Quick Answer: Moving household goods from the USA to Argentina costs from $2,200 port to port for a consolidated LCL load of about 13 m³ from Miami, $2,800 for a 20 ft container and $2,900 for a 40 ft high cube. Ocean transit from Miami to Buenos Aires runs about 14 days.
- Miami to Buenos Aires port to port: from $2,200 for ~13 m³ LCL, $2,800 for a 20 ft container, $2,900 for a 40 ft HC. Houston runs $2,582 / $2,910 / $3,110.
- Ocean transit port to port: Miami 14 days, New Jersey 14 days, Houston 29 days. Add 2-4 weeks for customs clearance and delivery in Buenos Aires.
- New and returning residents can import used household goods duty-free under Argentina's "mudanza" franchise, filed with ARCA (ex-AFIP) within the arrival window.
- The calculator on this page prices your exact origin, volume and container size in seconds — no email, no sales call.
Those prices are September 2026 rates from our quoting system for the Argentina lane, port to port. Your gateway changes both the number and the transit, which is why the moving to Argentina calculator asks for your origin city first.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Reference prices: moving from the USA to Argentina
| Move | From Miami Port Everglades | From Houston Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Boxes and some furniture consolidated, ≈13 m³ | $2,200 | $2,582 |
| 2-bedroom apartment 20 ft container | $2,800 | $2,910 |
| 3+ bedroom house 40 ft HC container | $2,900 | $3,110 |
Port-to-port rates in USD to Buenos Aires, calculated with our quoting system on September 28, 2026: you bring the cargo to the departure port and collect it at the destination port. They include ocean freight and US export charges; they do not include import taxes or local charges at destination. The calculator on this page gives your exact price, with pickup and delivery.
How much does it cost to move to Argentina from the United States?
Quick Answer: Port-to-port ocean freight from the USA to Buenos Aires starts at $2,200 for a consolidated load of about 13 cubic meters from Miami. A 20 ft container costs $2,800 from Miami and $2,910 from Houston. A 40 ft high cube runs $2,900 from Miami and $3,110 from Houston.
Port to port has a precise meaning. You deliver the cargo to the departure port, and you collect it at Buenos Aires. Nothing in those four prices covers pickup at your house or delivery to your new apartment.
| Shipment type | From Miami | From Houston | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated LCL (~13 m³) | USD $2,200 | USD $2,582 | Boxes and some furniture |
| 20 ft container | USD $2,800 | USD $2,910 | 2-bedroom apartment |
| 40 ft high cube | USD $2,900 | USD $3,110 | 3+ bedroom house |
A September 2026 quoting-system rate for the Argentina lane: about 13 m³ of boxes and furniture, consolidated, Miami to Buenos Aires. It is the lowest published figure on this page.
Door-to-door service is a different product. Origin pickup, professional packing, destination drayage and delivery to your address are quoted on request. We will not print a number for them here, because it depends on your street address, stairs, access and neighborhood.
Import taxes are also not a freight charge. Argentine duty and IVA go to the state, not to the carrier, and most relocating residents pay nothing at all. That sits in the customs section below.
Your region decides your gateway. Florida ships through PortMiami, Texas and the central states through Port Houston, the Northeast through New York/New Jersey, the Southeast through Savannah, California and the Southwest through Los Angeles/Long Beach, and the Midwest by rail via Chicago. Each gateway carries its own price and transit — the calculator prices yours exactly.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →How does the moving to Argentina calculator work?
Quick Answer: The calculator on this page asks for your origin city, your home size or cargo volume, and the service you want. It returns a 2026 dollar range in seconds, with no email, no signup and no follow-up call. Change the inputs and the price updates instantly.
Four inputs drive the result:
- Enter your origin city or ZIP code. That sets your export gateway.
- Pick your destination: Buenos Aires, Zárate, Rosario, or inland Mendoza.
- Enter your volume in CBM, or select your home size.
- Choose the service: consolidated LCL, 20 ft container, or 40 ft high cube.
The gateway logic is built in. A Dallas origin routes to Port Houston. A Boston origin routes to the Port of New York and New Jersey. A Denver or Minneapolis origin usually moves by rail through Chicago to a coastal port. Transit swings by weeks depending on which one you use.
