Moving to Montana from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to Montana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to Montana, you would find that Montana is 28.2% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $91,599 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $91,599
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 28.2% more
Groceries
pay 18.1% more
Transportation
pay 4.1% more
Housing
pay 26.4% more
Childcare
pay 66.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.8% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Montana compared to Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi 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
Montana performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi performs better than Montana across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana performs significantly better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Montana generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Montana performs significantly better than Mississippi 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 | Jackson | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Mississippi?
On average Montana is around 22% pricier than Mississippi, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Budget about $22,900 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?
Mississippi performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Mississippi?
Montana performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
