The honest answer to “how much does moving cost in Hong Kong” is that it depends on what you own, not how far you are going. Here is how the three common options price up, and when each one makes sense.
What moving actually costs in Hong Kong
As a baseline: calling a van yourself is metered from HK$55 for a van, HK$135 for 5.5 tonnes and HK$225 for 9 tonnes. GoGoX Moving Service — a crew, with packing and carrying included — is a fixed price from HK$800. Those are starting points; the final figure comes from the inventory, the access at both ends, and the timing.
Call a van, hire a mover, or take a fixed fee?
| Call a van | Moving service | By the hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | Metered by vehicle and distance | From HK$800, fixed | From HK$120 an hour for a van, three hours minimum (HK$360) |
| Who carries | You, or pay for driver assistance | A moving crew | You — the hourly rate is the van and driver, not a moving crew |
| Packing | You | Optional add-on | You |
| Best for | A few boxes, one trip, you can lift | A whole flat, or heavy and awkward items | Several stops in one booking, or when the timing is uncertain |
What the Consumer Council found
Most people compare movers on the headline price. The Consumer Council put the same job to 20 Hong Kong moving companies and found the headline price was the smaller part of the story.
Consumer Council, 20 moving companies
One brief — a two-person household moving on a weekday from a village house in Lei Yue Mun to an estate in Tseung Kwan O, with 22 items of furniture and appliances plus 8 cardboard boxes and 10 plastic crates.
Quotes ran from HK$3,242 to HK$11,200 — a spread of 3.5 times for identical work.
Of the 16 firms quoting all-inclusive, only 3 would hold that quote if the load turned out larger than estimated.
來源：Consumer Council, CHOICE Magazine No. 573, July 2024 (published in Chinese)
The spread splits by pricing model, not by which company is “expensive”:
| Pricing model | Range for the same brief | Spread |
|---|---|---|
| All-inclusive fixed price | HK$4,800 – HK$11,200 | 2.3× |
| Priced per item | HK$3,242 – HK$9,065 | 2.8× |
| Priced per vehicle load 4 firms, 5.5-ton truck |
Half a load HK$2,000 – HK$4,800 One load HK$3,500 – HK$6,800 Two loads HK$7,000 – HK$12,000 |
1.9× on one load |
“All-inclusive” does not always mean what you think
This is the finding worth carrying into your own booking. Sixteen of the 20 firms quoted an all-inclusive price. The Council then asked each what happens when the real load exceeds the quoted load by 20%, 50% and 70%:
- 3 firms would complete the job at the original price regardless, and put the item list into a signed contract
- 12 firms said they would charge more
- 1 firm would not say how it handles the situation
Some published a formula: two firms add 20% of the total if the load runs 20% over, and 50% if it runs 50% over; one adds 30% past the 50% mark. Others said only that a charge would apply, which leaves the amount to the day.
Stairs and weekends are charged, and not consistently
Among the firms publishing a rate card, the stair charge ran from 15% to 30% of the total per floor of 15–20 steps — the cheapest firm on basic charges was the dearest on stairs, at 30% a floor. That same firm added HK$200 for a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, where the others charged nothing extra for the day.
So the firm with the lowest basic rate is not automatically the cheapest job. A third-floor walk-up on a Saturday can move it to the top of the list.
If something gets damaged
Nineteen of the 20 said they would compensate for damage or loss; one said it would not. Among the 19, eleven offered 10–30% of the total fee or HK$300, several with a cap between HK$300 and HK$5,000, and one capped compensation at HK$1,000 per item. The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers notes that most home insurance policies extend some cover to a move, and that Goods in Transit insurance is available separately — but it requires an itemised list with declared values, and a professional firm doing the packing and carrying.
Why this section matters: a low quote is not a low bill. Compare the total under one identical set of conditions, not the starting rate, and ask in writing how a larger-than-quoted load is charged. The Council’s advice to consumers is to get several quotes, insist on an on-site count before accepting an all-inclusive price, and have the inventory and the over-quantity terms written into the contract.
Source: Consumer Council, CHOICE Magazine No. 573, July 2024 — a study of 20 home-removal companies, published in Chinese. Figures are as surveyed at the time; current charges are whatever each company publishes now. GoGoX was not among the companies surveyed.
What pushes the price up
Four things move the number more than distance does: walk-ups and stairs, a long carry from the loading bay, items that need dismantling, and out-of-hours or month-end slots. Village houses and buildings without a service lift are the two situations that most often surprise people.
What is included, and what is not
A quote built from an inventory list should already itemise the vehicle, the crew, and any dismantling, wrapping or disposal you asked for. Cargo compensation cover applies to the goods in transit. What is normally quoted separately: tunnel fees, waiting time beyond the agreed window, and disposal of anything not on the list.
Getting a number you can rely on
Ask for pricing from an inventory rather than a phone estimate, and photograph the access route at both ends before you book. GoGoX quotes this way by default, so the itemised figure is confirmed before a crew is dispatched.