Pro Tip
Estimate your CBM before you run the calculator. Use the room-by-room table further down, add 10%, then enter that figure. A guess that is 5 CBM low is the difference between a 20 ft container and an LCL load — and two very different prices.
Some cargo cannot be auto-priced. Vehicles on RoRo, a motorcycle riding in a shared container, air freight, live pets and dangerous goods all need a human quote. For those, the element at #quote-calc becomes a custom-quote request form instead.
Pricing a car alongside the move? Start with our International Car Shipping Calculator: 2026 Rates and compare the two line items separately.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →LCL vs 20 ft vs 40 ft HC vs air freight: which should you ship?
Quick Answer: Consolidated LCL wins below roughly 13-15 cubic meters. A 20 ft container holds a two-bedroom apartment at about 28 usable cubic meters. A 40 ft high cube holds a three-plus bedroom house at about 67 cubic meters. Air freight only makes sense for documents, clothing and a few urgent boxes.
| Option | Typical volume | ABGS port-to-port price | Transit (port to port) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated LCL | ~13 m³ | $2,200 Miami / $2,582 Houston | 14 days Miami + CFS time | Studio, 1-bedroom, boxes |
| 20 ft container | 26-28 m³ packed | $2,800 Miami / $2,910 Houston | 14 days Miami / 29 days Houston | 2-bedroom apartment |
| 40 ft high cube | 65-67 m³ packed | $2,900 Miami / $3,110 Houston | 14 days Miami / 29 days Houston | 3+ bedroom house, car + goods |
| Air freight | Under 2 m³ | Quoted on request | 3-7 days to Ezeiza (EZE) | Documents, clothes, urgent items |
Look at the jump from 20 ft to 40 ft HC: $100 more from Miami for roughly 2.4 times the usable volume. That is the single most useful number on this page. If you are anywhere near filling a 20 ft, price the 40 ft HC before you decide.
The LCL break-even sits around 10-13 m³. Below that, paying per cubic meter beats paying for empty container space. Above it, the sealed box usually wins on both cost and handling risk.
LCL groupage
Your goods share a container with other shippers. At arrival, the box is stripped at a CFS warehouse in Buenos Aires and your lot is separated. That deconsolidation adds days plus destination handling fees, and your cargo gets touched more times.
FCL container
One sealed unit, one seal number on the Bill of Lading, opened only by Aduana or by you. No co-loaders, no CFS strip, no waiting for someone else's paperwork. For a full household, FCL is the lower-risk move.
New to groupage mechanics? Our LCL Shipping Miami to Panama 2026: Small Business Cost Calculator and Transit Times guide walks through how consolidation, cut-offs and CFS charges actually work.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →What is CBM and how do I calculate my shipping volume?
Quick Answer: CBM means cubic meter — length x width x height in meters, the unit every international mover prices by. A one-bedroom apartment averages 10-15 CBM, a two-bedroom 18-28 CBM, a three-bedroom house 35-50 CBM. One CBM equals about 35.3 cubic feet.
The math is simple. Multiply length by width by height, all in meters. A wardrobe box measuring 1.2 x 0.6 x 0.9 m equals 0.65 CBM.
Room-by-room volume reference
| Item | Volume (CBM) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-seat sofa | 1.5-2.5 | Sectionals run higher |
| Queen mattress + base | 1.2 | Bagged, not crated |
| Refrigerator | 1.0-1.4 | French-door units at the top end |
| Washing machine | 0.7 | Drum must be secured |
| 55" TV, boxed | 0.3 | Flat crate strongly advised |
| Standard moving carton | 0.12 | About 8 cartons per CBM |
| Dining table + 6 chairs | 1.8-2.2 | Legs off saves 0.4 |
Nominal and usable volume differ. A 20 ft container measures 33 CBM on paper but packs to about 26-28 CBM with real furniture. A 40 ft HC is 76 nominal and roughly 65-67 packed. Odd shapes and non-stackable pieces eat the rest.
Dense cargo hits weight limits first. Books, hand tools, marble tops and gym plates can max the payload while the container still looks half empty. Tell us the weight if you own a workshop or a library.
Pro Tip
Round your CBM estimate up 10% before entering it. Almost every DIY inventory undercounts — people forget the garage, the closet shelf and the patio furniture. A 10% buffer keeps your quote honest and avoids a re-rate at the port.
Do I have to pay customs duty on my furniture when I move to Argentina?
