PODS can be a great way to cut down on total moving costs, whether you want to save time by languidly cleaning and packing up your home, or you want to store your goods at the destination without having to pay to unload them. With flexible rental terms and no need to drive a moving truck, PODS offers a kind of middle ground between DIY and full-service moving, making it an increasingly popular choice for people who want convenience without the high price tag.
But how much does PODS actually cost? The answer depends on a few key factors, from how far you’re moving to how much stuff you have. Let’s break them down.
What Affects PODS Cost?
PODS bring a lot of benefits like:
- Storage options: Where you can store the container at your home or at their facilities
- Durability: With weather-resistant paneling that keeps your goods protected when left outside
- Monthly rentals: So you don’t have to rush to unload in a day or two
However, the cost is based on factors like:
- The container size
- The distance
- Whether you rent a container at the facility or have it delivered
- Rental duration
- Time of year
For example, moving from central New York to North Carolina, with a 1 month rental, and a single large container size totals around $3,309 with all of the fees. But if you needed 2 storage units, or a longer rental, the price would shift.
So let’s look at all five of those features in more detail:
Container Size
PODS comes in 3 container sizes:
- Small = 8 feet
- Medium = 12 feet
- Large = 15 feet
The small size is equal to a 10’ truck or a 5 foot by 10 foot storage unit and ideal for studio apartments. It fits an average of 500 square feet of goods or less. The average cost is $150 to $350 per month.
The medium is not quite twice as large, but is comparable to a 10 foot by 10 foot storage unit, ideal for only about 300 extra square feet. The 12 foot or Medium sized containers are also only available for local moves, but costs on average about the same as the small.
The large is suitable for up to a 1,200 square foot home, or 2 bedrooms. As a reference, it is about one parking spot in length. The large containers are where you find the biggest price jump; these can include costs averaging $180 to $8000 total depending on the distance and rental duration.
Note: Other costs beyond the size include the drop-off fee, delivery fee to move your container to your new location, and total monthly fees for the duration of your rental.
This means that when calculating for PODS costs, you will likely need more than one container if you have a family or more than one bedroom. Even if you have a one bedroom apartment, if you also have a garage full of stuff, an attic, basement, or lots of rooms in your home, calculate for additional containers.
Tip: Use a moving calculator like MoveBuddha to estimate the number of boxes you need, and from there, the estimated container size.
Moving Distance
The longer the move distance (in terms of miles) the more it will cost to transport the container.
Let’s look at some examples of moving costs:
| Distance | Size of House | Estimated Costs |
| Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA | 3-Bedroom Home | Between $1,416 and $2,427 |
| Eugene, OR to Jersey City, NJ | 3-Bedroom Home | Between $3,396 and $5,768 |
| Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA | Studio Apartment | Between $992 – $1,520 |
| Eugene, OR to Jersey City, NJ | Studio Apartment | Between $2,264 – $4,096 |
Why the difference?
The longer the distance traveled to get your goods from where you are to where you are going, the higher the cost for PODS in fuel and manpower. That cost will naturally be transferred to you.
Tip: PODS requires your email to get a quote. Start with a moving calculator like MoveBuddha to determine in-state or out-of-state move costs without selling your personal data.
Facility vs. Your Location
PODS has storage locations across the U.S., parts of Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, you can only move within each country, or to/from the US and Canada. You cannot use PODS to move, let’s say, from Canada to the United Kingdom.
That said, part of your PODS costs include delivery and transportation. You can pay for a PODS unit to be delivered to your location, transported to your new location, or temporarily stored at one of their secure Storage Centers.
If, for example, you are moving in Oregon, there are PODS facilities in cities like:
- Beaverton
- Medford
- Portland
- Eugene
- Hillsboro
- Tigard
From these facilities, your PODS unit could be dropped off at your home, or you could keep the unit at a PODS facility in one of those locations and simply move/load your goods to/from the facility directly.
If you live close to a Storage Center, one way to cut PODS costs is to keep your container at the Storage Center while you are renting it. This would mean no delivery fee to your home. There are a lot of reasons why you might prefer to do this, such as saving money but in many cases, it is logistical or easier.
I’ve lived on some pretty steep hills in my time, with driveways that couldn’t support a PODS unit. The angles and incline just weren’t conducive. So, having a unit at the Storage Center made it possible to still take advantage of a PODS unit/savings without leaving the unit in my driveway.
Likewise, if you live in an apartment and can’t keep a storage unit for a month or two in the shared parking lot, then using a facility can solve a lot of problems for you.
So, if you opt to have the container dropped off at your home, you will incur a higher cost (the average delivery fee is around $79).
Tip: If you store your container at their facility, you will have to provide a padlock; buy a disk lock or padlock beforehand to save money.
Rental Duration
One of the nice things about PODS is that you can rent the container for a specific time frame. Unlike comparative container moving services which only allow 3 days for you to pack and unpack, with PODS your storage costs include things like:
- A delivery and pick up fee averaging $75
- A storage unit price starting at $150 per month
So, if you know you are moving in 2 months, and you want to slowly pack your goods after work a few nights per week, then you might rent the unit for 2 or 3 months so you have time to pack things on a slower schedule, then have it delivered and unpacked at an equally slow schedule.
While you might pay an extra month to keep the PODS unit in your driveway, it saves you on having to transport, load/unload, and store your goods at a storage unit.
Tip: PODS offers a “bundle discount” if you rent a container for 3 months or longer; you can save a percentage of your full cost and on the delivery costs.
Time of Year
Moving in the summer costs more; about 10% more over average. Consequently, so do a lot of home prices, too.
So, depending on the time of year you need your PODS, the higher or lower the costs might be.
Let’s go back to the example above but account for different times of the year:
| Distance | Size of House | Time of Year | Estimated Costs |
| Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA | 3-Bedroom Home | End of September | Between $1,416 and $2,427 |
| Eugene, OR to Jersey City, NJ | 3-Bedroom Home | End of September | Between $3,396 and $5,768 |
| Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA | 3-Bedroom Home | Middle of July | Between $1,566 – $2,503 |
| Eugene, OR to Jersey City, NJ | 3-Bedroom Home | Middle of July | Between $3,756 – $6,867 |
| Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA | 3-Bedroom Home | Beginning of February | Between $1,156 – $1,984 |
| Eugene, OR to Jersey City, NJ | 3-Bedroom Home | Beginning of February | $2,919 – $5,129 |
As you can see, a move from Eugene to Seattle will increase about 14% during the summer as compared to Autumn. In winter though, the prices drop by about 30% compared to summer prices.
Tip: Compare prices for weekend versus weekday delivery/pickup and storage costs to find cheaper days with the MoveBuddha cost calculator.
Summing Up
Overall, several factors influence how much PODS cost. The first is the size/quantity you rent. There isn’t a substantial difference between the cost for the PODS sizes, but if you have a large household you might need multiple units. The length of your rental can incur additional fees as rentals are charged on a monthly basis, but longer rentals can come with a discount.
The second is the distance of your move. If you are moving under 100 miles it will be significantly less expensive because of transportation costs, but of course long distance moves will increase the price noticeably. In addition to that, the time of year you move can lead to higher prices simply because of increased demand.
Given that there are many influencing factors, it’s important to use move calculators like MoveBuddha to get a more accurate estimate based on the length of time you need your rental, the size, when you are planning to move, and the distance you are traveling.