Salinas to San Diego Movers

Best Salinas to San Diego Movers

Want help with the heavy lifting?

Updated March 6, 2026

Looking for reliable Salinas to San Diego movers for this 423 mile intrastate move? See our top 5 recommended movers, get estimated moving costs, and read our Salinas to San Diego moving guide below. We analyzed 99 San Diego to Salinas moving companies across 110,440 review data points and more than 21,000 movers nationwide using our 11-point rating system to bring you data-backed moving recommendations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Little Guy Big Truck Moving is our overall top recommended Salinas to San Diego moving company
  • Little Guy Big Truck Moving is the most affordable company to hire
  • Moving from Salinas to San Diego will cost on average between $1,500 - $5,000
  • Our rankings and results are unbiased & backed by data… NOT paid promotions
Salinas to San Diego featured image

Best Salinas to San Diego Movers

RankCompanyScoreAction
1Little Guy Big Truck Moving9.70
21st Choice Movers9.63
3Santa Cruz Moving Services9.51
4G Brothers Transportation9.31
5Mod Movers8.81

Our Top Recommendations

TOP PICK
Little Guy Big Truck Moving featured image

Little Guy Big Truck Moving

Best moving company overall for Salinas to San Diego

9.70/10
ExceptionalView details
RUNNER-UP
1st Choice Movers featured image

1st Choice Movers

Best at resolving problems that arise

9.63/10
ExceptionalView details
ALSO GREAT
Santa Cruz Moving Services featured image

Santa Cruz Moving Services

9.51/10
ExceptionalView details

Little Guy Big Truck Moving

Exceptional
9.70/10

National City, CA

11-Point Rating

9.9
9.9
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.9
9.9
9.8
9.8
8.3
9.9
Little Guy Big Truck Moving featured image

Best moving company overall to hire when moving from Salinas to San Diego! Little Guy Big Truck Moving takes the #1 spot for our overall ranking and is the top recommended movers for this route.

Little Guy Big Truck Moving is the number 1 ranked moving service in San Diego, CA with an overall score of 9.70 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 99.84% of all movers in California and the top 99.89% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 98 other San Diego moving companies and better than 2,445 movers in California. Little Guy Big Truck Moving is also one of the top 100 movers nationwide (out of more than 21,000 total moving companies).

Our Research

  • Analyzed 364 total reviews
  • Reviewed 4 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at BHGS & FMCSA
  • Crunched 1,698 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.87↑ 18.9%303199.7%
Punctuality9.86↑ 23.6%167199.4%
Affordability9.81↑ 29.5%970100.0%
Communication9.83↑ 32.4%990100.0%
Stick to Prices9.75↑ 63.6%400100.0%
Speed9.86↑ 16.8%183398.4%
Friendliness9.92↑ 13.6%1810100.0%
Will Hire Again9.81↑ 22.0%299299.3%
Professionalism9.82↑ 20.2%135199.3%
Conflict Handling8.35↑ 105.3%60100.0%
Precision & Care9.88↑ 24.8%179199.4%

Recent Little Guy Big Truck Moving Reviews

Quality - 9.87/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Overall Review Distribution
Positive
303 (99.7%)
Negative
1 (0.3%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by Little Guy Big Truck Moving

  • Affordable fast friendly movers
  • Local and long distance moving
  • Fully licensed and insured
  • Apartment moving
  • Household moving
  • Out of state moves
  • All moving blankets provided free of charge
  • High quality dollies and hand trucks for safe and easy moving
  • Assembly/Disassembly services included in hourly rates
  • Transparent pricing

1st Choice Movers

Exceptional
9.63/10

8250 Miramar Mall, San Diego, CA, 92121

11-Point Rating

9.7
9.8
9.7
9.8
9.7
9.7
9.9
9.7
9.7
8.5
9.6
1st Choice Movers featured image

Best movers to hire if you've got a tricky move where things could go wrong. 1st Choice Movers has a proven track record of making things right with their customers.

