Moving to Montana from Missouri
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Missouri to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Missouri to Montana, you would find that Montana is 16.1% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $87,981 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Missouri to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $87,981
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.5% more
Groceries
pay 8.2% more
Transportation
pay 7.3% less
Housing
pay 24.1% more
Childcare
pay 30.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.0% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Missouri to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana performs significantly better than Missouri 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 Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri generally does better on what about housing?, though Montana leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana performs significantly better than Missouri 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
Missouri generally does better on employment & economy, though Montana leads in median household income.
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 Missouri 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 | Columbia | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Missouri?
No — Montana is on average about 17% more expensive than Missouri. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,995 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Montana performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Missouri?
Montana performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Missouri?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
