Moving to Colombia: 20ft vs 40ft Container Costs

Quick Answer: Moving a 2-bedroom home from the USA to Colombia in a 20 ft container with AB Group Shipping costs from $2,600 (September 2026 quote), port to port from Port Everglades to Cartagena, with 4 days of ocean transit. From Houston it is also $2,600, with 10 days in transit. The price excludes import taxes and destination charges.

Container choice drives most of the price gap between families with nearly identical households. Below you get the itemized numbers, the port options, the DIAN paperwork, and the break-even math on shipping versus buying new.

How much does it cost to move from the USA to Colombia?

Quick Answer: Moving from the USA to Colombia costs $1,869 for a consolidated shipment of boxes and some furniture (about 13 m³, from Miami), $2,600 for a 20ft container, and $2,800 for a 40ft HC container, port to port, in September 2026. Door-to-door ranges including origin packing, ocean freight, Colombian port charges, customs brokerage, and inland delivery run approx. $2,900-$4,400, $4,200-$6,400, and $6,100-$9,800.

Those three numbers cover almost every expat family leaving South Florida. LCL prices out at approx. $190.40 per cubic meter from Miami on this lane. A 20ft container averages approx. $5,300 door-to-door to Medellín. A 40ft averages approx. $7,900.

Port-to-port quotes look 40-50% cheaper — and they are not comparable. A $2,600 "Miami to Cartagena" 20ft rate (September 2026) covers ocean freight and the Bill of Lading only. It excludes origin packing, Colombian terminal handling, the agente de aduanas fee, and the truck to your apartment.

The real driver of your moving Miami to Colombia cost is destination city, not container size. Cartagena delivery is the cheapest. Medellín adds a 640 km mountain haul. Bogotá adds 1,050 km and approx. $400-$800 over a coastal drop.

None of the ranges above include Colombian import tax. Qualifying menaje pays a single 15% tax (tributo único) on the value DIAN assigns to the goods; shipments that do not qualify go through ordinary import, with duty by tariff heading plus 19% IVA. For ways to trim the controllable line items, see Affordable International Moving 2026: 12 Ways to Save Money on Your Household Goods Shipment.

20ft vs 40ft container: which size fits your household?

Quick Answer: A 20ft container holds about 28-30 CBM of packed household goods — roughly a two-bedroom apartment. A 40ft holds 58-62 CBM, or a three-to-four bedroom house with garage contents. From Miami the 40ft HC costs $2,800 versus $2,600 for the 20ft, port to port in September 2026, so it wins on cost per cubic meter.

Gross specs and usable specs differ. A 20ft standard measures 33 CBM gross but loads out at 28-30 CBM usable once packers add crating and blocking. Practical payload for household goods is about 26,000 lb. A 40ft standard runs 67 CBM gross and 58-62 CBM usable. A 40HC adds roughly 9 CBM of headroom for tall items.

What actually fits in a 20ft container?

A 20ft box typically absorbs one king bed, one queen bed, a three-piece sofa set, a dining set for six, a refrigerator, a washer and dryer, and 40-50 standard boxes. Add a bicycle or two and a few plastic bins and you are at capacity.

Run the cost per cubic meter before you decide. A 20ft at approx. $5,300 door-to-door works out to approx. $180 per CBM. A 40ft at approx. $7,900 works out to approx. $130 per CBM. The bigger box is cheaper per unit of space — but only if you fill it.

LCL vs 20ft FCL vs air freight vs excess baggage: where's the break-even?

Quick Answer: LCL beats a 20ft container below roughly 15-18 CBM on the Miami-Colombia lane. In September 2026, about 13 m³ of boxes and some furniture ships consolidated from Miami for $1,869, versus $2,600 for a full 20ft container, port to port. Air freight only makes sense under 200 kg of high-value or urgent items.

LCL means less-than-container-load. Your goods share a container with other shippers. Pricing follows the W/M rule — per cubic meter or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater.

The arithmetic is straightforward. In September 2026, about 13 m³ ships consolidated from Miami for $1,869 — roughly $144 per CBM — which crosses the $2,600 port-to-port 20ft price at about 18 CBM. Then add CFS deconsolidation and destination handling at the arrival port. The real crossover lands at 15-17 CBM.

