What will my move cost? Here is how we work it out.
Every move is different, so we do not hide behind one rate card for everyone. A student's single room and a family's 3 BHK need very different trucks, teams and packing. What we can promise is a price that is clear, written down and explained line by line before a single box is packed.
On this page you will find starting estimates for common moves, the things that push a price up or down, what is included, and a full sample quote for a 2 BHK. By the end, you should be able to read any moving quote, ours or anyone else's, with confidence.
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Written and itemised
Each charge on its own line, so you can see where your money goes.
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Free, with no pressure
Getting a quote costs nothing, and you are never obliged to book.
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Free of on-the-spot extras
No surprise charges for stairs, tape or a "heavy" fridge on the day.
A rough idea before you even call
Find the size of your move on the left and the distance across the top. The figure where they meet is a starting estimate for a normal move of that size. Your real quote may be a little lower or higher once we understand your move, but this table helps you plan a budget and spot a quote that looks far too cheap to be true.
That last point matters. A quote that is much lower than everyone else's often leaves out packing material, stairs or unloading, and those costs then appear on moving day when you have no choice but to pay. A fair price that covers the full job is always cheaper than a low price that grows.
| Type of move | Within city | Up to 500 km | 500–1,500 km | Over 1,500 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 RK / 1 BHK | ₹7,000 – ₹11,000 | ₹12,000 – ₹16,000 | ₹20,000 – ₹32,000 | ₹30,000 – ₹35,000 |
| 2 BHK | ₹12,000 – ₹15,000 | ₹20,000 – ₹23,000 | ₹25,000 – ₹40,000 | ₹40,000 – ₹45,000 |
| 3 BHK | ₹15,000 – ₹18,000 | ₹25,000 – ₹30,000 | ₹35,000 – ₹50,000 | ₹50,000 – ₹65,000 |
| 4 BHK / villa | ₹25,000 – ₹30,000 | ₹35,000 – ₹40,000 | ₹50,000 – ₹65,000 | ₹70,000 – ₹90,000 |
| Small office | ₹15,000 – ₹25,000 | ₹25,000 – ₹35,000 | ₹35,000 – ₹55,000 | ₹55,000 – ₹75,000 |
| Bike | ₹3,000 – ₹7,000 | ₹7,000 – ₹10,500 | ₹10,000 – ₹18,000 | ₹18,000 – ₹22,000 |
| Car | ₹9,000 – ₹11,500 | ₹12,000 – ₹14,500 | ₹17,000 – ₹25,000 | ₹25,000 – ₹30,000 |
A note on these figures
These are our starting estimates for 2026. They are a guide only, and they assume normal household goods, standard packing, and a lift or ground floor at both ends. Your written quote is the price that counts.
Bike and car rows
These show the vehicle travelling on its own. If your bike or car moves along with your household goods, we plan both together, which can bring the combined cost down.
Eight things that decide your price
When two families with the same size of home get different quotes, it is usually because of the points below. None of them are secret. Once you know them, you can see why your quote looks the way it does, and you can even change a few of them to save money.
1. Distance
The further your things travel, the more fuel, tolls and driver days the move needs. A move from one side of Pune to the other is done in a single day. A move from Delhi to Bengaluru keeps a truck and its driver on the road for several days, with tolls along the way. For intercity moves, distance is often the biggest single part of the price.
2. How much you are moving
Price follows the space your things take in the truck, not just the number of rooms. Two 2 BHK homes can be very different. One may have a sofa set, two double beds, a fridge, a washing machine and fifty boxes. Another may have one bed and a few cartons. More goods means a bigger truck, more material and more hands.
3. Floors, lift and parking
Carrying a steel almirah down three floors of stairs takes four people and a lot of time. With a working lift, it takes two people and a few minutes. So we always ask which floor you live on at both ends, whether the lift fits big furniture, and how far the truck can park from your gate. A long walk from the truck adds time too.
