If you only need space for things, not for living, a storage unit is usually cheaper than a bigger apartment. But storage has costs that are easy to miss: fees, a protection plan, getting your things there, and price increases after an intro deal. This calculator adds all of them up and compares the total with the extra rent for more room.
How the calculation works
- Volume: each item on your list has a rough volume in cubic feet. Boxes are length × width × height ÷ 1,728; furniture figures are our estimates.
- Unit size: a unit's usable space is floor area × stacking height × packing efficiency. We pick the smallest unit that holds your list, or you can choose one.
- Storage total = intro months × intro price + remaining months × regular price + one-time fees + monthly protection × months + the cost of hauling things in and out.
- Bigger apartment premium = (bigger rent − current rent) × months + any one-time costs you only pay because of the bigger place.
- Cost per square foot per month shows what each option charges you for each square foot of extra space.
| Unit | Floor area | Usable volume | Holds about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5×5 | 25 sq ft | 140 cu ft | 46 medium boxes |
| 5×10 | 50 sq ft | 280 cu ft | 93 medium boxes |
| 10×10 | 100 sq ft | 560 cu ft | 186 medium boxes |
Worked example
You need to store 15 medium boxes, four totes, a bike, an armchair and a dresser for a year. That is about 120 cubic feet, so a 5×5 fits at 86% full. With a $90 monthly quote, $25 in admin fees, a $12 monthly protection plan and $150 to haul things in and out, storage costs $1,399 for 12 months.
The alternative is moving from a $2,800 apartment to a $3,300 one with 150 more square feet: $6,000 more over the year. Storage saves about $4,600, or $383 a month. Per square foot, the storage unit is actually pricier (about $4.66 vs $3.33 a month), but you are renting far fewer square feet.
NYC rules for storage facilities
NYC self-storage protections
- DCWP license required
- Aug 25, 2026
- Posted in the facility office
- Price disclosure rules apply
- Nov 1, 2026
- Notice before a price increase
- 60 days
- Also for new or higher fees
- Minimum time to pay before a lien sale
- 30 days
- From mailing of the notice (Lien Law § 182)
- Before you sign, the operator must give you a schedule of rates showing the monthly fee, any difference from its posted master rates (such as an intro discount), and other required charges like late fees.
- The agreement must state how long your first-month price is guaranteed and the maximum monthly fee it could charge in the first 12 months. Use that maximum in the regular-price field if your quote is an intro deal.
- Ads must show the total monthly price, including mandatory charges, more prominently than other details.
- If you fall behind, the operator can deny access and, after notice, sell your things. In NYC you can ask them to retrieve prescription medication and government ID before a sale.
When the bigger apartment wins
- You would visit storage often. Trips cost time and, without a car, money.
- The rent gap is small, or the bigger place is in a cheaper building or neighborhood.
- You need the space for living: a home office, a roommate or a child.
If you are moving anyway, price the move with the NYC moving cost estimator, and get rid of what you don't need first with our guide to bulk trash and furniture disposal.