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How much does it cost to move from Montreal to Saint John?

Short answer

About $3,400

Dedicated truck and two movers, door to door, the truck’s return trip included. Before taxes. August 2026 diesel.

926 km each way · Quebec → New Brunswick

Delivered 2 days after loading

Nine hundred and twenty-six kilometres to the port city on the Bay of Fundy. This is Saint John, New Brunswick, not St. John’s, Newfoundland: the truck gets there two days after loading.

+1 (438) 913-8100

Why a dedicated truck

Your things leave your door and arrive at your door in Saint John. On the same truck.

The price on this page is not a teaser rate. It pays for a truck that carries only your belongings, and two movers who stay with them from the first box to the last piece of furniture.

  • Door to door, one truck

    We load at your home in Montreal and unload at your home in Saint John. No warehouse, no terminal, no transfer to another truck along the way.

  • The same crew start to finish

    The two movers who wrap your furniture in blankets are the ones who set it down in your new living room. Nobody else touches your things.

  • White-glove handling

    Furniture wrapped in protective blankets, beds and tables taken apart and put back together, every piece placed in the room you point to. Not left in the hallway.

  • Insurance included

    Your belongings are covered for the whole move, with no extra charge hidden in the price. Certificate of insurance for your building on request. Tell us ahead of time about high-value pieces.

  • A real delivery date

    Your belongings are delivered 2 days after loading. Not a three-week “window” while you sleep on an air mattress.

  • A written price before loading

    Every line of the calculation is on the page. The price is set in a written quote before the truck is loaded. It is not renegotiated at your door with your things on the truck.

The calculation, line by line

Montreal to Saint John, truck round trip. Before taxes. Each line is rounded to $10.
ItemCalculationAmount
Truck1,852 km × $0.30/km$560
Diesel463 L (1,852 km × 25 L/100 km) × $2.46/L$1,140
Crew (2 movers)3 days × $500/day for both movers (23.2 h of round-trip driving at 10 h a day)$1,500
Lodging2 nights × $100$200
Estimated totalbefore taxes$3,400

Diesel price: average of Montreal (256.6 ¢/L) and Saint John (236.3 ¢/L), Statistics Canada, August 2026.

When will your belongings arrive in Saint John?

Delivered 2 days after loading

Example: loaded on a Monday, delivered on Wednesday.

  1. Loading dayWe wrap and load everything at your home in Montreal. The truck leaves loaded, with the same two movers.
  2. On the roadAbout 11.6 h of driving to Saint John, 10 h a day at most. Nobody unloads or transfers your things along the way.
  3. Delivery: 2 days after loadingThe same crew unloads at your home in Saint John, puts the furniture back together and sets each piece where you point.

The 3 days in the calculation are not your wait

The calculation above counts the truck’s full round trip: 1,852 km and 3 days on the road. The second half is the truck driving back to Montreal empty, after your delivery. You pay for it because it is a real cost; you don’t wait for it.

What can move the date

A winter storm or a road closure (we wait for the road to reopen rather than take a risk with your things), or a building constraint at arrival, such as an elevator booking. The delivery date is set in writing before loading; if the road changes it, you hear it directly from the crew driving your truck.

For comparison: with a broker or a shared load, delivery comes within a “window” that can stretch to 21 days. [source]

The trip

Route
Highway 20, the 85, the Trans-Canada to Fredericton, then Route 7
Distance
926 km one way, 1,852 km round trip
Driving
about 11.6 h one way, 23.2 h round trip
Delivery at your door
2 days after loading
Truck’s round trip (in the price)
3 days on the road, 2 hotel nights; the return is driven empty, after your delivery

What to know about this trip

The route through Maine would be about 200 km shorter, but it clears customs twice; we stay in Canada, through Fredericton and Route 7. That Canadian distance is the one used in the calculation.

Saint John’s centre, Uptown, is built on a hill: steep streets, brick row houses and narrow stairs. The east and west sides have more houses with driveways. A photo of the street helps us plan where the truck will park.

The lowball quote trap

On a long route like Montreal to Saint John, many “starting at” prices come from brokers. Here is how that model works, and what it really costs.

