Moving From Montreal to Toronto: Costs, Timeline and What to Expect

Montreal to Toronto is the busiest intercity move in the country, and it is also the one people most often underestimate. It looks simple on a map: one highway, roughly 540 kilometres, about five and a half hours of driving. What actually decides how the day goes is the building you’re leaving, the building you’re arriving at, and the fact that you’re changing provinces in the middle.

Moving Co. moves households from Montreal to Toronto with our own crews and our own trucks. No broker in the middle, no handing your shipment to a carrier you’ve never spoken to, and the same people who load in Montreal unload in Toronto. Call 905-752-7787 or request a free quote.

The route, and how long it really takes

The drive is Autoroute 20 to Highway 401 and then straight west. Around 540 kilometres, roughly five and a half hours of pure highway time with a stop or two, and realistically longer in a loaded truck.

The part that catches people out is that the driving is the easy bit. A Montreal to Toronto move is usually loaded one day and delivered the next, and the timing is set by everything except the highway: what time your Montreal building lets the truck in, whether there’s an elevator to book at the other end, and how long the carry is at each address. We plan around those rather than around the drive, because that’s where days are actually won and lost.

Highway 401 through eastern Ontario is straightforward in good weather. Between roughly December and March it can be a different road entirely, particularly the stretch east of Kingston, and we build weather contingency into winter bookings rather than promising a delivery slot we might not make.

Montreal buildings are the hard part

Anyone who has moved out of a Plateau or Mile End apartment already knows this, and anyone who hasn’t should be warned.

Montreal’s older housing stock is famous for exterior spiral staircases, and they are genuinely difficult to move furniture down. They’re narrow, they turn tightly, they’re often steel, and in winter they ice up. A sofa that came up one of those probably went up on its side with three people and a lot of swearing. Interior stairs in triplexes are frequently not much better, and older buildings across the city routinely have no elevator at all above three floors.

Tell us the building type and the floor when you book. A third floor walk up with an exterior spiral staircase is a completely different job from a ground floor flat with a driveway, and the only way you get an accurate quote and the right size crew is if we know before the truck is dispatched, not when it arrives.

Parking is the other Montreal issue. Many residential streets are narrow, one way, or permit restricted, and there is often nowhere legal to leave a truck near the door. Depending on the borough you may need a temporary no parking permit arranged in advance. Look into it early, because the alternative is a long carry from wherever the truck could actually stop, which costs time and therefore money.

Moving day in Quebec, and why July 1 matters

Quebec has a moving tradition that does not exist anywhere else in Canada, and it affects availability.

Residential leases in Quebec have historically been aligned to end on June 30, which means an enormous share of the province’s population moves on or around July 1. It is a genuine annual event. Trucks, crews and rental vehicles across Quebec are booked out well in advance around that date, and prices across the industry rise accordingly.

If your Montreal lease ends June 30, book as early as you possibly can. If your dates are flexible even by a week, moving outside that window is easier to schedule and generally cheaper. Mid month is quieter than month end everywhere, and the middle of the week is quieter than the weekend.

Arriving in Toronto

Toronto has its own rulebook and it is mostly about buildings rather than streets.

If you’re moving into a condo, and a large share of new arrivals from Montreal are, the building will almost certainly require an elevator booking, and many want it days ahead. Most also require a certificate of insurance from the moving company before the concierge will let a crew past the lobby. Loading docks are shared and booked in windows, and some buildings prohibit moves entirely on Sundays and statutory holidays.

We arrange all of that for you. Give us the destination building and unit when you book and we’ll deal with property management directly, so the elevator is reserved and the insurance certificate is on file before the truck arrives. It’s the same process we run every week in CityPlace, Liberty Village, Yorkville and North York. If you’re headed for a house instead, the constraints are usually the street and the driveway rather than paperwork.

Worth knowing before you sign anything: Toronto rents and house prices are generally higher than Montreal for equivalent space, and most people arriving from Montreal end up in less square footage than they left. That has a direct practical consequence for your move, which is the next section.

Move less, because you’re paying by distance

On a local move, taking a few extra boxes costs you almost nothing. On a 540 kilometre move it costs real money, and on the way into a smaller Toronto apartment it costs you twice, because you then have to store or dispose of things that don’t fit.

This is the single best lever you have on the price of an intercity move. Books, old furniture, anything you were already ambivalent about, and anything you’d replace for less than the cost of moving it. We can clear what you’re not taking on the same visit as we load what you are, through our junk removal and furniture removal service, so it’s one appointment rather than two and there’s no bin sitting outside your building for a week.

Changing provinces: the admin nobody enjoys

Moving between Quebec and Ontario is a provincial move, so a handful of things need doing that a local move doesn’t require. None of it is difficult, but it has deadlines and it is easy to forget in the middle of a move.