Quick Answer: No, not if you qualify for Argentina's household goods franchise. New residents and Argentines returning after more than a year abroad may import used personal effects duty-free, filed with ARCA (formerly AFIP) as a "mudanza". Goods must be used, owned before the move, and declared within the published arrival window.
The mudanza franchise is the whole reason a full household move pencils out. It is administered by ARCA (the agency that replaced AFIP) and filed by a despachante de aduana, the licensed Argentine customs broker. No forwarder can file it for you — the despachante signs.
Documents your despachante will ask for
- Passport with residency stamp, or DNI once issued
- Visa or residencia precaria proving your immigration status
- Detailed valued packing list in Spanish, itemized, signed
- Bill of Lading consigned to the resident, name matching the passport exactly
- Poder (power of attorney) authorizing the broker to clear
- Factura Comercial for any item that is new or still in its box
Timing matters. The franchise is tied to your arrival and residency dates, and you generally need to be in Argentina when the goods clear. Guides such as Planning Your International Move to Argentina and Moving to Buenos Aires from Abroad (2026) describe a six-month window, but the exact terms shift with each Resolución General. Confirm the current window with your despachante before you book a sailing.
Not everything qualifies. New items, electronics beyond personal quantity, commercial goods and most vehicles fall outside the franchise. Those pay duty plus IVA at Argentina's published rates.
Worked duty example (illustration only)
Say you declare a new item at $1,000 and the published duty rate on that tariff line is 20%, with IVA at 21%:
- Duty: $1,000 x 20% = $200
- Taxable base for IVA: $1,000 + $200 = $1,200
- IVA: $1,200 x 21% = $252
- Illustrative total tax: $452
That is arithmetic, not a quote. Rates vary by HS code, and additional perceptions may apply.
Get a binding opinion before you pack
AB Group Shipping is a freight forwarder and NVOCC, not legal counsel. Eligibility for the mudanza franchise, duty classification and tax liability must be confirmed by a licensed despachante de aduana in Argentina or an international tax attorney. Never pack a container on the assumption that everything clears free.
How long does it take to ship a container from Miami to Argentina?
Quick Answer: Port-to-port ocean transit from Miami to Buenos Aires is about 14 days for a full container. New Jersey is also about 14 days. Houston runs about 29 days because of transshipment routing. Customs clearance and delivery in Argentina add roughly two to four more weeks.
| Origin gateway | Destination | Port-to-port transit | 20 ft / 40 ft HC price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (USMIA) | Buenos Aires (ARBUE) | 14 days | $2,800 / $2,900 |
| New Jersey (USNYC) | Buenos Aires (ARBUE) | 14 days | Quoted on request |
| Houston (USHOU) | Buenos Aires (ARBUE) | 29 days | $2,910 / $3,110 |
| Savannah, LA/Long Beach, Chicago rail | Buenos Aires (ARBUE) | Varies by routing | Priced in the calculator |
Miami(USMIA)
Buenos Aires(ARBUE)
Houston(USHOU)
Buenos Aires(ARBUE)
Port cut-off and vessel ETD are not the same date. Documentation cut-off typically falls 3-5 days before the ship sails, and the container gate cut-off earlier still. Miss either one and your box waits a full week for the next sailing.
Destination options differ by cargo. Puerto Nuevo and Exolgan/Dock Sud handle containers in Buenos Aires. Zárate takes vehicles and RoRo. Rosario serves upriver cargo. Ezeiza (EZE) receives air freight and pets.
LCL adds 5-10 days on top. You wait for the consolidation to close at origin, then for deconsolidation at the CFS in Buenos Aires.
Free time ends faster than clearance
Carriers grant limited free days at Buenos Aires before demurrage and detention per-diem charges start. Those are billed by the shipping line, not by us, and they compound daily. Have your despachante, your residency papers and your Spanish packing list ready before the vessel arrives.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →What does DAP mean in an international moving quote?
Quick Answer: DAP means Delivered at Place: the mover carries the shipment to your Buenos Aires address but you pay import duties, taxes and clearance. EXW is origin-only, CIF ends at the Argentine port with insurance included, and DDP means the mover pre-pays duties too. The term you pick changes your quote total.
Incoterms 2020 apply to personal moves, not just commercial cargo. Here is the plain-language version:
- EXW — the mover takes over at your door and nothing more. You arrange everything else.
