In this guide
We rent both, so we get asked this a lot: is a shipping container better value than a storage unit? The honest answer is that it depends on how much you're storing, and anyone who tells you containers are always cheaper hasn't done the division. This guide compares container vs storage unit properly, with the numbers side by side, so you can see where each one wins.
What you're actually renting
A storage unit is a lockable room inside our building, rented by the square foot. You get a fixed floor area, and the rate depends on things like the floor it's on and how often you need access.
A container is a standard steel shipping container on our site, rented whole at a flat monthly price. Nobody else's goods share it, it's sealed when you're not there, and you can pack it from wall to wall and floor to roof.
That last point is bigger than it sounds. In a unit you leave a walkway so you can reach the back. In a container you usually don't, because you're storing a full load for a long stay rather than dipping in every week.
The sizes side by side
| Option | Floor area | Typically holds | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 15 unit | 150 sq ft | A two bedroom house | PKR 30,000 to 37,500 |
| 20 ft container | 149 sq ft inside | A two bedroom house with room to spare | PKR 30,000 |
| 10 x 20 unit | 200 sq ft | A three bedroom house | PKR 40,000 to 50,000 |
| 40 ft container | 304 sq ft inside | A four or five bedroom house, or a shop's stock | PKR 50,000 |
Container floor areas are the usable inside dimensions, not the outside size they're named after. That's the figure that matters, and it's the first thing a careful customer measures.
Container vs storage unit: the cost per square foot
To compare fairly, divide each monthly price by the floor area. Units sit in a band of PKR 200 to 250 per sq ft a month. Here's where each container lands against that band.
Two things jump out.
The 20 ft container comes out at PKR 201 per square foot. That's inside the unit band, level with the cheapest unit rather than below it. So you don't take a 20 ft container to save money per foot. You take it because you want a sealed box that's entirely yours, or because your load fits it better than any unit.
The 40 ft container comes out at PKR 164 per square foot, which is below the bottom of the unit band. At that size, bulk genuinely is cheaper per square foot than renting a unit.
Where the 20 ft container still wins
Per square foot it's a draw, but per load it can be the cheaper choice. Because you can pack a container to the roof without a walkway, it holds more than its floor area suggests. Our storage calculator rates a 20 ft container at roughly the volume of a 10 x 15 unit and a bit more.
So picture a load that's just too big for a 10 x 15. The obvious next step is a 10 x 20 at PKR 40,000 to 50,000 a month. But that same load usually fits in a 20 ft container at PKR 30,000. That's a real saving for exactly the same things, and the calculator points it out when it applies.
Access: the trade you make with a container
A container packed to the roof is brilliant value and awkward to dip into. If you want a single box from the back, someone has to unload the front. So think about how you'll use it.
- Long stays where you rarely need anything, like a family moving abroad, suit a container very well.
- Businesses pulling stock every week usually do better with a unit and a proper walkway.
- A mix of both can work too: a container for the furniture, and a small unit for the boxes you'll want during the stay.
Either way, we ask for 48 hours notice before a visit, and every visit includes an hour on site.
Security and condition
Both are secure. Units are separate and lockable inside a building with cameras on the doors around the clock and a guard on site overnight. Containers are sealed steel boxes on the same guarded site. Neither is climate controlled, and both need the same care with damp and packing that we describe in our guide to protecting furniture from humidity.
Questions people ask before choosing
Is a container more secure than a unit?
Both are secure in different ways. A container is a single sealed steel box that only you open. A unit is a lockable room inside a guarded building. Neither is shared with another customer's goods. Choose on size and access rather than on security, because both are properly protected.
Can I visit a container as easily as a unit?
You can visit both with 48 hours notice. The difference is what you find when the doors open. A unit with a walkway lets you reach anything. A container packed to the roof means unloading the front to reach the back, so plan what goes in last.
Does a container get hot in summer?
Steel does warm up in a Pakistani summer. Furniture, appliances and boxed household goods handle it well. Candles, wax, old photographs and instruments are more sensitive and are better in a unit, or better still kept at home.
Can I switch from a unit to a container later?
Yes, if one is available. If your storage grows past what a unit holds, a move to a container is often the cheaper way to keep everything together.
So which should you choose?
Start with what you're storing, not with the format. Put your list into the calculator and look at what it recommends. If it suggests a unit and mentions that a container would be cheaper for your load, that's worth taking seriously. If you're storing an entire large house, the 40 ft container is very hard to beat.
The full figures for every size are on our prices page. For more on sizing, see what size storage unit do I need, or just send us your list and we'll tell you which option costs less for your things.
Ready when you are
Your own locked unit from PKR 5,000 a month
Tell us roughly what you're storing and we'll send back the unit size and the monthly price. 1 month minimum, then month by month. No visit needed.
Get a price for your storage
It takes about a minute. We reply with the unit and the monthly figure, usually the same day.