1st Choice Movers is the number 2 ranked moving service in San Diego, CA with an overall score of 9.63 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 99.38% of all movers in California and the top 99.63% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 97 other San Diego moving companies and better than 2,434 movers in California. 1st Choice Movers is also one of the top 100 movers nationwide (out of more than 21,000 total moving companies).

Our Research

  • Analyzed 931 total reviews
  • Reviewed 7 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at BHGS & FMCSA
  • Crunched 5,019 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.69↑ 16.8%7772397.1%
Punctuality9.84↑ 23.4%414698.6%
Affordability9.72↑ 28.3%223398.7%
Communication9.76↑ 31.4%4561097.9%
Stick to Prices9.72↑ 63.0%147398.0%
Speed9.72↑ 15.2%4571497.0%
Friendliness9.93↑ 13.7%567299.6%
Will Hire Again9.67↑ 20.2%7762596.9%
Professionalism9.72↑ 19.0%5261497.4%
Conflict Handling8.53↑ 109.7%651185.5%
Precision & Care9.62↑ 21.4%4802096.0%

Recent 1st Choice Movers Reviews

Quality - 9.69/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Overall Review Distribution
Positive
777 (97.1%)
Negative
23 (2.9%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by 1st Choice Movers

  • Local moving services
  • Long-distance moving services
  • Cross-country moving services
  • Small moving services
  • Piano moving services
  • Pool table moving services
  • Appliance moving services
  • Last-minute moving services
  • Furniture moving services
  • Storage services

Santa Cruz Moving Services

Exceptional
9.51/10

Santa Cruz, CA

11-Point Rating

9.7
9.7
9.5
9.8
9.5
9.8
9.8
9.7
9.7
7.6
9.7
Santa Cruz Moving Services featured image

Santa Cruz Moving Services is the number 3 ranked moving service in Salinas, CA with an overall score of 9.51 out of 10. Based on our extensive analysis, this is an Exceptional score and places it in the top 98.1% of all movers in California and the top 98.94% of moving companies nationwide. They score better than 96 other Salinas moving companies and better than 2,402 movers in California.

Our Research

  • Analyzed 155 total reviews
  • Reviewed 5 social profiles and review listings
  • Checked for license verification at BHGS & FMCSA
  • Crunched 824 data points pertaining to the above

11 Point Rating

MetricScorevs NationwidePositive ReviewsNegative ReviewsPositive Score
Quality9.73↑ 17.3%144298.6%
Punctuality9.70↑ 21.6%480100.0%
Affordability9.52↑ 25.7%400100.0%
Communication9.77↑ 31.6%830100.0%
Stick to Prices9.51↑ 59.6%230100.0%
Speed9.82↑ 16.4%720100.0%
Friendliness9.82↑ 12.5%920100.0%
Will Hire Again9.71↑ 20.8%144199.3%
Professionalism9.70↑ 18.7%88198.9%
Conflict Handling7.60↑ 87.1%40100.0%
Precision & Care9.67↑ 22.1%81198.8%

Recent Santa Cruz Moving Services Reviews

Quality - 9.73/10

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

Overall Review Distribution
Positive
144 (98.6%)
Negative
2 (1.4%)

Additional Details

Moving Services Offered by Santa Cruz Moving Services

  • Local moving services
  • Long-distance moving services
  • Cross-country moving services
  • Small moving services
  • Piano moving services
  • Packing services
  • Residential moving services
  • Office/business moving services
  • Furniture moving services
  • Storage services

G Brothers Transportation

Exceptional
9.31/10

11455 Wood St # 4, Castroville, CA, 95012

11-Point Rating

9.7
9.7
9.5
9.6
9.3
9.7
9.7
9.6
9.7
6.3
9.7

Mod Movers

Superb
8.81/10

1118 Airport Way STE 100, Monterey, CA, 93940

11-Point Rating

9.3
9.4
7.8
8.9
6.7
9.7
9.6
9.2
9.3
7.6
9.4

How Much Do Salinas to San Diego Movers Cost?

