Parcel price index
What a parcel actually cost in October 2026
Six cartons fixed since July 2026, priced to five cities from one Newark address on one day: 2026-10-24. 30 live quotes. The headline figure in each cell is a checkout price on our own site with our fee inside it — averaging $4.41 per parcel here, from $2.49 to $24.95 — and the carrier cost the fee sits on top of is printed underneath, so anybody can separate the two.
The basket, October 2026
| Carton | Atlanta, GA | Chicago, IL | Miami, FL | Los Angeles, CA | Seattle, WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book box 8 x 5 x 1.5 in, 1 lb | $10.07 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $7.58 | $10.23 UPS Ground Saver carrier cost $7.44 | $10.25 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $7.76 | $11.28 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $8.29 | $11.28 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $8.29 |
| Shoebox 13 x 9 x 5 in, 3 lb | $10.07 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $7.58 | $10.27 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $7.78 | $12.40 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $9.41 | $14.29 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $11.30 | $14.29 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $11.30 |
| Clothing box 16 x 12 x 8 in, 5 lb | $13.31 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $10.32 | $13.31 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $10.32 | $15.21 USPS Ground Advantage carrier cost $12.22 | $19.30 UPS Ground carrier cost $15.31 | $19.30 UPS Ground carrier cost $15.31 |
| Appliance box 18 x 14 x 12 in, 10 lb | $23.12 UPS Ground Saver carrier cost $19.13 | $23.12 UPS Ground Saver carrier cost $19.13 | $25.20 FedEx Ground carrier cost $21.21 | $33.89 FedEx Ground carrier cost $28.72 | $33.89 FedEx Ground carrier cost $28.72 |
| Tool carton 16 x 16 x 16 in, 20 lb | $27.36 FedEx Ground carrier cost $23.18 | $30.13 UPS Ground carrier cost $25.53 | $31.86 FedEx Ground carrier cost $27.00 | $43.44 FedEx Ground carrier cost $36.81 | $43.44 FedEx Ground carrier cost $36.81 |
| Oversized light carton 24 x 18 x 18 in, 12 lb | $37.06 FedEx Ground carrier cost $31.40 | $40.43 FedEx Ground carrier cost $34.26 | $46.36 FedEx Ground carrier cost $39.28 | $64.11 FedEx Ground carrier cost $54.33 | $64.11 FedEx Ground carrier cost $54.33 |
Basket average across all 30 quotes: $25.41 at checkout, on $21.00 of carrier cost. Cheapest-carrier count: USPS on 12, FedEx on 12, UPS on 6.
What moved since September 2026
Of the 30 cells this issue shares with September 2026, 1 came back at the same checkout price to the cent and 29 moved. The table lists the largest moves first.
| Carton | Lane | September 2026 | October 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oversized light carton | Los Angeles, CA | $77.22 | $64.11 | −13.11 |
| Oversized light carton | Seattle, WA | $77.22 | $64.11 | −13.11 |
| Oversized light carton | Miami, FL | $57.90 | $46.36 | −11.54 |
| Oversized light carton | Atlanta, GA | $46.12 | $37.06 | −9.06 |
| Tool carton | Los Angeles, CA | $50.11 | $43.44 | −6.67 |
| Tool carton | Seattle, WA | $50.11 | $43.44 | −6.67 |
| Oversized light carton | Chicago, IL | $46.12 | $40.43 | −5.69 |
| Tool carton | Miami, FL | $35.88 | $31.86 | −4.02 |
| Tool carton | Atlanta, GA | $29.25 | $27.36 | −1.89 |
| Appliance box | Los Angeles, CA | $35.61 | $33.89 | −1.72 |
Notes on the month
The basket average stands at 25.41 against a carrier cost of 21. USPS and FedEx each hold the cheapest position in 12 cells, UPS in 6.
The counter gap averages 34.5 percent and reaches 69.5 percent at its maximum. Of 30 cells, 29 moved and 1 was unchanged.
The largest moves are on the Oversized light carton, from 77.22 to 64.11 in Los Angeles and Seattle, from 57.9 to 46.36 in Miami, and from 46.12 to 37.06 in Atlanta. The Tool carton in Los Angeles moves from 50.11 to 43.44.
Online against the retail counter
Across the 79 rates in this capture that carried a published retail counter price, buying the same label online came in 34.5% below the counter on average, reaching 69.5% on one carton. Same carrier, same box, same day.
How the number is made
One origin, 07102 in Newark, New Jersey. Six cartons fixed in July 2026 to cover the shapes people actually post, five destinations spread across the zone ladder, and every figure a live request to the production system that prices a real order on the capture date. Three numbers ride on each rate and stay separate on this page: the cost the carrier charges us, our fee, and the checkout total a customer pays. A carrier's own retail counter price appears where the carrier publishes one. Nothing is a published tariff, nothing is modelled, and no rate is carried over from an earlier issue.
These figures are free to quote with a link back — the date matters more for prices than for most things. Earlier issues are linked from the index overview.