Moving to Montana from Canada

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Canada to Montana, you would find that Montana is 25.1% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,459 salary in Canada would need to be roughly $77,598 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Montana.

What does your salary buy?

CA$106,459 $77,598

To maintain the same standard of living in Montana

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 20.5% more

Groceries

pay 14.4% more

Transportation

pay 8.7% less

Housing

pay 25.5% more

Childcare

pay 95.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 CAD = 0.7045 USD(June 2026)

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 16% more than cities in Canada.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Canada to Montana, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
19,010 ↓ 2% vs 2022

people moved from Canada to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Montana.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rateThe World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CA
29.4%
MT
31.8%

Canada performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessThe World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CA
93.0%
MT
88.7%

Canada performs better than Montana across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CA
5.4%
MT
3.7%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CA
$55,800
MT
$52,945

Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Montana leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CA
83.8 yrs
MT
76.8 yrs

Canada performs better than Montana across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

OttawaRain: 37.1 in/yr (943 mm)
52°/34°F

Avg. annual high / low

HelenaRain: 11.2 in/yr (285 mm)
58°/33°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsOttawaHelena
Jan–Mar27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)40°/18°F (4°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun64°/45°F (18°/7°C)67°/41°F (19°/5°C)
Jul–Sep75°/55°F (24°/13°C)81°/50°F (27°/10°C)
Oct–Dec41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)45°/22°F (7°/-6°C)
View all months
MonthOttawaHelena
Jan21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C)
Feb25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C)
Mar36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C)
Apr51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C)
May66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C)
Jun75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C)
Jul80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C)
Aug77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C)
Sep67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C)
Oct54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C)
Nov41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C)
Dec27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C)

Data: Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Canada passport

Canada passport holder visiting United States

Visa Free
Canada passport holders can enter United States without a visa.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Canada

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Canada without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Canada?

No — Montana is on average about 3% more expensive than Canada. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Montana?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,400 in Montana on a CA$106,459 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Montana?

Usually fine from major cities in Montana. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Montana compared to Canada?

Canada performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Montana compared to Canada?

The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.

What language do they speak in Montana?

The official language in Montana is English. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.

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At a Glance

CA
Population38,232,593989,415
CurrencyCanadian Dollar (CA$)United States Dollar ($)
LanguagesEnglish, FrenchEnglish
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+1+1
Time zones611
Emergency number911911