Moving 423 miles from Salinas, CA to San Diego, CA will typically cost between $2,000 and $5,000 to hire full service movers. See the chart below for a detailed breakdown by home size.

  • Expected Range: $2,000 - $5,000
  • Expected Time To Complete: 2-6 days
  • Most Affordable Recommended Movers: Little Guy Big Truck Moving
HOME SIZEMOVING COSTVOLUME OF PACKED ITEMS (FT3)$/FT3
Studio$1,442300 ft3$4.81
1 Bedroom$2,141450 ft3$4.76
2 Bedrooms$3,531750 ft3$4.71
3 Bedrooms$5,1231100 ft3$4.66
4 Bedrooms$7,3721600 ft3$4.61
5+ Bedrooms$8,2041800 ft3$4.56

Pro tip for the cheapest long distance move

Find long distance movers in San Diego that already have a booked job heading from San Diego to Salinas. Their moving truck would be making the trip back to San Diego from Salinas entirely empty. If you can find a San Diego moving company willing to move your stuff on the return leg, you'll score a real deal!

Moving Containers: A cheaper Salinas to San Diego moving option

Hire local Salinas movers for the pickup location at an hourly rate. They can quickly load your moving container. When your container is dropped off at your new home, hire San Diego movers to unpack the container and move you into your new home. You'll have to piece this Salinas to San Diego move together yourself with at least 3 different companies. Taking on this scheduling responsibility will save you a little money by moving with this strategy.

How we ranked the top Salinas to San Diego movers

Why you should trust us

We take reviews seriously to protect people just like you! Our team has been crunching data on moving companies since 2010. Our math-based ranking system uses data, manual review, and statistical analysis to help you hire the best Salinas, CA to San Diego, CA long distance movers.

Rating Methodology

Here's the methodology we used to come up with the best movers for the Salinas to San Diego moving route:

Our data scientist working on the years of experience formula

Our original review-based ranking algorithm

We started with a total of 99 companies that offer interstate moving services in both the Salinas and San Diego areas.

From these 99 companies, we analyzed a total of 28,271 reviews dating all the way back to April 2007.

We also reviewed a total of 28 state and federal moving licenses from these 99 companies and 382 different 3rd party review and social profiles.

Each of the ~28,000 reviews was scored according to our detailed 11-point rating criteria

Reviews are time-weighted so that more recent reviews carry more weight. This helps you understand how a mover is doing today... not 5 years ago. We have 0 Salinas to San Diego moving company data points from the past 2 years that carry more weight.

Bayesian averages calculated to fairly account for the differences between companies that are newer(like Little Guy Big Truck Moving) vs older more established companies (like Mod Movers).

The Great Guys Moving 11-Point Rating Breakdown

Our 11-point rating criteria scores every Salinas to San Diego moving company across 11 of the most important criteria for a succesful moving experience.

Quality

Overall quality of the service provided on moving day.

8.60/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 20,216 reviews

Punctuality

Did the crew show up on-time with the required equipment?

8.48/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 8,017 reviews

Affordability

How affordable was the moving service?

7.97/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 4,940 reviews

Communication

Responsiveness before, during, and after the move.

7.93/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 8,110 reviews

Stick to Prices

Was the final price consistent with the original quote?

6.81/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 3,080 reviews

Speed

Efficiency without taking unnecessary time to increase costs.

8.74/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 10,130 reviews

Friendliness

Was the moving crew cordial and friendly on moving day?

9.07/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 11,139 reviews

Will Hire Again

How likely a customer is to hire the same movers again.

8.39/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 20,356 reviews

Professionalism

Did the moving crew behave professionally on moving day?

8.52/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 11,368 reviews

Conflict Handling

How well the company responds to accidents and issues.

