How Much Does It Cost to Transport a Car Interstate in Australia?
Interstate car transport between Australia's major cities starts from $484 (Brisbane to Sydney, depot to depot). The price depends on the distance and direction, your vehicle's size and the service level you choose, and remote or regional routes cost more. Short east-coast runs like Sydney to Melbourne start from $550, while long hauls across the Nullarbor such as Sydney to Perth start from $1,580 (Perth to Sydney from $1,100 — prices differ by direction). The rate per kilometre falls sharply on longer routes.
Every move is different, so the figures below are indicative "from" prices for a standard running sedan, depot-to-depot. For an exact price on your route and vehicle, get an instant online quote.
Interstate car transport price guide (2026)
Indicative "from" prices and typical transit windows for a running sedan, depot-to-depot:
| Route | Distance | From price | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane → Melbourne | 1,680 km | $495 | 3–8 business days |
| Melbourne → Brisbane | 1,680 km | $770 | 3–8 business days |
| Brisbane → Sydney | 920 km | $484 | 3–8 business days |
| Sydney → Brisbane | 920 km | $495 | 3–8 business days |
| Sydney → Melbourne | 880 km | $550 | 3–8 business days |
| Melbourne → Sydney | 880 km | $660 | 3–8 business days |
| Sydney → Adelaide | 1,370 km | $1,540 | 8–15 business days |
| Adelaide → Sydney | 1,370 km | $1,100 | 8–15 business days |
| Melbourne → Adelaide | 730 km | $880 | 5–10 business days |
| Adelaide → Melbourne | 730 km | $605 | 5–10 business days |
| Perth → Brisbane | 4,300 km | $1,100 | 10–18 business days |
| Brisbane → Perth | 4,300 km | $1,580 | 10–18 business days |
| Perth → Sydney | 3,930 km | $1,100 | 10–18 business days |
| Sydney → Perth | 3,930 km | $1,580 | 10–18 business days |
| Perth → Melbourne | 3,420 km | $990 | 10–18 business days |
| Melbourne → Perth | 3,420 km | $1,580 | 10–18 business days |
From-prices for a standard running sedan, depot-to-depot, taken live from our rate card. They include GST and exclude the fuel levy and any door-to-door surcharge. Prices differ by direction. Confirm your exact price with a live quote.
What is included in the price — and what is not
A lot of transport quotes look cheap until the extras appear. Here is exactly what a depot-to-depot price from Auto Mover covers, so you can compare like with like.
Included in every quoted price:
- Carriage of your vehicle on the quoted route, on a professional car carrier.
- Transit insurance from the moment we take the keys until you collect — not an optional add-on.
- A condition report with photographs at collection and again at delivery, so the vehicle's state at each end is on the record.
- Loading, restraint and unloading by our own drivers and depot staff.
- SMS and email updates at each milestone, and a tracking link for the booking.
- Storage at the destination depot for a short grace period while you arrange collection.
- GST (10%) — already included in our prices.
Charged separately, only if they apply to you:
- Door-to-door collection and/or delivery — a surcharge per end, quoted up front from your actual address.
- Non-running vehicles — currently $330 where the car will not start, steer or roll and needs winching.
- Goods packed inside the vehicle — currently $121 where you are carrying personal items in the car.
- Fuel levy — a percentage that rises and falls with diesel prices (explained below).
Those figures are current at the time of writing and are confirmed on your quote before you book — there are no fees that appear after the fact.
How much more does a 4WD, ute or van cost to transport?
Price follows the space and weight your vehicle takes on the deck, not a flat per-car rate. A car carrier has a finite number of slots and a legal weight limit, so a vehicle that occupies more of either costs proportionally more to move.
- Small hatchback or sedan — the baseline every "from" price on this page is quoted against.
- Large sedan, wagon or small SUV — modestly above the sedan rate; usually still a standard deck slot.
- 4WD, large SUV, ute or people mover — noticeably more. Height matters as much as length: a vehicle too tall for an upper deck has to travel on a lower slot, which displaces more of the load.
- Van, light truck or dual-cab with a canopy or roof rack — priced individually. Roof racks, bull bars, tow bars, lift kits and canopies all change the footprint, so tell us about them when you quote.
