By Devin Rasmussen, city affairs reporter covering housing and municipal services in Edmonton
A Calgary to Edmonton household move costs roughly $1,400 to $5,500 CAD in 2026, depending on home size. The route is about 300 km on Highway 2, the Queen Elizabeth II, and takes three hours by truck. Most one and two bedroom moves finish in a single day. Larger houses often run two days.
How much does a Calgary to Edmonton move cost by home size?
On this corridor, weight and volume drive price far more than distance. Labour hours are the real cost driver.
| Home size | Typical weight | Same-day full service (CAD) | Two-day or storage-in-transit (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or small 1 bedroom | 1,500 to 2,500 lb | $1,400 to $2,100 | $1,900 to $2,800 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 3,000 to 4,500 lb | $2,000 to $3,200 | $2,600 to $4,000 |
| 3 bedroom house | 6,000 to 8,000 lb | $3,200 to $4,600 | $4,000 to $5,800 |
| 4 bedroom or larger | 9,000 lb and up | $4,600 to $7,500 | $5,500 to $9,000 |
These are ranges, not quotes. A price far below the bottom of a range usually means something was left out.
Why a 300 km move is priced differently than a true long haul
Calgary to Edmonton sits in an awkward middle. It is too far for a straight hourly local rate and too short for the weight-and-mileage tariff used on a Calgary to Toronto run.
On a 3,400 km cross-country move, the carrier consolidates your shipment and your delivery window stretches to two weeks. On the QEII, one crew loads in Calgary, drives to Edmonton and unloads the same afternoon. Your goods stay on one truck with one crew, which cuts handling damage, and your delivery date is fixed. The trade-off: the carrier cannot spread the drive cost across four other customers, so you pay for the full truck.
Hourly crew vs flat-rate long distance service on the QEII
Alberta movers quote either way. The cheaper model depends on how much you own.
| Hourly crew | Flat-rate long distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost basis | Crew hours plus travel time, typically $150 to $230 per hour for three movers and a truck | Weight or cubic feet, plus a fixed corridor charge |
| Drive time billing | The 3 hour drive is billed as labour, often at full rate, sometimes at half | Built into the flat price |
| Best fit | Studios, 1 bedrooms, light loads under about 4,000 lb | 3 bedroom houses, appliances, pianos, anything over 6,000 lb |
| Typical range | $1,400 to $2,800 CAD all in | $3,000 to $7,500 CAD all in |
| Main risk | Open-ended. A slow elevator or a snowed-in alley adds billable hours | Underestimated inventory. Adding items after the survey triggers a revised price |
Most Alberta dispatchers draw the line at roughly two bedrooms. Below it, hourly wins. Above it, hourly becomes a gamble on someone else’s loading dock.
What a Calgary to Edmonton quote includes, and what gets added later
A proper quote covers loading, blanket wrapping, transport, unloading and basic liability coverage. Basic coverage in Canada is commonly $0.60 per pound per article, close to worthless on a 40 lb television. Full value protection costs extra and is worth pricing.
The add-ons surprise people: stair carries above one flight, long carries when the truck cannot park within about 25 metres of the door, bulky item fees for pianos and treadmills, packing materials billed per box, and a fuel surcharge. Get each one in writing before you sign.
Take three written estimates and confirm the company holds a real Alberta address. Firms that specialise in this corridor, including Calgary to Edmonton movers who run the QEII several times a week, price the drive segment more accurately than a local crew treating the trip as an unusual job. The Canadian Association of Movers publishes consumer guidance on deposit scams and vague estimates at mover.net. Its core advice holds here: never pay a large cash deposit, and never accept a quote given without an inventory.
Same-day or two-day: how long does a Calgary to Edmonton move take?
Same-day service works when loading finishes by early afternoon. Here is how a realistic single-day move runs.
- 6:30 a.m. Crew arrives in Calgary. Walkthrough, floor protection, furniture disassembly.
- 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Loading. A 2 bedroom apartment takes three to four hours with three movers. A 3 bedroom house takes five to six.
- 11:30 a.m. Truck departs. Leaving after the Deerfoot Trail rush saves 20 to 40 minutes.
- 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The QEII run: roughly 300 km, three hours loaded, with a break near Red Deer at the halfway point.
- 3:00 p.m. Arrival in Edmonton. The truck positions at the loading dock or reserved curb space.
- 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Unloading, reassembly, boxes placed by room.
- 7:30 p.m. Walkthrough, inventory check against the bill of lading, payment.