What happens to your things with a broker

  1. A salesperson takes your deposit with a low price, often without a walkthrough or video inventory.
  2. They sell the job to the cheapest carrier they can find, often a crew you will never meet.
  3. Your things are unloaded into a warehouse, then reloaded with other customers’ shipments heading the same way. Every stop is one more handling.
  4. Delivery in Saint John becomes a window of several weeks, and the price can climb when it is time to deliver.

What the industry’s own bodies say

  • A broker arranges the transport of your goods using subcontractors. A broker is not the mover. [source]
  • Brokers, even the good ones, have no liability for what happens during your move. [source]
  • On long-distance moves, goods may be unloaded into temporary storage, then reloaded onto another truck with other people’s belongings. Contracts often give a 21-day delivery window, and it is sometimes missed. [source]
  • Minimum protection pays 60 cents per pound per item: a 10-pound stereo worth $1,000 pays out $6 if it is lost or broken. [source]

Five red flags before you sign

  • A large deposit demanded up front, before any walkthrough.
  • No in-home or video survey to confirm what is moving.
  • No business address, or a name that changes between the website, the contract and the receipt.
  • The salesperson cannot tell you who will drive the truck or where your things will sleep.
  • No written delivery date, only a “window”.

Every way to move from Montreal to Saint John

Each option has a price and a hidden cost. The table compares what matters on the day your things leave your door.

Every way to move from Montreal to Saint John
OptionWho loads and unloadsTransfers of your thingsDelivery dateCover for your goodsYour work
La Belle Gang: dedicated truckOur two movers, at both endsNoneSet in advance: delivered 2 days after loadingInsurance includedShow us where each piece goes
Broker or multi-stop tripSubcontractors, often different at each endOne or more (warehouse, another truck)A window, often 21 daysThe broker has no liability; often 60¢/lbChase updates and hope
Shared load (van line)The carrierOften, depending on the runA window of several daysPer contract; check the declared valueStay available for the whole window
Portable containerYou. The company only moves the boxThe container is stored, then shippedDepends on the container’s freight networkNo liability for loading you did yourselfPack, load, unload, tie down
Rent a truck and driveYou and your friendsNoneYours, if all goes wellOnly if you buy cargo coverEverything: load, drive (about 12 hours of driving one way), unload, get back
Ship boxes, sell the furnitureThe parcel carrierSeveral sorting centresVaries by parcelLimited per parcelSell, then buy and assemble a whole home again

What this price does not include

The calculation covers the transport. These are priced at the walkthrough and added to the written quote:

  • Packing and materials (boxes, paper, covers).
  • Stairs, long carries and elevator waits beyond the usual.
  • A piano, a safe or any item over 300 lb.
  • Storage before or after delivery.
  • Taxes (GST/HST, QST).

Questions

How much does it cost to move from Montreal to Saint John?

About $3,400 before taxes for a dedicated truck and two movers, the truck’s return included: $560 of truck, $1,140 of diesel, $1,500 of crew (two movers) and $200 of lodging. The final price is confirmed in a written quote.

How long does a move from Montreal to Saint John take, and when will my belongings arrive?

Your belongings are delivered to your home in Saint John 2 days after loading. The road is 926 km, about 11.6 hours of driving for the loaded truck, at 10 hours of driving a day. The delivery date is confirmed in writing before loading.

Why is the truck’s return trip in the price, and does it delay my delivery?

The price counts the truck’s full round trip (3 days on the road and 2 hotel nights) because a dedicated truck has to come back to Montreal, even empty: the kilometres, diesel and crew days of the return are real costs, shown instead of hidden in a flat rate. But it does not delay your delivery: the truck only drives back, empty, after unloading at your home in Saint John. Your wait is the one-way trip only: delivery 2 days after loading.

What is not included?

Packing and materials, unusual stairs or long carries, items over 300 lb such as a piano, storage, and taxes. They are priced at the walkthrough and added to the written quote.

Why does Saint John cost more than Fredericton?

Because the route goes through Fredericton: Saint John adds about 110 km each way. The number of days and nights stays the same; the truck and the diesel on those kilometres make the difference.

Is insurance included in the price?

Yes. Your belongings are covered for the whole move from Montreal to Saint John, with no hidden line in the price. We provide a certificate of insurance if your building asks for one. Tell us before moving day if a piece has a particular value.

Do you subcontract the trip or transfer my things?

No. One truck and the same two-mover crew, from your door to your door. Your things never go through a warehouse or onto another truck. That is the difference with a broker, who sells the job to subcontractors.

