Moving to Montana from France

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from France to Montana, you would find that Montana is 25.1% more expensive than France overall. A €65,850 salary in France would need to be roughly $77,045 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,850 $77,045

To maintain the same standard of living in Montana

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 0.7% more

Groceries

pay 17.1% more

Transportation

pay 29.9% less

Housing

pay 80.4% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 EUR = 1.14 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 18% more than cities in France.

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Montana

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
4,650 ↓ 4% vs 2022

people moved from France 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 France to Montana.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rateThe World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

FR
21.6%
MT
31.8%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessThe World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

FR
86.0%
MT
88.7%

Montana performs significantly better than France across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FR
7.3%
MT
3.7%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

FR
$55,200
MT
$52,945

Montana generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

FR
82.6 yrs
MT
76.8 yrs

France 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.

ParisRain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60°/47°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsParisHelena
Jan–Mar48°/38°F (9°/3°C)40°/18°F (4°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun65°/50°F (18°/10°C)67°/41°F (19°/5°C)
Jul–Sep74°/58°F (23°/14°C)81°/50°F (27°/10°C)
Oct–Dec52°/43°F (11°/6°C)45°/22°F (7°/-6°C)
View all months
MonthParisHelena
Jan44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C)
Feb47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C)
Mar53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C)
Apr58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C)
May66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C)
Jun71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C)
Jul76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C)
Aug76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C)
Sep69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C)
Oct60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C)
Nov51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C)
Dec46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C)

Data: Météo-France Météo-France, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between France 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.

France passport

France passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
France passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter France 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 France?

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

How much money do I need to move to Montana?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,261 in Montana on a €65,850 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 France?

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

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

The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.

What language do they speak in Montana?

The official language in Montana is English. In France, the official language is French.

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At a Glance

FR
Population68,305,148989,415
CurrencyEuro (€)United States Dollar ($)
LanguagesFrenchEnglish
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+33+1
Time zones1411
Emergency number112911