Small moves are where the choice is genuinely close: a student going home for the summer, a single room in a shared house, a chest of drawers from across town. This guide sets out what a Cardiff taxi costs, what an Uber XL will and will not take, and what a man and van charges for the same jobs.
What a taxi costs in Cardiff
Cardiff Council sets the maximum fares for its hackney carriages. Its last published fare change, announced in September 2022 and due to take effect on 8 October that year, put the maximum for a 10-mile journey at £24.10 between 5am and 8pm on weekdays, £26.70 on weekday evenings and on weekends during the day, and £30.30 between 10pm and 5am and all day on bank holidays. Many moves within the city are shorter than that. The figures are in the council's fare announcement.
A taxi driver cannot simply turn you away. The council says it is an offence for a hackney carriage driver to refuse a fare that starts and ends within the Cardiff boundary without a reasonable excuse, giving a drunk or abusive passenger as examples. Whether a bulky item counts as a reasonable excuse is not spelled out, and private hire vehicles, which you book rather than hail, are allowed to refuse fares.
What an Uber XL will and will not take
Uber describes UberXL as vans and SUVs for groups of up to six, with room for six riders or extra luggage. That is luggage, not furniture. Uber's own page for trips from Cardiff Airport says cargo space is not guaranteed and varies by vehicle, and that help with luggage is up to the driver's discretion.
Drivers can also say no. Uber's community guidelines, updated in April 2026, say it is not a violation to decline a trip because it does not work for you. A driver who arrives to find a chest of drawers on the pavement can cancel, and the time you have spent waiting is lost. The wording is in Uber's community guidelines.
- Boxes, bags and a suitcase: a taxi or Uber XL is usually the cheaper option.
- Anything you cannot lift into a car boot alone: a van.
- Stairs at either end, or a long carry to the kerb: a van with someone to carry.
What a man and van costs for the same job
A van is priced on the job, and the price includes the carrying. A single item, such as a chest of drawers or a bike, usually costs from £45 to £85. A sofa or armchair is usually from £45 to £95, and a few items, the typical student room, from £85 to £150. If the job is open ended, the hourly rate is £45 for one person and a van or £65 for two, with a 2 hour minimum.
So for a sofa the comparison is not really a taxi against a van, because a taxi will not take it. For a room of boxes across town it is closer, and the deciding question is whether you want to carry everything down the stairs and load it yourself. Our single item service and the sofa collection page set out what is included.
Hiring a van yourself
The third option is to hire a van and drive it. The national hire firms with Cardiff branches quote small vans online rather than publishing a day rate, so you need a date and a quote to compare. Remember that the hire price buys the van, not the lifting, and that the driver needs the right licence and insurance.
Add fuel and your own time to the hire price before you compare it with a man and van, and remember the carrying is yours. For a student move at the end of term, our student moves service is built for exactly that size of job.
Last checked: October 2026.