4. Packing material
Standard packing uses cartons, bubble wrap, tape and stretch film. Some items need more. A large LED TV without its original box needs foam and a thick carton. A glass dining top or a marble idol may need a wooden crate built to size. We suggest the right level for each item, and you can choose simpler packing for things that are less delicate.
5. Season, month-end and festival dates
Most people want to move at the end of the month, when rent agreements end, or in the summer school holidays. Festival weeks like Diwali get busy too. On these dates trucks and teams are in high demand, so prices can be higher. A mid-month weekday is usually calmer. In the monsoon we add extra waterproof wrapping, shown clearly in your quote.
6. Insurance
Transit insurance is optional. Its cost depends on the value you declare for your goods. A higher declared value means a higher premium, but also more cover if something goes wrong. Your move manager explains what is and is not covered in simple words, and then you decide. You can read more on our insurance page.
7. Storage
If your new flat is not ready yet, we can keep your things safe in storage. Storage is charged for the space used and the number of days or months. It also adds one more round of handling: old home to warehouse, and later warehouse to new home. We list each part separately, so you see exactly what the gap is costing.
8. Special items
Some things need extra people, tools or a crate: a piano, a large glass table top, a heavy marble temple, a big aquarium, gym equipment or a chandelier. Tell us about these early. A piano on the second floor without a lift is a very different job from a box of books, and we would rather plan it properly than guess on the day.
What your price covers, and what it doesn't
A cheap quote is not cheap if half the work is missing from it. Here is what a standard Lifter Shifter quote includes, and what we only add when you ask for it. Extras are always agreed and written down before moving day.
Included in your price
- Standard packing material: cartons, bubble wrap, tape and stretch film
- Packing and room-wise labelling of every box
- A written inventory list that you sign and keep
- Loading and unloading, including the floors and stairs noted in your quote
- A closed truck sized for your goods, with fuel, tolls and driver costs
- Placing boxes and furniture in the right rooms at your new home
- Opening and refitting standard beds and simple wardrobes
- One move manager and updates throughout the move
Extra, only if you choose it
- Transit insurance on the value you declare
- Custom wooden crates for glass tops, idols or artwork
- Storage for a few days, weeks or months
- Full unpacking and arranging of kitchen shelves and wardrobes
- Special items like a piano, marble temple or large aquarium
- AC removal and refitting, arranged with a technician
- Wall work such as mounting a TV or fixing curtain rods
- Bike or car transport alongside your household goods
Not sure where something fits? Ask your move manager. The answer will go into your quote, in writing, so nobody has to remember a phone conversation on moving day.
The price we write is the price you pay
Many people have a story about movers who quoted one price and asked for more on moving day. Extra for the stairs, extra for the tape, extra because the fridge was "heavy". We understand why people feel nervous, and we have built our way of working to stop this from happening.
First, every quote is written and itemised, and it also lists what we have assumed, such as "lift available at the new building". Second, our team on the ground cannot add charges. They will not ask for "stair money", and you never need to pay them anything that is not in your quote.
Third, if the move really changes, we talk first. Say you decide on the day to also send an old sofa from your parents' flat. Your move manager tells you the added cost, updates the quote, and the team goes ahead only once you agree. No agreement, no extra work, no extra charge.
A worked example for a 2 BHK
Say you are moving a 2 BHK from a third-floor flat with no lift in Lucknow to a second-floor flat with a lift in Bengaluru. You have the usual things: two beds, a wardrobe, a sofa set, a fridge, a washing machine, a TV, a dining table with a glass top, kitchen items and about forty cartons. You want insurance, and you will unpack yourself.
This is roughly how your quote would look. Notice that the three floors without a lift sit on their own line, so you can see exactly what the missing lift adds. The wooden crate for the glass top is marked as an extra you chose. Insurance is marked as optional. If you remove any line, you can see straight away how much the total changes.
