Moving to Montana from Mexico
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Mexico to Montana — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Mexico to Montana, you would find that Montana is 84.0% more expensive than Mexico overall. A MX$1,400,000 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly $140,000 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 74°F in Mexico City, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Mexico to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,400,000 → $140,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 71.1% more
Groceries
pay 35.5% more
Transportation
pay 7.5% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 4.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 87.6% 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 66% more than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Mexico to Montana, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Mexico to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
-
1.10,853,105
Mexico
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
How Mexico and Montana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Montana performs significantly better than Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Montana performs significantly better than Mexico across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Montana generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Montana performs significantly better than Mexico across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mexico City | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico 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.
Mexico passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Mexico
Visa FreeData: 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 Mexico?
Day-to-day costs in Montana run about 84% higher than Mexico on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a MX$1,400,000 comparable salary, that's around $35,000 in Montana for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Montana?
Working remotely from Montana's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Mexico and Montana.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Mexico?
Montana performs significantly better than Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Montana?
The official language in Montana is English. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.