How we calculate

  • Distance: the one-way road distance is multiplied by 2, because the truck comes back to Montreal.
  • Truck: $0.30 per kilometre driven (wear, tires, maintenance, rental).
  • Diesel: 25 L per 100 km for a 26-foot truck on the highway (our assumption), at the average diesel price in Montreal and the destination city according to Statistics Canada.
  • Time: an average of 80 km/h including stops, 10 hours of driving per day, then 14 hours of rest and sleep.
  • Crew: 2 movers, one of them the driver, at $500 a day for both of them, every day of the round trip.
  • Lodging: $100 per night on the road.
  • Amounts are before GST/HST and QST, and each line is rounded to $10.

Other destinations from Montreal

Every route across Canada · Moving prices · Long-distance moving · Long-distance moving — Montreal

Sources

The figures on this page come from these public sources and from our assumptions, named above.

  1. Table 18-10-0001-01: Monthly average retail prices for gasoline and fuel oil, by geography — Statistics Canada. Diesel price at self-service stations, taxes included, by city and month.
  2. Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations (SOR/2005-313) — Government of Canada, Justice Laws Website. Legal cap of 13 driving hours per day; we plan 10.
  3. OpenStreetMap and the OSRM routing engine — OpenStreetMap contributors. Road distances from city centre to city centre, on Canadian roads only.
  4. Consumer advice: before the move — Office de la protection du consommateur (Quebec). For a long-distance move: get an on-site evaluation and a written estimate.
  5. Moving advice — Office of Consumer Affairs, ISED Canada. Broker or mover, inventory, insurance and claims for a move between provinces.
  6. Asking for an Estimate — Canadian Association of Movers. What a detailed written estimate should contain.
  7. Movers vs Brokers — Canadian Association of Movers. Brokers have no liability; a mover is liable for at least 60¢ per pound per item; portable container companies do not load for you.
  8. Moving Scams — Canadian Association of Movers. 21-day delivery windows, temporary storage and reloading, 60¢-per-pound protection, red flags.
  9. Line 21900 – Moving expenses — Canada Revenue Agency. Deducting moving costs when the new home is at least 40 km closer to work or school.

Diesel prices updated 2026-10-15 (August 2026 data).

La Belle Gang

A quote for Montreal to Saint John

Give us the two addresses, the size of the home and the date. We come back with a written price, at no cost.

+1 (438) 913-8100

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The gang’s notebook

Preparing the move

Straightforward advice, written to be read at your pace.

At the new address

At the new address, the same idea: a clear path, one person pointing to the rooms, and the building’s rules if there are any. We set furniture where you show us, not only inside the door. The bed goes against the wall you chose, and the sideboard too, as far as the room allows. Labelled boxes go to the room written on them. If a door is narrower than the piece, we say so before forcing it. Sometimes the feet have to come off, or the piece has to come in through another opening.

Plan a place to sit from the start, even a kitchen chair. The day is long for you as well. When the last room is empty in the old home and the new one has received what was on the list, we confirm it with you. If a box is missing, it is better to see that while the truck is still there. Keep the labels until the next day. They still help when you are looking for the lamp or the sheets.

Dates, July 1, and lead time

A few weeks of notice makes the day simpler, especially in summer. In Quebec, many leases change on July 1. That day, elevators are taken and the streets in apartment neighbourhoods are full. If your date can be a Tuesday in May or September, the same home moves more calmly. If the date is fixed in that busy week, call early and already have the elevator time. We say clearly whether the day is still open.

A weekday move is often smoother than a Saturday, because buildings and streets are less crowded. That is not always possible, and it is not a rule. Evenings can be discussed when the building allows them. In winter, in Quebec City as in Montreal, ice and snow add time on outdoor steps. Tell us if the entrance is a porch that has not been cleared. That is not a cosmetic detail. It is the path the sideboard has to take.

A La Belle Gang mover stacks boxes marked “cuisine” and “salon” by a window.
Boxes are marked by room, so they know where to go.

What changes the price

There is no single rate on this site, because a studio and a suburban house do not need the same crew or the same time. The price follows the volume, the distance, the stairs, the elevator, the packing, and, if needed, holding the goods. A long carry from the street, a third floor with no elevator, or two buildings that each require a booking, make the day longer. One heavy item is still a real job: the price then follows the weight, the steps, and the distance, not the size of a whole house.

