Sea vs air
Sea freight is far cheaper for a full household and is the default for most international moves — a shared container (LCL) for a small home, a full container (FCL) for a large one. Air freight is much faster but multiples more expensive, best for a few urgent boxes rather than furniture.
Rule of thumb: ship the household by sea, fly only what you can't be without for the weeks the sea shipment takes.
What sets the price
- Volume — driven by your home size (studio to 4-bedroom).
- Corridor — distance and port pairs; US↔Mexico differs from Colombia↔Spain.
- Door-to-door vs port-to-port — packing, local delivery and customs handling add up.
- Insurance — a percentage of the declared value.
Why a range, not a single number
Real quotes swing with fuel, season and the exact addresses. A trustworthy estimate gives you an honest range by corridor and home size so you can plan — then you confirm with two or three movers. Beware sites that hide any number behind a lead form.
Estimate your moving cost → Free tool: transparent price ranges by corridor and home size — no quote-wall.