Air freight Miami→Bogotá (BOG) runs approx. $5.79 per kg ($579 for 100 kg in October 2026) with 1-day transit, plus Air Waybill and handling fees. That is rational for laptops, documents, instruments, and medication — nothing else. Excess airline baggage typically costs $150-$200 per extra bag, capped at 23-32 kg; check your airline's current fee. Under four or five bags total, it is the cheapest path.

Which Colombian port should your container go to?

Quick Answer: Cartagena (COCTG) is the default port for Miami household moves: on our September 2026 quotes a 20ft container takes 4 days at sea from Port Everglades and a 40ft HC takes 12. Box shipments arrive at Barranquilla and shared-container cargo at Santa Marta. Buenaventura on the Pacific costs approx. $600-$1,100 more and takes longer, because the ship must cross the Panama Canal or transship.

PortMiami (USMIA) and Port Everglades (USPEF) both handle Colombia cargo. On our September 2026 quotes, full containers for household moves load at Port Everglades, while shared-container and box shipments load at Miami.

Cartagena is where our container quotes from Miami, New York, Houston and Savannah arrive, 4 days from Miami for a 20ft container. Barranquilla (box shipments, 4 days) and Santa Marta (shared-container cargo, 14 days) are the other Caribbean arrival ports on our September 2026 quotes. Ask which port your quote uses, because it changes the inland trucking.

Buenaventura is a different animal. From Miami it requires a Panama Canal transit or a Cartagena transshipment. It only makes sense if you are settling in Cali, Popayán, or Pasto — and even then, run both options. For full destination-side detail, read our Mudanzas a Colombia 2026: Complete Guide to International Moving Services.

FCL 20ft

MiamiUSMIA

→

CartagenaCOCTG

from · Sep 2026USD$2,600Quote this route →

FCL 40ft

Port EvergladesUSPEF

→

CartagenaCOCTG

from · Sep 2026USD$2,800Quote this route →

What does an itemized moving quote to Colombia actually include?

Quick Answer: A complete door-to-door quote has five cost blocks: Miami origin services (approx. $900-$2,200), ocean freight plus BAF and THC ($2,600 for a 20ft and $2,800 for a 40ft HC from Miami, September 2026 rates), Colombian port and terminal charges ($480-$920), customs brokerage and documentation ($350-$700), and inland delivery (approx. $450-$1,400 depending on destination city).

Two terms hide the most money. BAF (bunker adjustment factor) is the fuel surcharge, and it moves monthly. THC is terminal handling; DTHC is destination terminal handling and is often left out of "all-in" quotes. Ask which one your quote includes.

Colombian law lets an importer act directly before DIAN, but in practice household shipments clear through a DIAN-authorised agencia de aduanas, which needs your signed mandate. Expect $350-$650 for the agency. Marine cargo insurance runs 1.5%-3.0% of declared value. All-risk coverage requires professional packing and a valued, itemized inventory.

How long does a container take to ship from the USA to Colombia?

Quick Answer: Ocean transit from Miami to Cartagena takes 4 days for a 20ft container and 12 days for a 40ft HC. Door to door, add 5-10 days for packing and export booking before sailing, customs clearance in Colombia (roughly 10-12 business days under normal conditions, according to the International Association of Movers' June 2026 guide) and 2-4 days inland to Medellín or Bogotá.

Port cut-off and vessel ETD are not the same date. Cut-off typically falls 48-72 hours before departure. Miss it by four hours and your container rolls to next week's sailing. Build that buffer into your flight plans.

The International Association of Movers' Colombia guide (June 2026) puts customs clearance at roughly 10-12 business days under normal conditions and reports that all non-diplomatic household shipments are physically inspected. Inventories without serial numbers are one of the most common causes of delay.

Do I have to pay taxes on my household goods when I move to Colombia?

Quick Answer: Yes, in most cases. Colombian customs law lets people who lived abroad at least 24 of the last 36 months import their household goods without an import licence, but they pay a single tax (tributo único) of 15% of the goods' value. The only full exemption is for Colombian citizens certified under Ley 1565 de 2012, up to 2,400 UVT.

Menaje doméstico means the furniture, appliances and other articles normally used in a home. Under Decreto 1165 de 2019 (arts. 279-285) the right belongs to a "resident abroad" who arrives to establish residence in Colombia: someone who lived outside the country for at least 24 months, continuous or not, in the previous 3 years. The decree does not distinguish Colombians from foreigners and does not name an M (migrante) or R (residente) visa; what counts is the time abroad.

