What moving from the USA to Europe actually costs
Transparent benchmarks for container shipping, destination charges and customs filing — plus a live estimator to size your own move.
Estimate your volume, container and door-to-door price
Benchmarks built from thousands of US-to-Europe household shipments, including origin packing, ocean freight, destination customs clearance and final delivery.
Origin region
Live estimate
- Estimated volume
- 18 CBM
- Container recommendation
- 20ft FCL Container
- Door-to-door price range
- $5,550 – $7,881
- Typical transit
- 3 to 6 weeks door to door
Estimates exclude destination duties where relief is not granted.
Freight modes compared
LCL Groupage
$1,500 – $5,200
You pay per cubic metre inside a shared container. Consolidation and deconsolidation add 10–14 days, and destination terminal handling is charged separately.
20ft FCL Container
$5,400 – $10,800
Exclusive sealed container loaded at your home. Best value per cubic metre above 15 CBM and the lowest risk of damage or customs cross-contamination.
40ft FCL Container
$8,900 – $16,500
Doubles capacity for roughly 55% more cost than a 20ft. Confirm street access at destination — many European city addresses require a shuttle vehicle.
Cost breakdown
| Line item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Origin packing & materials | $600 – $2,400 | Professional export wrap for fragile and high-value items. |
| Ocean freight & bunker surcharges | $1,800 – $6,500 | Varies by lane, season and fuel index. |
| Destination terminal handling | $450 – $1,100 | Charged by the port, not your mover. |
| Customs clearance & documentation | $300 – $900 | Includes ToR/relief filing and inventory translation. |
| Final delivery & unpacking | $500 – $1,900 | Shuttle vans, hoists or stair carries add cost in historic centres. |
| Marine insurance (all-risk) | 2% – 3.5% of value | Declared-value cover; strongly recommended for FCL and LCL. |
Freight mode economics
Volume decides the mode, and the mode decides most of your bill. Below 14 CBM a shared container almost always wins; above it, a dedicated container is usually cheaper per cubic metre.
| Mode | Volume | Typical cost | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean LCL (shared container) | Under 14 CBM | $35 – $90 / CBM ($1,500 minimum) | 3 – 8 weeks | Partial household moves and apartment shipments |
| Ocean FCL — 20ft container | 14 – 33 CBM | $2,500 – $13,000 per container | 3 – 8 weeks (EU) / 6 – 10 weeks (Oceania) | 1–3 bedroom full household moves |
| Ocean FCL — 40ft container | 33 – 67 CBM | $4,000 – $19,000 per container | 3 – 8 weeks (EU) / 6 – 10 weeks (Oceania) | 3–5 bedroom moves plus vehicle transport |
| Air freight (expedited) | Any — charged by weight | $2.50 – $8.50 / kg | 3 – 7 days | High-value gear and time-critical relocations |
| Cross-border FTL / LTL (ground) | Full or partial trailer | $1,200 – $5,500 per trailer | 1 – 5 days | Direct surface moves to Mexico and Canada |
Starting prices by destination
🇲🇽
Mexico
from $1,200
Bonded truck 1–5 days via Laredo, El Paso or Otay Mesa
🇨🇦
Canada
from $2,500
Cross-border trucking or intermodal rail, 1–5 days
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
from $3,800
Ocean freight 12–24 days to Southampton or Felixstowe
🇩🇪
Germany
from $4,000
Ocean freight 14–26 days to Hamburg or Bremerhaven
🇦🇺
Australia
from $6,000
Ocean freight 6–10 weeks to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Fremantle
🇯🇵
Japan
from $5,000
Ocean freight 12–16 days from the US West Coast to Yokohama or Kobe
🇫🇷
France
from $4,200
Ocean freight 18–32 days to Le Havre or Marseille
🇰🇷
South Korea
from $5,000
Ocean freight 12–18 days to Busan or Incheon
🇹🇭
Thailand
from $4,500
Ocean freight 3–5 weeks to Laem Chabang
🇮🇹
Italy
from $4,300
Ocean freight 20–34 days to Genoa, Livorno or Naples
🇪🇸
Spain
from $3,900
Ocean freight 22–38 days port-to-port from the US East Coast
🇳🇱
Netherlands
from $3,900
Ocean freight 12–22 days to Rotterdam — Europe's fastest US gateway
🇨🇭
Switzerland
from $5,100
Ocean freight 14–26 days to Rotterdam or Antwerp, then bonded road transit inland
🇮🇪
Ireland
from $4,100
Ocean freight 14–26 days to Dublin or Cork, often via UK feeder
🇳🇿
New Zealand
from $6,000
Ocean freight 6–10 weeks to Auckland or Tauranga
🇸🇪
Sweden
from $4,600
Ocean freight 18–30 days to Gothenburg, or via Bremerhaven feeder
🇵🇦
Panama
from $3,500
Ocean freight 10–14 days to Balboa or Colón
🇵🇹
Portugal
from $3,600
Ocean freight 16–28 days to Lisbon or Leixões
🇨🇷
Costa Rica
from $4,500
Ocean freight 10–14 days to Caldera or Puerto Limón