Because it depends on your specific vehicle rather than a category, our quote form asks for the make and model and prices from that. If your vehicle is modified in any way, say so at quote time — a modified vehicle is still perfectly transportable, it simply needs the right slot.
What affects the price of moving a car interstate?
- Distance and route. The biggest single factor. Longer routes cost more in total but less per kilometre.
- Vehicle size and weight. A sedan takes less deck space than a 4WD, ute or van, so it costs less to carry.
- Service level. Depot-to-depot (you drop off and collect at our yards) is the cheapest option; door-to-door adds a collection and delivery surcharge for the convenience.
- Running or non-running. Vehicles that don't start, steer or roll need winching and special handling, which adds to the price.
- Timing and the fuel levy. Peak relocation periods get busy, and a fuel levy tracks pump prices up and down.
- How far the pickup or delivery address is from a depot. Door-to-door into a capital city suburb is routine; a property two hours off the highway costs more to reach, because the truck has to get there and back.
Door-to-door or depot-to-depot: which is cheaper?
Depot-to-depot is always the cheaper of the two, and on some routes the gap is worth a short drive. The reason is simple: a car carrier earns its money on the highway. Every detour into suburban streets costs time, fuel and access risk, and that is what the door-to-door surcharge covers.
Depot-to-depot means you drop the vehicle at our yard during opening hours and collect it from the destination yard. It suits anyone who can reach a depot, or who has someone at the other end who can.
Door-to-door means we collect from and deliver to nominated addresses. It suits people who are short on time, a long way from a depot, or shipping a vehicle to someone who cannot collect it themselves. Note that "door-to-door" always means as close as the truck can legally and safely get — a 19-metre car carrier cannot enter most cul-de-sacs, so the practical handover is often a nearby main road or car park.
You can also mix the two: drop off at a depot at your end and have it delivered to a door at the other, or the reverse. That halves the door surcharge and is the option most people overlook. We have depots in 31 cities — check the coverage map to see how close one is to you.
Non-running, modified and oversized vehicles
A car that does not run is still straightforward to move, provided we know before the truck arrives. A non-running vehicle must be winched on and off rather than driven, which needs the right position on the deck and more time at each end — hence the surcharge.
What matters is whether the vehicle steers and rolls, not just whether it starts. A car with a flat battery that still rolls and steers freely is much easier to handle than one with a seized transmission or locked brakes. If the wheels will not turn or the steering is locked, tell us: it changes the equipment needed and, occasionally, whether a particular carrier can take it at all.
The same applies to modifications. Lowered suspension changes the approach angle onto the ramps, a lift kit or roof rack changes the height, and a bull bar or tow bar changes the length. None of these are a problem when they are known in advance. They become a problem when a driver discovers them at the kerb with a full load behind him.
How the fuel levy works
Roughly half the cost of running a car carrier is diesel, so like most transport operators we price a base rate and apply a fuel levy on top that moves with pump prices. That is more honest than quietly rebuilding base prices every time diesel moves, and it means the price falls as well as rises.
Our levy is calculated from a base diesel price of $1.40 per litre. When the national average sits at that level the levy is at its baseline; when diesel rises above it the levy rises proportionally, and when it falls the levy comes down. The current percentage, and how it is calculated, is published on our fuel levy page.
The levy that applies to your booking is the one shown on your quote. It does not change after you book.
A worked example
To show how the pieces fit together, here is a typical Sydney to Melbourne move for a running sedan:
- Depot-to-depot, running sedan, Sydney to Melbourne — from $550 including GST, plus the fuel levy. You drop the car at our Sydney depot and collect it in Melbourne. Typical transit 3–8 business days.
- Same move, door-to-door — the base carriage is the same; a collection surcharge and a delivery surcharge are added, each quoted from your actual addresses.
- Same move, non-running — add the $330 winching charge.
- Same move with two suitcases in the boot — add the $121 goods-in-vehicle fee.
The cheapest version of almost any move is a running vehicle, empty, depot-to-depot, booked with some flexibility on dates. The most expensive is a non-running, loaded vehicle collected from and delivered to remote addresses at short notice. Most bookings sit somewhere in between, and the quote shows every line.