4.59/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 2,490 reviews

Precision & Care

Were walls scratched? Did furniture get damaged or lost?

8.25/10 avg (Salinas & San Diego combined) from 10,594 reviews

Salinas to San Diego Moving Guide

From Salinas to San Diego: Comparable Neighborhoods at a Glance

Salinas vs San Diego Neighborhood Comparison
SalinasSan DiegoHow They're Similar
OldtownNorth Parklocal breweries & revitalized historic core
North SalinasClairemontsuburban family-friendly community
AlisalCity Heightsdiverse community & affordable housing
SpreckelsCoronadohistoric small-town feel & tight-knit residents
Toro ParkRancho Peñasquitosrolling hills & open-space living
East SalinasCarmel Valleynewer suburban developments & family focus
River RoadScripps Ranchsemi-rural lots & equestrian trails
  • Oldtown in Salinas & North Park in San Diego are both known for their: local breweries & revitalized historic core
  • Salinas' North Salinas neighborhood & San Diego's Clairemont both share: a suburban family-friendly community
  • If you're moving from Alisal, check out City Heights in the San Diego area for the: a diverse community & affordable housing
  • Do you enjoy Spreckels' historic small-town feel & tight-knit residents? You're sure to love Coronado
  • Move from Toro Park to Rancho Peñasquitos and continue to enjoy these neighborhood qualities: rolling hills & open-space living
  • East Salinas & Carmel Valley are both known for their: newer suburban developments & a family focus
  • Salinas' River Road neighborhood & San Diego's Scripps Ranch neighborhood both have: semi-rural lots & equestrian trails

Salinas vs. San Diego: Comparing the Local Foodie Scene

ComparisonSalinasSan Diego
Most iconic local food itemArtichokesFish Tacos
Most popular meat dishTri-tip BBQCarne Asada
Most popular street food itemTacosBurritos
Most popular vegan foodKale SaladAvocado Toast
Top 3 iconic restaurants that summarize the city
  • Giannini's Bistro & Grill
  • Patria
  • The Farm Salinas Valley
  • Hodad's
  • George's at the Cove
  • Juniper & Ivy
Fitness/Health Conscientiousness💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪
Abundance of Food Trucks🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚
Foodie Scene🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴
Vegan Friendly🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

If you're moving from Salinas to San Diego, you will be trading the iconic Artichokes of Salinas for the equally delicious Fish Tacos of San Diego. And while the locals in Salinas rave about their flavorful Tri-tip BBQ and sumptuous Tacos, San Diego residents know they have tasty Carne Asada and Burritos to savor. While the vegan transplants might be saying goodbye to the Kale Salad they've grown to love, they can get ready for the Avocado Toast of San Diego. In the days before your move, make sure you get one final trip to iconic Salinas eateries like Giannini's Bistro and Grill, Patria, and The Farm Salinas Valley. After the boxes are unpacked in San Diego, don't wait too long before making your way to San Diego's acclaimed eateries like Hodad's, George's at the Cove, and Juniper and Ivy.

When comparing lifestyles, San Diego shows a greater emphasis on fitness and health consciousness than Salinas. Food truck fans will discover a greater selection in San Diego compared to what you are used to in Salinas. Also, the overall foodie scene is more bustling in San Diego.

Discover San Diego Restaurants You'll Love

Moving to San Diego is an opportunity to try lots of new restaurants. Sure, you'll miss your old Salinas favorites, but we've got you covered. If you loved Gino's Fine Italian Food, Steinbeck House, and The Wild Thyme Deli & Café in Salinas, we're sure you'll love Buona Forchetta, Hob Nob Hill, and The Cottage La Jolla in San Diego. See our San Diego restaurant discovery table below to find the closest comparison restaurant to all of your cherished Salinas hotspots. For example, if you enjoyed dining at First Awakenings, head to The Mission on your first Friday night after the boxes are unpacked.

