A motion vector estimation method of a motion vector estimation apparatus are provided. The motion vector estimation method of the motion vector estimation apparatus includes: determining a motion vector of a current block by setting, in another frame, a local search area for searching a plurality of reference pixel blocks corresponding to the current block which is one of pixel blocks in a single frame; and finally determining one of the determined motion vector and a previous motion vector referred to in order to determine the local search area as a motion vector of the current block, based on sum of absolution difference (SAD) values of the reference pixel blocks included in the local search area.