How to pay less for interstate car transport
- Choose depot-to-depot instead of door-to-door where you can get to our yards.
- Book early and stay flexible on dates — consolidated loads are cheaper than urgent single moves.
- Move more than one vehicle together for a better combined rate.
- Make sure the car is running and empty to avoid non-running and goods-in-vehicle fees.
- Use one end depot, one end door if you can only reach a yard at one end — it halves the door surcharge.
- Avoid the January and post-Christmas rush if your dates are movable; that is the busiest relocation window of the year.
When should you book?
As a rule, book one to three weeks ahead for east-coast routes and three to four weeks for anything crossing the Nullarbor or heading to Darwin. Those corridors run less frequently, so the gap between departures is longer and a late booking has fewer dates to choose from.
Demand is not flat through the year. January is the busiest month on the east coast, driven by relocations and end-of-holiday moves, and the weeks either side of Christmas are tight in both directions. Interstate job transfers cluster around the start of the financial year. If your dates can move, moving them away from those windows usually gets a better price and a shorter wait.
Booking early costs nothing extra — the price you are quoted is the price held for your booking.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transport a car interstate?
Car moves between the major cities start from $484 (Brisbane to Sydney, depot to depot); remote and regional routes cost more. Short east-coast routes like Sydney to Melbourne start from $550, and long cross-country hauls like Sydney to Perth start from $1,580, depending on direction, vehicle size and service level.
How is interstate car transport priced?
Price is driven mainly by distance, then vehicle size, service level (door-to-door vs depot-to-depot), whether the car runs, and the current fuel levy. The rate per kilometre falls on longer routes and differs by direction — the price table above shows the current from-prices.
How long does interstate car transport take?
Transit times range from 3–8 business days on short east-coast routes to 10–28 days for long hauls to Perth or Darwin. Booking early gives you the best choice of dates.
Is my car insured during transport?
Yes — every vehicle we carry is covered by marine transit insurance while in our care, door to door.
Is door-to-door or depot-to-depot cheaper?
Depot-to-depot is cheaper because you drop the car at our yard and collect it at the other end. Door-to-door adds a surcharge for collecting and delivering to your address.
Does it cost more to transport a 4WD or ute than a car?
Yes. Price follows the space and weight the vehicle takes on the deck, so a 4WD, large SUV, ute or van costs more than a sedan. Height matters as much as length, because a tall vehicle cannot travel on an upper deck. Modifications such as roof racks, bull bars and lift kits change the footprint, so mention them when you request a quote.
Can I put personal items in the car?
Yes, up to 80 kg packed below the window line, and a goods-in-vehicle fee of $121 applies. Remove toll tags, loose accessories and anything valuable, and make sure a set of keys travels with the vehicle.
How much does it cost to transport a non-running car?
A non-running vehicle currently adds $330 to the quoted price, because it has to be winched on and off rather than driven. What matters is whether the vehicle steers and rolls, not only whether it starts — tell us if the wheels will not turn or the steering is locked, because that changes the equipment required.
What is the fuel levy and why is it separate?
About half the cost of running a car carrier is diesel. Rather than rebuild base prices every time fuel moves, we quote a base rate and apply a levy calculated from a base diesel price of $1.40 per litre, which rises and falls with the national average. The levy shown on your quote is the one that applies to your booking. See our fuel levy page for the current figure.
How far in advance should I book?
One to three weeks for east-coast routes, and three to four weeks for Perth, Darwin or anything crossing the Nullarbor, since those corridors depart less often. January and the weeks around Christmas are the busiest periods of the year.
Do you quote a price that can change later?
No. The quote sets out the carriage, any door-to-door surcharge, the non-running or goods-in-vehicle fees if they apply, the fuel levy and GST. That is the price for your booking.
Get an instant car transport quote
Auto Mover Australia moves cars, 4WDs, vans, trucks, boats, caravans and motorbikes between every state — door-to-door and depot-to-depot, fully insured, for 10,000+ happy customers. See our car transport service, transit times or the depot coverage map.