• Health coverage. Quebec and Ontario run separate provincial health plans, and you’ll need to register with the Ontario plan and understand how the waiting period works. Do this early, because it is the one with real consequences if you leave it.
• Driver’s licence and vehicle. There are time limits for exchanging an out of province licence and for registering a vehicle in Ontario. Bring your existing licence, proof of your new address and your vehicle documents.
• Auto insurance. Quebec and Ontario have structurally different auto insurance systems, so this is not a simple address change. Talk to your insurer before you move rather than after.
• Address changes. Canada Revenue Agency, your bank, your employer’s payroll, and mail forwarding through Canada Post.
• Language. Practical rather than legal, but your Quebec documents may be in French and Ontario offices will sometimes want translations. Worth checking before you’re standing at a counter.

Requirements and deadlines change, so confirm the current rules with ServiceOntario and your insurer rather than relying on what a friend did three years ago. Our interprovincial moving checklist covers the sequence in more detail.

How we price a Montreal to Toronto move

We charge for time rather than guessing at a flat rate and padding it, and it’s the same model we use everywhere: $50 per hour per mover plus $49 per hour for the truck, so two movers and a truck is $149 an hour. One hour minimum, then billed in 15 minute increments, so running eight minutes over costs you eight minutes rather than a whole extra hour.

For a long haul move the crew size, the access at both ends and the volume are what drive the total, which is why we ask about stairs and elevators before quoting rather than after. There are no trip fees, fuel surcharges, stair fees or equipment fees layered on afterwards. Full detail is on the pricing page, and there’s a moving cost calculator if you want a rough figure before you call.

One thing worth saying plainly, because the long distance moving industry has a bad reputation for it: we don’t broker. A lot of companies advertising cross country moves sell your job to whichever carrier bids lowest, which is how people end up with a truck they didn’t book, a delivery window that slips by weeks, and nobody who will answer the phone. Our crews and our trucks do the whole job. See our long haul moving service for how that works.

What we handle

• Full household moves, from a one bedroom apartment to a family home.
• Packing and wrapping, either the whole house or just the awkward things. On a long haul move, packing quality matters far more than it does across town, because everything is in the truck for a day or more. See packing and wrapping.
• Furniture disassembly and reassembly, including beds, wardrobes and anything that won’t clear a Montreal staircase intact. That’s furniture assembly.
• Specialty items such as pianos and safes, covered under single item moves.
• Storage at either end if your dates don’t line up, which on an intercity move they frequently don’t. See storage services.
• Small loads. If you’re a student or moving a studio, you don’t need a full house crew. See small moves.

When to book

Earlier than you think, and much earlier if your dates are fixed.

The Quebec July 1 concentration is the big one, and anything within about two weeks either side of it should be booked as far ahead as you can manage. Beyond that, month end is busier than mid month everywhere in Canada, summer is busier than winter, and Fridays and Saturdays go first.

Winter has a genuine trade off. It is quieter, easier to book and generally cheaper, but the 401 through eastern Ontario in January is a real variable and delivery timing is less predictable. If your dates are firm and you’re moving in winter, build in a buffer day rather than scheduling a flight, a handover and a delivery all on the same afternoon.

Things that can’t ride in the truck

Every long haul move has a short list of items that either legally cannot go on the truck or should not, and it’s better to know now than at the door on loading day.

Flammables and pressurised containers. Propane tanks, gasoline, camping fuel, lighter fluid, paint, solvents, aerosols and pool chemicals. These are a genuine fire risk in a sealed trailer and no reputable carrier will take them. Use them up, give them away, or take them to a household hazardous waste depot.

Plants. They rarely survive several days in a dark trailer with no water and wide temperature swings. Give them to friends or take the ones you truly care about in the car.

Pets. Never in the truck. They travel with you, by car or by air, and if you’re flying, book the pet arrangements before you book anything else, because airlines limit how many animals travel per flight and those slots fill.

The irreplaceable box. Passports, birth certificates, immigration papers, custody or medical documents, jewellery, medication, laptops, chargers, phone, keys and the paperwork for the new place. That box travels with you in the car, not in the truck. It is not about trust, it’s that you will want those things on day one and the truck may not be there yet.

What changes about daily life

Not a moving question exactly, but the things people wish they’d known.

Winter is different rather than worse. Montreal is colder and gets more snow; Toronto is milder but grey, damp, and gets ice storms. Summers in Toronto are hotter and considerably more humid, which is a real adjustment if you’re arriving in July.

Space costs more. Most people arriving from Montreal get less square footage for the money, which is why cutting volume before you move matters so much on this route.