SalinasSan DiegoWhat You'll Love
Gino's Fine Italian FoodBuona ForchettaClassic Italian dishes with a homey feel
Steinbeck HouseHob Nob HillHistorical charm and traditional American fare
The Wild Thyme Deli & CaféThe Cottage La JollaDelights with gourmet sandwiches and casual ambiance
First AwakeningsThe MissionRenowned for its breakfast and brunch offerings
Miyuki Japanese RestaurantAzuki SushiHighly-rated sushi and authentic Japanese cuisine
Monterey Coast Brewing CompanyStone Brewing World Bistro & GardensCelebrated for craft brews and a vibrant atmosphere
Tudah SiamSiam NaraOffers authentic Thai dishes with a cozy setting
191 Restaurant @ John Steinbeck LibraryJuniper & IvyModern cuisine in a relaxed yet upscale environment
The Fish HousePoint Loma SeafoodsFresh and fantastic seafood selections

Real Estate & Lifestyle Differences between Salinas and San Diego

ComparisonSalinasSan Diego
Typical Architecture StyleRanchSpanish Revival
Walkability👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟
Bikeability🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲
Urban Lifestyle🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️
Most popular items mentioned in real estate listingLarge backyards, proximity to agricultureOcean views, outdoor living spaces
  • The Ranch architecture that Salinas is known for will be replaced with the Spanish Revival architecture typical of San Diego.
  • Compared to Salinas's real estate listings that commonly reference large backyards and proximity to agriculture, San Diego real estate listings often highlight features like ocean views and outdoor living spaces.
  • Make sure you unpack those walking shoes. San Diego is more walkable than Salinas.
  • Make sure the movers take care of your bike. San Diego is more bike-friendly than Salinas.
  • San Diego has more of an urban feel than Salinas.
  • San Diego housing costs are 42% more expensive than those in Salinas, with a median home price of $1,021,655 compared to Salinas’s $721,799.
  • Over the prior 5 years, home prices in San Diego have increased by 57% compared to a 47% increase in Salinas.
  • Rent in San Diego is 24.38% more expensive than in Salinas.

Pet-friendly Neighborhoods in San Diego, CA

  1. 1 Ocean Beach: Home to the year-round off-leash Dog Beach, walkable streets, and many dog-friendly patios and shops.
  2. 2 North Park: Highly walkable with abundant dog-friendly cafes and breweries, plus quick access to Balboa Park's off-leash areas.
  3. 3 South Park: Quiet, tree-lined blocks with the expansive Grape Street Off-Leash Dog Park and plenty of pet-welcoming patios.

Charts & Visualizations

With 110,440 data points across 99 moving companies and 28,271 reviews, we've got a lot of data to work with. Here are some of the charts and visualizations we've created to help you understand the moving industry in Salinas to San Diego.

Comparing ratings, review history, and total data points

Bubble size represents the number of analyzed data points. Hover over bubbles for details.

Ranking history

How the currently ranked top Salinas to San Diego movers have performed over time

11-Point Rating Comparison

Detailed breakdown of Salinas to San Diego moving company 11-point ratings

Statewide 11-Point Percentile Comparison

See how our recommended top movers compare to all movers in California & California

Quality iconQuality
Punctuality iconPunctuality
Affordability iconAffordability
Communication iconCommunication
Stick to Prices iconStick to Prices
Speed iconSpeed
Friendliness iconFriendliness
Will Hire Again iconWill Hire Again
Professionalism iconProfessionalism
Conflict Handling iconConflict Handling
Precision & Care iconPrecision & Care
Little Guy Big Truck Moving Logo

Little Guy Big Truck Moving

Exceptional9.70
99
99
100
100
100
98
99
99
99
97
100
1st Choice Movers Logo

1st Choice Movers

Exceptional9.63
94
99
99
98
100
91
99
95
96
98
92
Santa Cruz Moving Services Logo

Santa Cruz Moving Services

Exceptional9.51
95
94
96
99
98
96
94
96
95
92
95
G Brothers Transportation Logo

G Brothers Transportation

Exceptional9.31
92
95
94
94
96
89
84
93
92
79
97
Mod Movers Logo

Mod Movers

Superb8.81
77
81
42
75
51
90
74
75
78
93
81

Percentile Ranking

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
*Note: the above data points reflect a moving company's percentile ranking compared to all moving companies in California & California.