Your real quote will follow the same layout, with your own items, your own floors and your own dates. The figures shown here are a realistic example.
A useful habit: when you compare quotes from different movers, lay them side by side line by line, not just total against total. If one quote has no line for stairs or packing material, ask why before you decide.
- Packing material: cartons, bubble wrap, film, tape
- ₹6,500
- Packing labour, labelling and inventory list
- ₹3,500
- Loading, including three floors by stairs
- ₹2,500
- Closed truck, Lucknow to Bengaluru, fuel and tolls
- ₹23,000
- Unloading and placing in rooms (lift available)
- ₹1,500
- Opening and refitting two beds and a wardrobe
- ₹1,500
- Wooden crate for glass dining top (extra)
- ₹2,500
- Transit insurance on declared value (optional)
- ₹1,800
- Subtotal
- ₹42,800
- GST as applicable
- ₹7,704
- Total you pay
- ₹50,504
When you pay, step by step
You never pay the full amount up front. Payment is split into a few small steps that follow the move, so you only pay for work as it gets done. The exact amounts and dates are written in your quote.
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1
To book your date
A booking amount of ₹1,000 or 10% of the total reserves your truck and team for the chosen day.
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2
On loading day
50% once everything is packed, loaded and you have signed the inventory list.
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3
After delivery
The balance, after your goods are unloaded and you have checked them against the list.
How you can pay
We accept UPI, bank transfer and cash. You get a receipt for every payment, and every payment goes to Lifter Shifter, never to a crew member's personal account.
Company-paid moves
If your employer is paying, we agree the billing with your HR team in advance. You simply check the move, and the invoice goes to them as agreed.
Smart ways to bring your cost down
You don't need to pick the cheapest mover to spend less. Small choices before the move often save more than any discount, and they make moving day easier too.
Clear out before you get a quote
The old wooden cot nobody uses, a stack of newspapers, a broken cooler: each one costs money to pack and carry. Sell, donate or throw them out first, and your quote shrinks with them.
Pick a mid-month weekday
If your rent agreement allows it, avoid the last days of the month and festival weeks. Calmer dates are often cheaper and you get more choice of time slots.
Book two to three weeks ahead
Early booking gives us time to plan the right truck size and route. Last-minute moves leave fewer options, and fewer options usually means a higher price.
Pack the easy things yourself
Clothes, books, bedsheets and soft toys are simple to pack. Doing them yourself cuts labour and material. Leave glassware, electronics and puja items to our packers.
Sort out the lift and parking early
Book the service lift with your society and tell us where the truck can stand. A team waiting an hour for a lift key is time that someone has to pay for.
Share an honest item list
If the list is accurate, we send the right truck the first time. Forgotten items found on the day can mean a second trip, which always costs more than planning for them.
Questions about cost
Money is the part of moving people worry about most. Here are straight answers to what we are asked most often. If your question is not here, call us and ask.
Read all questionsWhy can't you show an exact price online?
Because two homes of the same size can need very different work. An exact price online would either be too high for some people or too low to be honest for others.
Do you charge for the quote?
No. The call, visit or video walk-through and the written quote are free, and you are under no obligation to book.
Can the price change on moving day?
Only if the move itself changes, like extra items or a different floor, and only after you agree to the updated quote.
Do I need to pay the crew anything?
No. Everything is in your quote. If anyone asks for extra money on the spot, please call your move manager straight away.
Is tax included in the quote?
Tax is shown as its own line, as in the sample above, and the total at the bottom already includes it.
Can I skip insurance to save money?
Yes, it is optional. We will explain what you would be covered for, so you can decide knowing the trade-off.
What if I change or cancel my date?
Tell us as early as you can. Date changes and cancellation terms are written in your quote. Changes made at least 48 hours before moving day cost nothing extra.
Want your own price? It's free.
Tell us where you are moving from and to. We will understand your move and send a clear, written quote. No pressure, no obligation.