- CIF — freight and marine insurance to the Argentine port. Clearance and delivery are yours.
- DAP — delivered to your address in Buenos Aires. Duties, IVA and broker fees still yours.
- DDP — the mover pre-pays duties as well. Rare on household goods.
The published ABGS Argentina prices are port to port. In scope they sit closest to CFR — freight only, no insurance, no clearance, no delivery. You handle both ends.
Why DDP is rare on moves
DDP shifts Argentine import-side liability onto the mover: duty assessment, IVA, perceptions and currency exposure between official and MEP rates. One reclassification by Aduana can blow up the margin. Most forwarders, including us, quote DAP or port to port instead.
What door-to-door adds
Going from port to port to door service adds origin pickup, export packing, destination drayage from Exolgan or Puerto Nuevo, and inside delivery. Each depends on your address and access. Those are quoted on request at #quote-calc.
Marine insurance runs 2-3% of declared value and stays optional. On a full household it is the cheapest protection you will buy. Declare realistic replacement values, not purchase prices from 2015.
Is it cheaper to ship my furniture to Argentina or buy new there?
Quick Answer: Shipping usually wins for a full household because the duty-free franchise removes import tax. Buying locally wins for large appliances, because most US units run 120V/60Hz and Argentina uses 220V/50Hz. A single sofa or fridge rarely justifies the freight cost on its own.
| Item | CBM | Share of a $2,800 20 ft | Buenos Aires replacement | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-seat sofa | 2.0 | ~$200 | $600-$1,400 | Ship it |
| Queen mattress + base | 1.2 | ~$120 | $450-$900 | Ship it |
| Refrigerator (US, 120V) | 1.2 | ~$120 | $700-$1,500 | Buy local — voltage |
| Washing machine (US, 120V) | 0.7 | ~$70 | $500-$1,100 | Buy local — voltage |
| 55" TV | 0.3 | ~$30 | $500-$900 | Ship it (dual-voltage) |
| Dining table + 6 chairs | 2.0 | ~$200 | $700-$1,600 | Ship it |
Argentina runs 220V at 50Hz on Type I plugs. A transformer fixes voltage but not frequency. Compressor and motor-driven appliances — refrigerators, washers, dryers — run hot and die early at the wrong frequency. Electronics with switching power supplies, like TVs and laptops, usually handle 100-240V fine.
The marginal-cost logic decides the rest. Once the container is booked and paid, each extra cubic meter costs almost nothing. So ship the full load or ship almost nothing. Half a container is the worst value on the board.
Watch the exchange rate. The gap between the official and MEP dollar moves local replacement prices quickly, and cost-of-living tools like the Argentina Living Cost Calculator [2026] and the breakdown in Moving to Argentina 2026: Buenos Aires From $1,000/mo can go stale within a quarter. Re-check ARS prices close to your move date.
Pro Tip
Sell the appliances, ship the furniture. Fridges and washers are the heaviest, bulkiest, most voltage-incompatible items in any home. Dropping four of them frees roughly 4 CBM and cuts real weight. Our Affordable International Moving 2026: 12 Ways to Save Money on Your Household Goods Shipment guide covers the full decluttering playbook.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Can I bring my car, motorcycle or pet to Argentina?
Quick Answer: Yes, but the rules are strict. Vehicles register with DNRPA and generally fall outside the duty-free household franchise unless you meet a specific residency exemption. Pets need a SENASA-endorsed international health certificate. RoRo, shared-container motorcycle loading and pet transport are all quoted on request.
Vehicles: check eligibility before you book
Argentine vehicle imports register with the DNRPA, the national auto registry. Non-Mercosur models often face homologation problems, and most private imports pay duty plus IVA. The household mudanza franchise rarely covers a car.
Three physical options exist, each with trade-offs:
- RoRo at Zárate — the vehicle drives on and off. Cheapest per unit, but nothing may be packed inside.
- Sole-use container — sealed, protected, and a personal-effects load can share the space.
- Car plus household goods in a 40 ft HC — often the best value when you are already shipping a house.
RoRo, motorcycles in shared containers and air freight carry no published price. Request a custom quote at #quote-calc. For rates and mechanics on the vehicle side, see our Car Shipping Calculator Buenos Aires: 2026 Rates $1,900+. Comparing South American lanes? International Moving Costs from USA to Chile: 2026 Prices & Required Documents lays out the Chilean alternative.