What does not change the price is a question asked beforehand. Call to ask if a date is open, or whether a piece will fit through a door. What changes it is a new fact on the morning. We would rather have a ten-minute call the week before than a discussion on the sidewalk. The accepted quote is the one that governs. If a page on the site and that text differ, the accepted text is the one that counts.

A small job or a full house

You do not need a full house to call. A few boxes, a bed, a washing machine, or a piano are welcome. The care does not shrink because the list is short. A condo may still require a certificate and an elevator time for a single piece. Tell us the name of the item, the floor it leaves, and the floor it goes to. A photo helps for an armoire or a piano whose width we do not know.

At the other end, a full house needs a calmer inventory: basement, garage, shed, balcony. Tools and paint are not handled like picture frames. If part of the contents is staying, say so. We do not empty a home for you, and we do not choose what is given away or thrown out. Family can take a piece before truck day. What stays behind does not go into the quote.

Two La Belle Gang movers roll padded furniture into a protected condo elevator.
In a condo, the pads go on before the elevator.

A short drive or a longer one

A local move is often done in a day: load, drive, unload. Kilometres do not say everything. Two elevators, a bridge, and a narrow street can take longer than a suburban drive with two driveways. Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore, and the island do not share the same timing even when the addresses look close on a map. We count that time in the quote instead of discovering it at rush hour.

A longer distance, for example between Montreal and Quebec City, adds road and a delivery window said in advance. Packing matters more there, because the boxes stay in motion longer. Our main work is in Quebec. For a trip that starts or ends outside the province, call. We say whether the date is possible. We do not promise a map of the whole country. We promise a clear answer.

What the quote actually looks at

A fair quote starts with two addresses, not a price given on the phone with no detail. We ask for the floor you are leaving, the floor you are going to, whether there is an elevator, and how many steps there are if there is not. A house with a basement is not the same volume as a small apartment. A piano, a built-in fridge, or a very heavy bed has to be named at the start, or the first number will not hold on truck day. Distance counts too, especially when a bridge sits between the two doors. Where the truck parks is part of the time: a driveway, a dock, or a street that needs a permit is not the same half hour.

The quote is written, and it is free. It says whether packing, unpacking, or holding goods between two dates is included. It books nothing until you accept it. If a floor was left out, or twenty boxes appear in the morning that were not in the story, the work changes and we say so before going on. The aim is not a surprise at the end. The aim is that the text you read stays the text of the day, as long as the home you described is the home we find.

Three La Belle Gang movers move a wrapped upright piano on a dolly toward the truck.
One piano, three people, and straps.

How the day actually goes

We arrive in the window we agreed. Someone on the crew says where we start: often the fullest room, or the one whose doorway blocks the others. You do not have to carry. You can sit, answer the phone, or simply point to the corner for the bed and the wall for the sideboard. A family member can be there for the decisions. One person confirms whether a piece goes or stays. Too many instructions at once slow everyone down and scuff the door frames.

Medication, papers, the charger, and a change of clothes stay with you, not at the back of the truck. So do the keys to both homes. If the building has an end time for the elevator, we keep it. A finished room and boxes grouped together is better than running past the hour and leaving everything in the lobby. At the end of the load, we do a last walk of the closets, the balcony, and the garage if you told us they are part of the trip.

Buildings, stairs, and parking

In Montreal and nearby, many moves are decided by the building’s rules more than by the road. The elevator is often booked days ahead, especially at the start of the month. Management sometimes wants a certificate of insurance before they release the time. Ask them the exact name to print and the deadline. We prepare the document. Then tell us the start and the end, and whether it is the service elevator or the one in the lobby. A narrow hall or a low ceiling changes how a sofa turns.

Without an elevator, the number of steps is the detail people forget most often. A third floor in a walk-up is nothing like a ground floor. Turning stairs in a duplex sometimes mean taking a piece apart on the landing. The truck does not always park at the door. Some streets need a permit, some buildings have the dock at the back, and in Old Quebec a large vehicle stops farther away. The longer the carry, the more it needs to be said beforehand, not on arrival.

A La Belle Gang mover wraps furniture in a living room, with the company truck outside.
Pad first, wrap second. The truck waits outside.
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