Moving to Montana from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to Montana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to Montana, you would find that Montana is 11.3% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $62,550 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,550
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.0% less
Groceries
pay 9.5% less
Transportation
pay 22.2% less
Housing
pay 17.5% less
Childcare
pay 18.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.7% less
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 24% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Montana compared to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana performs significantly better than California 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
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in diabetes 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 California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California 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
California 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
California performs better than Montana 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 | Sacramento | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than California?
On average Montana is about 17% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Budget about $15,638 for 3 months in Montana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Montana safe?
Montana performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in diabetes rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to California?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