Pets: SENASA runs the process
- SENASA import permit, obtained before travel
- USDA-endorsed international health certificate from an accredited vet
- Microchip number and current rabies vaccination record
- Airline cargo booking into Ezeiza (EZE), not ocean transport
Never ship a vehicle on assumption
Confirm eligibility with a despachante de aduana in Argentina before the car goes on a vessel. A car that cannot be registered with DNRPA becomes an abandoned unit accruing storage at Zárate, and re-exporting it costs more than the original freight.
How do I lock in a 2026 price and book your move?
Quick Answer: Run the calculator on this page with your origin city and volume, then book the sailing that matches your arrival date in Argentina. Quotes reflect current freight market conditions and surcharges, so a rate confirmed today can move by the next sailing window if you delay booking.
- Estimate your CBM with the room table above, then add 10%.
- Run the moving to Argentina calculator with your origin city and volume.
- Choose LCL or FCL based on the 13 CBM break-even.
- Confirm the documentation and gate cut-off dates, not just the ETD.
- Prepare the valued Spanish packing list and send it to your despachante.
Book 4-6 weeks before your flight. The goal is cargo arriving after you do. Goods landing before your residency file is open sit accruing storage and per-diem charges while nobody can legally clear them.
Vet any international mover on these four points
- An FMC licence number — OTI, NVOCC or freight forwarder — that you can verify
- Proof they issue their own House Bill of Lading, not a broker's paper
- An itemized quote, not a vague "all-in" figure
- Written free-time terms at Buenos Aires, in days
Itemized beats all-in every time. Origin THC, BAF, CAF, ISPS and destination handling should appear as visible lines. With thousands of shipments moved across the USA-Latin America corridor, we have seen too many "all-in" quotes reopen at the destination as surprise invoices.
To repeat the boundary clearly: our published Argentina prices are port to port from Miami and Houston. Every other origin, plus door service, air and vehicle options, prices live in the calculator.
Get your instant quote
Compare FCL, LCL, Air, and Courier rates in seconds — no email required.
Go to the calculator →Port to port, it starts at $2,200 for a consolidated load of about 13 cubic meters from Miami, or $2,582 from Houston. A 20 ft container for a two-bedroom apartment costs $2,800 from Miami and $2,910 from Houston, and a 40 ft high cube for a three-plus bedroom house runs $2,900 from Miami and $3,110 from Houston. Door-to-door service and import taxes are separate and quoted on request.
About 14 days port to port for a full container from Miami to Buenos Aires. New Jersey is also around 14 days, while Houston runs about 29 days because of transshipment. Add roughly two to four weeks for customs clearance and delivery once the vessel arrives.
No, not if you qualify for the household goods "mudanza" franchise. New residents and Argentines returning after more than a year abroad can import used personal effects duty-free, filed with ARCA (formerly AFIP) through a licensed despachante de aduana. New items, commercial quantities and most vehicles fall outside the franchise and pay duty plus IVA.
Estimate your volume in cubic meters first, then enter your origin city and that volume into the calculator on this page. A one-bedroom home is usually 10-15 CBM, a two-bedroom 18-28 CBM, and a three-bedroom house 35-50 CBM. The calculator returns a 2026 dollar range in seconds with no email required.
Shipping is usually cheaper for a full household because the duty-free franchise removes import tax and each extra cubic meter in a booked container costs almost nothing. Buying locally is better for large appliances, since US units run on 120V/60Hz and Argentina uses 220V/50Hz. A single sofa or fridge alone rarely justifies the freight.
Stop guessing at relocation budgets built on someone else's lane. Use the moving to Argentina calculator above to price your exact origin city, your real CBM and your chosen container size — LCL, 20 ft or 40 ft HC — in seconds. No email, no signup, no follow-up sales call. Enter your numbers, compare the options side by side, and book the sailing that matches your arrival date in Buenos Aires.
Guides for shipping to Argentina
- Car Shipping Calculator Buenos Aires: 2026 Rates $1,900+ · Car shipping calculator
- Air Freight Calculator Argentina: 4-7 Day Rates 2026 · Air freight calculator
- Car Shipping to Argentina: Complete 2026 Guide to Costs, Documentation & Transit Times