Moving to Michigan from Montana
What to Expect
Considering a move from Montana to Michigan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Montana to Michigan, you would find that Michigan is 8.0% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $69,000 in Michigan to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Montana and Michigan.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Michigan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 9.6% less
Groceries
pay 4.4% more
Transportation
pay 8.3% more
Housing
pay 18.6% less
Childcare
pay 0.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.1% 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.
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 Michigan cost about 8% less than cities in Montana.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Michigan compared to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana generally does better on safety, though Michigan leads in property crime rate.
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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Michigan 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
Montana generally does better on infrastructure, though Michigan leads in internet access.
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 Michigan leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Montana performs better than Michigan across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), 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 | Helena | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Helena | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) |
| Feb | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) |
| Mar | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) |
| Apr | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) |
| May | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Jul | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) |
| Aug | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) |
| Oct | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) |
| Nov | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) |
| Dec | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Michigan than Montana?
On average Michigan is about 8% less expensive than Montana, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Michigan?
Budget about $17,250 for 3 months in Michigan (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Michigan safe?
Montana generally does better on safety, though Michigan leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Michigan compared to Montana?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Michigan compared to Montana?
The average high temperature in Lansing is 58°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Lansing receives around 32.2 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.