Total elapsed time runs 11 to 14 hours. If loading is not done by 1:00 p.m., switch to an overnight plan rather than unloading a house in the dark. Two-day service adds roughly $400 to $900 CAD.
Moving in January vs July on the QEII
The QEII is a well maintained divided highway with a 110 km/h limit. It is also the site of Alberta’s worst winter pileups, usually caused by blowing snow between Airdrie and Red Deer.
A January move differs in four ways. Transit time stretches from 3 hours to 4 or 5. Some crews add a weather contingency clause. Loading slows because everything gets shrink wrapped against slush and salt. And your delivery date turns provisional, because no carrier puts a 26 foot truck onto a closed highway. Check 511 Alberta the night before and the morning of, and move the date if the QEII shows blowing snow advisories between Crossfield and Ponoka.
July is the opposite problem. Peak season prices run 15 to 25 percent above February rates and good crews book four to six weeks out. Late September through early November is the sweet spot: dry pavement, off-peak pricing, available trucks.
Possession-date gaps and short-term storage
Alberta possession dates rarely line up. A Calgary closing on the 30th and an Edmonton possession on the 1st leaves you with a loaded truck and nowhere to put it.
Storage-in-transit keeps your goods in a vault at the carrier’s Edmonton warehouse: $200 to $400 CAD per month plus a handling fee of $150 to $400 each way. Self-storage runs $140 to $280 CAD per month for a 10 by 10 unit, but you pay a crew twice. For gaps under five days, storage-in-transit wins. Past three weeks, self-storage usually costs less.
Edmonton parking permits and elevator bookings
Downtown and Oliver buildings nearly all require an elevator booking, usually a three or four hour block reserved one to three weeks ahead. Many require a certificate of insurance from your mover naming the condo corporation. Some charge a $100 to $300 CAD damage deposit.
On-street loading needs a temporary parking permit from the City of Edmonton for curb space on a signed or metered block. Apply at least three business days ahead. Without one, the truck parks a block away and you pay a long carry fee measured in hours.
Ask your building manager one question: is there a hard cutoff time. Several Oliver towers stop moves at 5:00 p.m., which quietly kills the same-day plan.
What changes and what does not when you stay inside Alberta
Your Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan coverage does not change. There is no new health card and no waiting period, unlike a move from British Columbia or Ontario. Your driver’s licence stays under the same authority, so no road test, no licence exchange, no vehicle inspection.
What still applies: update the address on your driver’s licence, vehicle registration and AHCIP record at an Alberta registry agent. The Government of Alberta sets that window at roughly two weeks for driver and vehicle records, so confirm the current rule at alberta.ca. Notify Canada Revenue Agency and your auto insurer as well. Premiums differ measurably between Calgary and Edmonton postal codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to drive a moving truck from Calgary to Edmonton?
Roughly 3 hours for the 300 km on Highway 2, the QEII. A loaded 26 foot truck runs closer to 3 hours 15 minutes with a break near Red Deer. Winter conditions push it to 4 or 5 hours. Departing after 9:30 a.m. avoids Deerfoot Trail congestion.
Is it cheaper to hire hourly movers or a flat-rate long distance company?
Hourly is cheaper below about 4,000 lb, which covers most studios and one bedrooms. Above two bedrooms, flat rate protects you from open-ended billing. The risk with hourly is that a slow elevator or a blocked alley in Edmonton adds billable hours you cannot control.
Do I need a parking permit for a moving truck in Edmonton?
Yes, for on-street loading on signed or metered blocks. Apply to the City of Edmonton at least three business days ahead. Downtown and Oliver buildings also require an elevator booking, often reserved one to three weeks ahead, plus a certificate of insurance from your moving company.
What is the cheapest month to move from Calgary to Edmonton?
February and March are cheapest, though winter driving risk peaks then. Late September to early November offers the best balance: rates run 15 to 25 percent below July, pavement is usually dry, and crews are available on two weeks’ notice rather than six.
Do I need a new health card or driver’s licence moving within Alberta?
No. Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan coverage continues unchanged and your driver’s licence stays with the same provincial authority. You must still update your address on the licence, vehicle registration and AHCIP record at a registry agent, then notify Canada Revenue Agency and your insurer.
About the author. Devin Rasmussen has covered housing, permits and municipal services in Edmonton for nine years, with a focus on how City of Edmonton bylaws affect residents day to day. He has reported on the Calgary to Edmonton corridor through three provincial housing cycles, and made the QEII move himself in February.