4.7 (Cursor agent CLI) on 23 Sep 2026, then edited by the Haulest desk.
Sources
Links go to the publisher. Haulest does not add findings. Checked September 2026; if the live page moved, believe the agency.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How much do movers cost in Canada?
- In the recent window, 532 priced reviews show a median of C$2,100, with the lower quartile at C$1,193 and the upper at C$4,133, as of 21 Sept 2026. A move inside one province has a median of C$1,500 on 322 reviews, and a move between provinces has a median of C$3,615 on 170 reviews. The full file holds 2,453 priced reviews, self-reported and skewed toward people with something to say.
- Why do local moves and interprovincial moves cost different amounts?
- Local work is usually sold by the hour, while a move between provinces is sold by weight and kilometres. The hourly rate is the least useful number in the category because it ignores stairs, weight, and the calendar. Use the [hourly calculator](/calculators/hourly) for a same-day job and a lane page when the truck crosses a province.
- Does paying more get you a better move?
- One-star and two-star reviews in the recent window, 127 of them, have a median of C$2,800. Four-star and five-star reviews, 400 of them, have a median of C$2,000. The angrier review paid more, so a higher quote is not proof of a safer move.
- Do movers in Canada need a licence?
- Canada has no federal licence for household movers, and provinces do not license movers as movers. Companies can join the Canadian Association of Movers and must carry commercial insurance, which is not the same as a government permit. The [credentials page](/ca/trust/credentials) explains what you can check instead.
- When is it more expensive to move in Canada?
- July 1 is Quebec's traditional moving day, when leases turn over and trucks are scarce. Month-end is the busy slot in Ontario and much of the rest of the country. Shifting off those dates will usually do more for the bill than hunting a lower hourly rate.
- Can I deduct moving costs on my Canadian taxes?
- Moving expenses can be deductible when the move brings you at least 40 km closer to a new job or school, on line 21900. The deduction does not reduce the invoice you pay the mover. GST or HST still applies to the service, including HST at 13% in Ontario, where quotes are usually written before tax.
Next
Keep going
- Cost calculatorYour size and distance, number first.
- Checking a Canadian moverWhat you can check, and where.
- Hidden moving feesThe lines that turn a quote into a bill.
- Peak date checkMonth-end, weekends, and the busy season.
- Canada moving hubCities, runs, and the rules.
- Mover reviewsThe reviews these numbers came from.
Call for a written quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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