Moving to Texas from Montana
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Montana to Texas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Montana to Texas, you would find that Texas is 6.4% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $70,200 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 58°F in Helena, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Montana to Texas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $70,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Texas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 9.3% less
Groceries
pay 3.4% less
Transportation
pay 8.6% more
Housing
pay 12.9% less
Childcare
pay 4.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.1% 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 Texas cost about 8% less than cities in Montana.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Montana to Texas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in violent 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 Texas leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Montana generally does better on what about housing?, though Texas leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana generally does better on infrastructure, though Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas 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 | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) | 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) | 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Helena | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) | 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) | 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) |
| Mar | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) | 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) | 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) |
| May | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) |
| Jun | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) | 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) |
| Jul | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) | 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) | 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) |
| Sep | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) | 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) | 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) |
| Nov | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) |
| Dec | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) | 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Texas than Montana?
Yes — Texas is on average about 6% cheaper than Montana. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Texas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,550 in Texas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Texas safe?
Montana generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Texas compared to Montana?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Texas leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Texas compared to Montana?
The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.