Timing matters. The shipment must arrive between 1 month before and 4 months after your own arrival, it cannot be declared before you are in Colombia, and the bill of lading must be consigned to you. Rules as of October 2026; confirm them with a DIAN-authorised customs agency before you ship.

DIAN authorises one menaje per family unit, through a single customs office, and a second one only after 5 years. The goods must have been acquired while you lived abroad and come from your country of residence. Movers' guides add that customs does not treat new articles as part of the shipment and that serial numbers are required for every appliance and electronic item.

What documents do I need to clear household goods through Colombian customs?

Quick Answer: You need your passport with the Colombian entry stamp, a typewritten inventory in Spanish with the brand, model and serial number of every appliance and electronic item, the original Bill of Lading consigned to you, proof of at least 24 months abroad, and a signed mandate for your customs agency, which files DIAN's import declaration (Formulario 500) under subheading 9805.00.00.00.

• Pasaporte with the Colombian entry stamp, plus a notarized copy made in Colombia
• Proof of time abroad: 24 months in the last 3 years. Colombian consulates issue a certificado de residencia for this
• Inventario en español — typewritten, with brand, model, reference and serial number of each appliance, electronic item and bicycle
• Bill of Lading original, consigned to the owner of the goods
• Mandato (power of attorney) to your agencia de aduanas
• Declaración de equipaje (Formulario 530) — stamped by customs when you land, declaring the unaccompanied shipment

Inventory rules are strict. No "miscellaneous boxes," no "household items," no "packed by owner." DIAN's form instructions require brand, reference and serial numbers in the description, and the International Association of Movers (June 2026) says the list goes without values, because the customs inspector sets the taxable value.

The Colombian Consulate in Miami issues the residence certificate in person; its April 2026 requirements list asks Colombians for their cédula, passport, US residence card or US passport and at least two documents showing their address. A consular stamp on the inventory does not exempt you from the 15% tax. Colombians applying under Ley 1565 de 2012 add the beneficiary certificate, which DIAN requires before the import declaration is filed.

Is it cheaper to ship your furniture to Medellín or buy new there?

Quick Answer: Shipping wins when your replacement cost exceeds roughly $6,000. Colombian furniture and appliance prices run 20-45% above US retail because of import duty and IVA. A 20ft container at approx. $5,300 door-to-door typically carries $18,000-$25,000 of replaceable goods — a clear win for two-bedroom-plus households.

Colombia runs 110V/60Hz, so US appliances work electrically. On top of freight, count DIAN's 15% single tax on the value the inspector assigns to your goods. Flat-panel TVs are still the most frequently damaged item on this lane. Decluttering pays hard: cutting 8 CBM saves approx. $1,523 in LCL, or lets you downsize from a 40ft to a 20ft. More tactics in our 2026 guide to saving money on household goods shipments, and general benchmarks at iContainers' international moving guide and Sirelo's 2026 container shipping rate data.

How do you vet international movers to Colombia?

Quick Answer: Ask for a binding or not-to-exceed estimate that names the Incoterm, the destination port, and every destination charge. Confirm the mover holds an FMC OTI/NVOCC license, works with a DIAN-authorised Colombian agencia de aduanas, and provides a written CBM survey — not a phone guess.

Know which Incoterm you are buying. DAP delivers to your door with duty and taxes on you. DDP means the mover pays duties — attractive on paper, but it shifts import-side liability and usually carries a fat margin. CIF stops at the port of Cartagena. FOB stops at the US port of loading and is the worst option for an expat family.

• FMC OTI license number and NVOCC bond on file
• FIDI/FAIM or IAM membership
• Named Colombian agencia de aduanas with the number of its DIAN authorisation resolution
• References from Medellín or Bogotá deliveries in the last 12 months
• Written video or in-home CBM survey

Remote CBM estimates cause most container-size mistakes and rebilling. Insist on a survey. Also ask about free time: Cartagena typically allows 5-8 free days, and demurrage or detention runs $85-$180 per day per container after that.

Your moving Miami to Colombia cost comes down to three decisions: container size, destination port, and whether you qualify for menaje de casa. Settle the first two before you call a single mover. Use the calculator above to price LCL, a 20ft, and a 40ft for your exact route and surveyed CBM — real numbers in seconds, no email required, no follow-up calls.