Ship the sofa or sell it?
Furniture is where most moving budgets go, because shipping is priced by volume and a sofa is mostly air. The question for each piece is simple: is the gap between its Mexican replacement price and what you'd get selling it larger than what it costs to ship?
Updated
- Bulky budget furniture usually loses. IKEA's KIVIK sofa listed for MXN 9,999 (≈$553) in Mexico vs $799 in the U.S. — cheaper to rebuy than to ship 50 cubic feet. Compact pieces that cost more in Mexico, like IKEA's MICKE desk (≈$166 vs $109.99), can still be worth taking.
- Solid, high-end or sentimental pieces often win, especially when the Mexican equivalent is hard to find.
- Used furniture resells for ~10–25% of retail (mass-market) to 35–60% (premium), so selling rarely covers the replacement — it's the shipping cost that decides.
Six pieces, real prices, same calculator
The break-even column is the shipping rate at which keeping and replacing cost the same. If your mover's rate per cubic foot is below it, ship; above it, sell and replace.
| Item | U.S. new | Est. resale | Mexico price | Cost to bring | Verdict | Ship if under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IKEA KIVIK sofa | $799 | $160 | $553 | $511 | Replace | $8.12/cu ft |
IKEA MALM queen bed frame | $299 | $60 | $360 | $307 | Ship | $10.06/cu ft |
Dining set for 4 | $400 | $120 | $290 | $406 | Replace | $4.56/cu ft |
IKEA MARKUS office chair | $300 | $75 | $277 | $126 | Ship | $17.31/cu ft |
IKEA MICKE desk | $110 | $22 | $166 | $83 | Ship | $20.34/cu ft |
Solid-wood dresser (Mexico price unknown) With no Mexican price, the calculator assumes the U.S. price. | $1,800 | $720 | ≈ U.S. price | $286 | Ship | $46.08/cu ft |
Prices checked 2026-10-01 at IKEA México/US and Liverpool; MXN converted at 18.071 (Banxico FIX 2026-09-29). Resale estimates from Kashew and AptDeco ranges. Volumes approximate. Shipping at our $10/cu ft placeholder.
Why volume decides
Movers and freight consolidators charge for space. Shared-container rates in our sources work out to roughly $4–9 per cubic foot of freight before door-to-door services (moving costs). A 3-seat sofa takes about 50 cubic feet, so it costs $200–450 in freight alone at those rates — more than a budget sofa resells for.
That's why the same calculator says “ship” for a $1,800 solid-wood dresser and “replace” for a $799 flat-pack sofa: what matters is replacement value per cubic foot.
What used furniture really sells for
| Type | Typical resale (% of retail) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-market / flat-pack | 10–25% | Kashew (2026) |
| Mainstream brands | 25–45% | Kashew (2026) |
| Premium / designer | 35–60% | Kashew (2026) |
| AptDeco pricing advice | ≈40% (“around 60% off”) | AptDeco (2026) |
| Where to sell | Seller fee |
|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace / OfferUp / Craigslist, local pickup | $0 |
| Chairish (consignment marketplace) | 20–40% commission |
| AptDeco | up to 60% |
| Estate-sale company | 25–50% of gross |
Kaiyo, a used-furniture marketplace often still recommended online, shut down in August 2024.
Two things that don't translate
- Mattress sizes. The Mexican “queen” mattresses we found were 150×190 cm; a U.S. queen is about 152×203 cm. If you ship a U.S. bed frame, ship its mattress too — or plan to buy both in Mexico.
- Big pieces vs. Mexican stairs and doors. Many apartments have narrow stairwells and no freight elevator. Measure the new place before paying to ship a sectional.
Check a piece of your own
Use your mover's rate under “Assumptions” for a real answer.
Bringing it costs less than selling and buying again.
35 cu ft · Send it with your mover or freight.
Bring it = shipping (volume × rate, + fragile premium) + insurance + duties. Sell & replace = Mexico replacement price − U.S. resale after fees. The cheaper net cost wins.
Duties default to 0%. Some movers may qualify for a household-goods (menaje de casa) exemption; eligibility and rules vary. Confirm with a Mexican consulate or licensed customs broker — MenajeFlow is not legal or customs advice.
Add your items in minutes and get a take / ship / sell / replace plan with every assumption visible. Free, no account.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to ship furniture to Mexico or buy new there?
For bulky budget furniture like sofas and dining sets it's usually cheaper to sell and buy again — IKEA's KIVIK sofa listed for less in Mexico than in the U.S. in October 2026. Solid, high-end or sentimental pieces are more often worth shipping. The deciding number is your mover's rate per cubic foot.
How much is used furniture worth when I sell it?
Published guides put mass-market pieces at about 10–25% of retail, mainstream brands at 25–45% and premium pieces at 35–60%. Selling locally on Facebook Marketplace has no fee; consignment and estate-sale companies take 20–60%.
Will my U.S. queen mattress fit Mexican sheets and frames?
Not necessarily. Mexican 'queen' mattresses we found measured 150×190 cm, while a U.S. queen is about 152×203 cm. Keep the bed, mattress and bedding together.
Sources
Every price and rule on this page comes from these sources, checked on the date shown. Prices change; tell us if you find a better one.
- 01IKEA México — KIVIK 3-seat sofa (MXN 9,999) — checked 2026-10-01
- 02IKEA US — KIVIK sofa ($799) — checked 2026-10-01
- 03IKEA México — MALM queen bed frame (MXN 6,499) — checked 2026-10-01
- 04IKEA US — MALM queen bed frame ($299) — checked 2026-10-01
- 05Liverpool — Comedor Magda, 4 chairs (MXN 5,249) — checked 2026-10-01
- 06IKEA México — MARKUS office chair (MXN 4,999) — checked 2026-10-01
- 07IKEA US — MARKUS office chair ($299.99) — checked 2026-10-01
- 08IKEA México — MICKE desk (MXN 2,999) — checked 2026-10-01
- 09IKEA US — MICKE desk ($109.99) — checked 2026-10-01
- 10Banco de México — tipo de cambio FIX — checked 2026-10-01
- 11Kashew — How much is used furniture worth (2026-08-07) — checked 2026-10-01
- 12AptDeco — Selling furniture guide (2026-05-27) — checked 2026-10-01
- 13Chairish — Getting to know Chairish (seller commission) — checked 2026-10-01
- 14Underpriced — Facebook Marketplace fees 2026 (2026-07-29) — checked 2026-10-01
- 15DIY Auctions — Estate sale company fees (2025-06-26) — checked 2026-10-01
- 16Sirelo — Shipping a container to Mexico (updated 2025-11-25) — checked 2026-10-01
- 17AB Group Shipping — Moving USA to Mexico 2026 (updated 2026-09-28) — checked 2026-10-01
MenajeFlow gives planning estimates. It is not a moving company, customs broker or legal adviser — confirm customs requirements with your Mexican consulate and a licensed customs broker.