List of All Salinas to San Diego Moving Companies Analyzed

  • Pro Piano Movers
  • American Movers - San Diego
  • Next Phase Move Assistance
  • Elmer's Moving
  • San Diego's Best Moving Company
  • Ship Smart Inc. In San Diego
  • Bay Park Trucking
  • Packman Moving LLC
  • C & R Transfer Co
  • Dewitt Move Worldwide
  • Sunshine Moving Services LLC
  • Great Movers SD
  • Awesome Movers
  • Blue Dog Moving
  • Like Movers LLC
  • LNL Cross Country Movers
  • San Diego Family Move
  • J & M Moving & Storage Inc
  • JFK Moving Company
  • Allied Van Lines
  • SD 24/7 Movers
  • Carls Machinery Moving
  • C and M Relocation Systems
  • Spectrum Moving & Storage, Moving Services
  • West Coast East Coast Express
  • Credo Moving Inc
  • Fairprice Movers - San Rafael
  • The Rock Movers
  • Easy go Moving
  • Qshark Moving Company
  • Chief Moving Company
  • G Brothers Transportation
  • Central Coast Movers
  • S&D Moving Company
  • Elite Furniture Moving
  • Nice Guys Movers
  • Best Bet Movers
  • Moving With Love Moving Company
  • Ackley Moving Services
  • We Like To Move It
  • State To State Moving and Auto Transport
  • Space Moving
  • Atlas Transfer & Storage Co.
  • Mod Movers
  • TRUST moving and storage
  • Truklyft Movers & Storage
  • Move Square
  • Little Guy Big Truck Moving
  • Mission Minded Moving & Hauling
  • Movers Mission Bay
  • Santa Cruz Moving Services
  • Hot Tub Movers San Diego
  • Motivated Military Movers
  • Starving Students Movers, Inc.
  • Moving And Storage | Happy Home Movers
  • Coleman Moving Systems, Inc.
  • MI-BOX Moving & Mobile Storage of San Diego
  • Senior Move Masters
  • North American Van Lines
  • Coast 2 Coast Moving, Inc.
  • Flat Price Moving and Auto Shipping
  • A+ Movers
  • Rainbow Movers - San Diego
  • Bekins Moving Solutions
  • Affordable Movers since 1990
  • Prestige Movers CA
  • Southbay Moving Systems, Inc.
  • Tavares Packing & Loading
  • PODS Moving & Storage
  • Power Moves Services,LLC
  • Poulos Moving Systems
  • Cardinale Moving & Storage
  • Diamond Movers
  • Move Central Moving & Storage North County
  • Chipman Relocation & Logistics
  • San Diego Mini Movers
  • Movers Mission Valley
  • Chula Vista Movers
  • The Movers La Mesa
  • City Pro Chula Vista Movers
  • Republic Moving & Storage
  • Omega Moving & Storage Inc.
  • 1st Choice Movers
  • San Diego Small Moves
  • Finch Moving San Diego
  • Msj Delivery
  • US Eagle Moving
  • Cube Moving and Storage Inc
  • PODS Moving & Storage
  • U-Pack
  • Clutter
  • Vector Moving and Storage
  • Dominant Moving Company
  • Gorilla Commercial Movers of San Diego
  • Stella Moving & Delivery
  • Aid-U Moving Company
  • One Stop Moving & Storage
  • Best Fit Movers San Diego
  • 24/7 Moving and Storage