Language is the obvious one. Toronto operates in English by default, and while that’s rarely a barrier for anyone coming from Montreal, official documents issued in French sometimes need certified translation for Ontario purposes. Check before you need them urgently.

Driving is not really necessary downtown, and many people arriving from the Plateau or Mile End find they can go car free in the old city, on the streetcar network or near a subway line. That’s worth deciding before you pay to bring a vehicle across.

Office and business relocations

Not every Montreal to Toronto move is a household one.

We handle office and commercial relocations on this corridor as well: desks and workstations, filing, IT equipment, boardroom furniture and storage. The constraints are different from a house move. There’s usually a hard date driven by a lease, a building that only permits freight elevator access outside business hours, and a need to have staff working again on the Monday rather than in three weeks.

Tell us the lease dates and the building rules at both ends and we’ll build the schedule backwards from when you need to be operational. Larger and multi site work is handled through our enterprise moving service. If some of the old furniture isn’t making the trip, we can clear it at the same time rather than you booking a separate hauler.

A sensible timeline

Montreal to Toronto is short enough that people leave it late, and then hit the July 1 wall or a condo that needs a week of notice.

Eight weeks out, or as early as you can if your dates land near July 1. Book the move. Give notice on the Montreal lease in the form your lease requires. Start the health coverage question, because it is the item with the longest tail.

Four weeks out. Confirm the Toronto building’s move-in rules and get the elevator booking in motion. Check whether your Montreal street needs a temporary no parking permit. Start using up food, cleaning products and anything that can’t travel.

Two weeks out. Decide finally what isn’t coming and book the clear-out for the same day as the load. Arrange mail forwarding. Sort the licence and vehicle registration paperwork so you’re not doing it in your first week.

The last week. Pack the irreplaceable box and keep it with you. Confirm access times at both ends with us. Plan the first night in Toronto as though the truck is delayed, because occasionally it is.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a move from Montreal to Toronto take?

The drive is roughly 540 kilometres and about five and a half hours of highway time, longer in a loaded truck. Most household moves load one day and deliver the next. What actually sets the schedule is building access at both ends, elevator bookings and carry distances, rather than the highway itself.

How much does it cost to move from Montreal to Toronto?

We bill for time rather than a padded flat rate: $50 per hour per mover plus $49 per hour for the truck, so two movers and a truck is $149 an hour, with a one hour minimum and 15 minute increments after that. Crew size, access at both ends and how much you’re moving are what drive the total. There are no trip, fuel, stair or equipment fees added afterwards.

Do you use a broker or subcontract long distance moves?

No. Our own crews and our own trucks do the whole job, and the people who load in Montreal are the people who unload in Toronto. Brokering is common in the long distance industry and it is the reason people end up with a truck they never booked and a delivery date that slips. You deal with us throughout.

Can you get furniture down a Montreal spiral staircase?

Yes, and we plan for it. Exterior spiral staircases are narrow, tightly turned and slippery in winter, so they need the right crew size and the right approach rather than brute force. Tell us the building type and floor when you book so we send the right number of people and quote you accurately.

Should I avoid moving around July 1?

If you can. Quebec leases have historically ended June 30, so an enormous share of the province moves on or around July 1, and trucks and crews across the industry are booked out well in advance with prices rising to match. If your dates flex even by a week, moving outside that window is easier to schedule and usually cheaper.

What do I need to change when I move from Quebec to Ontario?

Register for Ontario health coverage and check how the waiting period applies, exchange your driver’s licence and register your vehicle within the required time limits, and speak to your insurer, because Quebec and Ontario have structurally different auto insurance systems. Then the usual address changes with CRA, your bank, payroll and Canada Post. Confirm current rules with ServiceOntario, since they change.

Do you handle the condo elevator booking in Toronto?

Yes. Most Toronto towers require an elevator reservation and a certificate of insurance from the moving company before a crew is allowed past the lobby, and loading docks are usually booked in windows. Give us the destination building and unit and we deal with property management directly so it’s all in place before the truck arrives.

Can you store our things if the dates don’t line up?

Yes, and it’s common on intercity moves where a lease ends before a closing date. We can hold your shipment and deliver when you’re ready rather than forcing you into a same day handover. Tell us the gap when you book so we plan the load accordingly.

Is it cheaper to move in winter?

Generally yes, because demand is lower and availability is better. The trade off is that Highway 401 through eastern Ontario can be genuinely difficult between December and March, so delivery timing is less predictable. If your dates are firm, build in a buffer day rather than stacking a flight, a handover and a delivery on the same afternoon.

Tell us where you’re leaving from in Montreal, where you’re landing in Toronto, and roughly what you’re bringing, and we’ll give you a clear number. Request your free quote or call 905-752-7787.