Moving to Montana from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to Montana, you would find that Montana is 5.3% more expensive than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $79,419 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Minnesota to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $79,419
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.4% more
Groceries
pay 1.9% more
Transportation
pay 8.8% less
Housing
pay 17.1% more
Childcare
pay 7.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.7% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota 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
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota generally does better on what about housing?, though Montana leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Minnesota?
No — Montana is on average about 6% more expensive than Minnesota. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,855 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Minnesota performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
