Hiring a truck and moving yourself is usually cheaper than using removalists in Melbourne, often by several hundred dollars. A do-it-yourself truck hire starts from around $74.55 a day plus fuel, while removalists in Melbourne typically charge $150 to $220 an hour for two movers and a truck, with a two-hour minimum. The catch is that a self-move means you provide the labour, the time, and the lifting, whereas removalists include all of that in the higher price. So the honest answer is that moving yourself wins on cost, and removalists win on effort and speed. Which is cheaper for you depends on the size of your move and how much your time and energy are worth.
The short answer on cost
On dollars alone, a DIY truck move is the cheaper option for most people. Renting a truck for a day and doing the lifting yourself commonly comes in around $100 to $250 all up, once you add fuel and a few supplies, against a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars for removalists. The gap is widest on small moves, where a removalist’s two-hour minimum still applies but a self-move can be done quickly for the price of the truck and a tank of fuel.
Where the maths shifts is on large or difficult moves. If you would need to hire helpers, take extra trips, or spend a full weekend on it, the value of removalists doing the whole job in a few hours starts to close the gap, even though the sticker price stays higher.
What a DIY truck move costs in Melbourne
The main cost of moving yourself is the truck. A moving truck starts from $74.55 a day and includes 100 kilometres, which covers most local moves, with a small per kilometre fee after that. On top of the truck you have fuel, usually $20 to $50 for a local move, and a few supplies like blankets and straps if you do not already have them.
Labour is where you decide how much to spend. If friends or family help for the price of pizza, your labour cost is close to nothing. If you pay for a couple of hours of labour-only help to lift the heavy items, that adds to the total but still usually lands below a full removalist bill. Put together, a typical self-move sits well under the removalist figures, which is why it is the cheaper route for anyone able to do the lifting.
What removalists cost in Melbourne
Melbourne removalist cost guides in 2026 put two movers and a truck at around $150 to $220 an hour, with most companies charging a minimum of two hours regardless of how quick the job is. Typical totals by home size come out roughly like this: a one-bedroom move around $350 to $650, a two-bedroom around $600 to $1,050, and a three-bedroom house around $900 to $1,800. Bigger homes, stairs, long carries, and peak dates push the figure higher.
That price buys you a lot: two or more trained movers, a truck, the lifting, and usually transit protection for your goods. You are paying for the whole job to be done for you in a few hours, which is exactly why it costs more than hiring a truck and doing it yourself.
Truck hire versus removalists, side by side
| What matters | Hire a truck and move yourself | Use removalists |
| Typical cost | From about $74.55 a day plus fuel, often $100 to $250 all up | Around $150 to $220 an hour, roughly $350 to $1,800 by home size |
| Who does the lifting | You and any helpers | The removal team |
| Time and effort | A half or full day of your own work | A few hours, hands off |
| Flexibility | Go at your own pace, any time | Booked to their schedule |
| Risk of injury or damage | On you, so care is needed | Handled by trained movers with cover |
| Best for | Small moves, tight budgets, able helpers | Large homes, heavy items, time-poor movers |
A worked example: a two-bedroom move
It helps to put real numbers against one scenario. Take a two-bedroom unit moving a few suburbs across Melbourne. Doing it yourself, you might hire a truck for the day at around $90, spend $35 on fuel, and put $20 towards blankets and straps, which is roughly $145. If two friends help for the cost of lunch, that is about all you pay, so call it $145 to $200 for the day. Using removalists for the same two-bedroom move, two movers and a truck at $150 to $220 an hour, over a typical four to five hour job, works out around $600 to $1,050.
On that example the self-move saves you somewhere between $400 and $850. What you spend instead is a day of your own time and effort, and you carry the lifting yourself. That trade, hundreds of dollars against a day of work, is the real decision behind this question, and it is why the answer comes down to your budget, your help, and your time.
When moving yourself is the cheaper, smarter choice
A DIY truck move usually makes sense when the job is manageable and you want to keep costs down. It is the better value when you are moving a studio, a one-bedroom, or a small home, when you have a couple of people to help with the lifting, when your dates are flexible, and when you are fit enough to shift furniture safely. In those cases the removalist minimum and hourly rate are hard to justify, and a truck from $74.55 a day does the same job for a fraction of the price. If your load is small, even a cargo van can be enough, which is cheaper again.
When removalists are worth the extra
Removalists earn their higher price on the harder moves. They are worth it for a full three or four bedroom house, for heavy or awkward items like a piano or a large fridge, for homes with stairs or a long carry to the truck, and when you simply do not have help or time. They are also the safer choice for valuable or fragile items and for anyone who cannot do heavy lifting. On a big move, paying for a team that finishes in a few hours can be worth more than the money saved doing it yourself over a weekend.
The DIY costs people forget
Being honest about the self-move helps you compare properly, because the truck rate is not the whole picture. Fuel, a few supplies, and any paid help add to the total. Your own time has a value too, and a self-move can take most of a day. There is a small risk of damage to your goods or the truck, and of injury if heavy items are lifted the wrong way, which is why it pays to have help and to load carefully. And if you pick a truck that is too small, a second trip adds fuel and hours. None of these usually tip the balance away from DIY on a small move, but they are worth counting before you decide.
How to keep a DIY move cheap
A few choices keep a self-move at the low end. Pick the right truck size so the move fits in one trip, using the moving truck rental guide to match the truck to your home. Book direct to avoid third party fees, move midweek to dodge the weekend premium, pack and disassemble before pickup so the truck is not sitting idle, and plan your route to stay within the 100 kilometre daily allowance. If you have never driven a truck, our guide on how to drive a moving truck makes the drive easy, and the guide on why truck hire beats the alternatives covers where a self-move wins.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to move yourself or hire removalists in Melbourne?
Moving yourself is usually cheaper. A DIY truck hire from around $74.55 a day plus fuel commonly totals $100 to $250, while removalists charge about $150 to $220 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Removalists cost more but do the lifting for you.
How much does a DIY truck move cost in Melbourne?
A moving truck starts from $74.55 a day and includes 100 kilometres, so with fuel and a few supplies a self-move often lands between $100 and $250, depending on distance and whether you pay for help.
How much do removalists cost in Melbourne?
Around $150 to $220 an hour for two movers and a truck, with a two-hour minimum. Typical totals are roughly $350 to $650 for a one-bedroom, $600 to $1,050 for two bedrooms, and $900 to $1,800 for a three-bedroom home.
