Moving to Montana from Arizona
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Arizona to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Arizona to Montana, you would find that Montana is 9.4% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $76,394 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arizona to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,394
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.4% less
Groceries
pay 9.9% more
Transportation
pay 5.9% less
Housing
pay 9.1% less
Childcare
pay 45.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.2% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Montana cost about 2% less than cities in Arizona.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Arizona to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Montana performs significantly better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona generally does better on infrastructure, though Montana leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though Montana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Montana performs significantly better than Arizona across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phoenix | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Arizona?
Costs in Montana and Arizona are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,098 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Arizona performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Arizona?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
