Bob,

Individual moving companies DO have a standard rate for moving. It’s called the tariff, and it’s like a menu of charges you’ll face for your move.

It used to be that all moving companies used the same tariff, but since January 2008, each individual company maintains their own tariff. So tariffs vary among the moving companies, but frankly, you should expect somewhat consistent prices among the moving companies you deal with.

However, just like you’d expect to spend more for a dinner in New York City than you would in Wichita, Kansas, you will also spend more if you move to or from New York City than if you’re moving to or from Wichita, Kansas. It comes down to costs – things are more expensive in larger cities, particularly on the coasts, for basic expenses like labor and overhead. You might also face different challenges moving in a bigger city; for example, perhaps you’ll need to use a shuttle van to navigate smaller streets that a large tractor-trailer can’t.

So yes, there are standard rates, but they will vary slightly by the geographic region of the country.

Check out this story to learn more about how a moving company estimates the cost for your long-distance move. You can also use the Relocation.com moving calculator to get a rough estimate of how much you might pay for your move.

Charlie Morris is a certified moving consultant at Relocation.com, a sister site of MovingAnswers.org.