Moving to Missouri from Montana

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Montana to Missouri — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Montana to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 6.4% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $63,934 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Montana to Missouri.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $63,934

To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 11.6% less

Groceries

pay 3.0% less

Transportation

pay 40.5% more

Housing

pay 17.8% less

Childcare

pay 22.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 13.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Montana to Missouri.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
MO
453
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
MO
2070

Montana performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MT
8.0%
MO
8.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
MO
37.5%

Montana performs better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MT
$338,100
MO
$215,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
MO
$996

Missouri generally does better on what about housing?, though Montana leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MT
88.7%
MO
88.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
MO
24 min

Montana performs better than Missouri across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MT
3.7%
MO
3.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
MO
$56,344

Montana generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MT
76.8 yrs
MO
75.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MT
23%
MO
22%

Montana performs 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Columbia
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Helena Columbia
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Montana?

Yes — Missouri is on average about 15% cheaper than Montana. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Missouri?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,984 in Missouri on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Missouri safe?

Montana performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Montana?

Montana performs better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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