Moving to France from Montana

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Montana to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Montana to France, you would find that France is 2.3% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly €64,102 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Montana to France.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 €64,102

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.2% more

Groceries

pay 5.2% less

Transportation

pay 54.2% more

Housing

pay 36.6% less

Childcare

pay 49.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 5.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 USD = 0.878 EUR(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 France cost about 15% less than cities in Montana.

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to France

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

  • ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
  • ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
  • ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you

Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Montana to France, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
4,170 ↓ 31% vs 2022

people moved from United States to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

Top countries of origin for France's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Montana and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
FR
21.6%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MT
88.7%
FR
86.0%

Montana performs better than France across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MT
3.7%
FR
7.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
FR
$55,200

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

MT
76.8 yrs
FR
82.6 yrs

France performs significantly better than Montana across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsHelenaParis
Jan–Mar40°/18°F (4°/-8°C)48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun67°/41°F (19°/5°C)65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep81°/50°F (27°/10°C)74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec45°/22°F (7°/-6°C)52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
MonthHelenaParis
Jan33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C)44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C)47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C)53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C)58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C)66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C)71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C)76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C)76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C)69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C)60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C)51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C)46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter France without a visa.
France passport

France passport holder visiting United States

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

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 France than Montana?

Generally yes: France runs about 3% cheaper than Montana on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to France?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around €16,026 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

Working remotely from France's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Montana and France.

How is healthcare in France compared to Montana?

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

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

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

What language do they speak in France?

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

Share this

At a Glance

FR
Population989,41568,305,148
CurrencyUnited States Dollar ($)Euro (€)
LanguagesEnglishFrench
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+1+33
Time zones1114
Emergency number911112