---
title: "How much does a shipping container cost?"
description: "A shipping container costs 1,500–7,000 $. How that compares to other things, and where the number comes from."
url: https://atoneplace.net/cost/shipping-container/
site: "At One Place"
---

# How much does a shipping container cost?

**Typical cost: 1,500–7,000 $**

A steel ISO freight box, standardised so it can move between ship, rail and truck without being unpacked.

> Used 20 ft boxes $1,500-3,000; new 40 ft high cubes $5,000-7,000. Prices swing hard with shipping cycles.

## How that compares

*Shipping container against things of a similar money.*

- ATM: 2,000–50,000 $
- Vending machine: 1,500–8,000 $
- Shipping container: 1,500–7,000 $
- Cello: 400–40,000 $
- Pool table: 1,200–15,000 $
- Transmission: 1,200–7,000 $
- Fire hydrant: 1,200–6,000 $
- Roll of carpet: 1,100–6,000 $

## How to read this figure

The range here is wide, and that is the honest answer rather than a hedge: the cheap and expensive ends of this category are genuinely different products, and the price gap between them is real.

> Prices are in US dollars and are indicative only. They date faster than anything else on this site — treat them as an order of magnitude. Installation, delivery and tax are excluded unless the note above says otherwise.

## More about a shipping container

- [How much does a shipping container weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/shipping-container/) — 1,800–4,800 kg
- [Shipping container vs Olympic swimming pool](https://atoneplace.net/vs/olympic-swimming-pool-vs-shipping-container/) — Side by side
- [Shipping container vs Forklift](https://atoneplace.net/vs/forklift-vs-shipping-container/) — Side by side
- [Shipping container vs Helicopter](https://atoneplace.net/vs/helicopter-vs-shipping-container/) — Side by side

## Common questions

### How much does a shipping container cost?

A shipping container costs 1,500–7,000 $. Used 20 ft boxes $1,500-3,000; new 40 ft high cubes $5,000-7,000. Prices swing hard with shipping cycles.

## Related pages

- [How much does a shipping container weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/shipping-container/)
- [How much does a Boeing 747 cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/boeing-747/)
- [How much does a Space Shuttle cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/space-shuttle/)
- [How much does a aircraft carrier cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/aircraft-carrier/)
- [How much does a Airbus A380 cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/airbus-a380/)
- [How much does a cruise ship cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/cruise-ship/)
- [How much does a Boeing 737 cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/boeing-737/)
- [How much does a forklift cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/forklift/)
- [How much does a propane tank cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/propane-tank/)
- [How much does a elevator cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/elevator/)
- [How much does a suitcase cost?](https://atoneplace.net/cost/suitcase/)
- [Shipping container vs Olympic swimming pool](https://atoneplace.net/vs/olympic-swimming-pool-vs-shipping-container/)
- [Shipping container vs Forklift](https://atoneplace.net/vs/forklift-vs-shipping-container/)
- [Shipping container vs Helicopter](https://atoneplace.net/vs/helicopter-vs-shipping-container/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)