Moving costs in Hong Kong: common questions
How is moving priced in Hong Kong?
Three ways: by distance, by the hour, or a fixed price. Calling a van is metered point to point — from HK$55 for a van, HK$135 for 5.5 tonnes, HK$225 for 9 tonnes.
By the hour is the van and driver together, three hours minimum, from HK$120 an hour for a van — so HK$360 at the least — and it does not include moving labour.
GoGoX Moving Service is a fixed price from HK$800 with packing and carrying included.
The final figure moves with how much you have, whether there is a lift, the distance, the time of day, and whether old furniture is being taken away.
Rates as published in the GoGoX fee schedule.
Which of the three is cheapest?
There is no single answer — it turns on how much you are moving and whether you carry it yourself. Few things you can lift: calling a van wins on price.
Several stops, or a job whose length you cannot predict: hourly is the flexible one, as long as you remember the three-hour minimum and that labour is not included.
A lot of things and one shot at it: the fixed price is often not the expensive option, because it does not grow when the day runs long.
Why do moving quotes differ so much between companies?
The gap comes from how each firm charges and what it adds on, not simply from one being dearer. The Consumer Council put the same scenario to 20 companies: all-in quotes ran from HK$3,242 to HK$11,200 — more than three times — and single valuable items varied by four to six and a half times.
Only 3 of the 20 held their original quote once the volume went up.
Consumer Council, CHOICE issue 573, July 2024.
What does a flat with no lift cost?
GoGoX stair carries are agreed between the driver and the customer, with no fixed rate. State the floor and whether there is a lift when you book.
For a sense of scale, the Consumer Council found stair charges can account for 15 to 30 per cent of the total, at 15 to 20 steps per floor.
Can the price go up after I book?
GoGoX quotes before you place the order. If what the crew finds differs from what you described — more items than the list, or no lift where none was mentioned — the figure may need adjusting.
That is why it pays to send an inventory and photographs when asking for a quote, and to ask how “more than estimated” will be handled.
What compensation applies if something is damaged?
GoGoX Moving Service carries our cargo compensation promise of up to HK$2,000, as a fixed amount. This is a compensation promise, not an insurance policy — if you want insured cover, arrange your own. If you call a van yourself, a van starts at HK$2,000 and can be raised at checkout: HK$10 to HK$5,000, HK$20 to HK$10,000.
Vehicles of 5.5 tonnes and above start at HK$5,000, and can go to HK$10,000 for HK$20 or HK$20,000 for HK$80.
What does it cost to get rid of old furniture?
Household furniture falls under domestic waste collection — there is no “per tonne disposal fee” for it. The Environment and Ecology Bureau confirmed to the Legislative Council in November 2024 that the FEHD and its contractors collect domestic waste, discarded furniture included, from public refuse collection points and from estate and private-building collection points.
What you pay for is the labour and the transport, priced by each company, so ask before booking whether removal is in the quote or billed separately.
Furniture generated by renovation work is construction waste and is handled differently.
How much does it cost to move a piano?
A piano is a “single valuable item” — the category where the market spread is widest. Among the six firms the Consumer Council found charging per item, valuables like pianos, oversized fridges, European-style furniture and large gym equipment ran from HK$200–400 to HK$1,000–3,000 each, a gap of four to six and a half times.
With GoGoX, calling a van yourself is metered point to point from HK$55, with stair carries agreed between driver and customer; for dismantling or protective wrapping by a crew, quote GoGoX Moving Service from HK$800.
Say it is a piano when you book, with rough dimensions and weight and whether there is a lift at both ends — those three settle how many people the job needs.
Consumer Council, CHOICE issue 573, July 2024. GoGoX rates as published in the fee schedule.
What does it cost to move out of a walk-up (唐樓)?
There is no fixed surcharge — GoGoX stair carries are agreed between the driver and the customer. When booking, state the floor, the number of steps per floor, and how wide the staircase is: whether a large piece can turn the corner decides how many people are needed.
For market context, of the six firms charging per item the Consumer Council surveyed, five add 15–20 per cent of the total per floor of 15–20 steps and the highest adds 30 per cent. That firm with the 30 per cent stair charge had the lowest basic rates of the six — so the cheapest starting price is not the cheapest walk-up job.
Consumer Council, CHOICE issue 573, July 2024.
Is the HK$2,000 cargo compensation an insurance policy?
No. It is GoGoX’s cargo compensation promise, not insurance. Under the terms, if items are damaged or lost through GoGoX’s negligence during the move, compensation is capped at HK$2,000, and a claim must be submitted with supporting evidence within 48 hours of the service being completed.
If you want insured cover, arrange your own policy — so genuinely valuable things (jewellery, instruments, artwork) should not rely on this promise.
Per-vehicle amounts and the paid upgrades are in the answer above.
Terms at cargo compensation promise.
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