Moving to Utah from Montana

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Montana to Utah, you would find that Utah is 6.9% cheaper than Montana. A $75,000 salary in Montana would need to be roughly $69,850 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $69,850

To maintain the same standard of living in Utah

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 10.4% less

Groceries

pay 8.8% less

Transportation

pay 27.3% more

Housing

pay 8.3% less

Childcare

pay 30.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.3% 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 Utah.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
437
UT
224
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MT
1815
UT
1576

Utah performs significantly better than Montana 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%
UT
8.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MT
31.8%
UT
32.3%

Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MT
$338,100
UT
$455,000
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MT
$1,031
UT
$1,405

Montana generally does better on what about housing?, though Utah 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%
UT
92.9%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MT
19 min
UT
22 min

Montana generally does better on infrastructure, though Utah leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MT
3.7%
UT
3.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MT
$52,945
UT
$66,207

Utah performs significantly better than Montana across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MT
23%
UT
21%

Montana generally does better on family life, though Utah leads in life expectancy.

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

Salt Lake City Rain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helena Salt Lake City
Jan–Mar 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) 87°/60°F (31°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) 51°/32°F (10°/0°C)
View all months
Month Helena Salt Lake City
Jan 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)
Feb 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)
Mar 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Apr 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)
May 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)
Jun 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)
Jul 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)
Aug 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)
Sep 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)
Nov 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)
Dec 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Montana?

Yes — Utah is on average about 7% cheaper than Montana. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Utah?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,462 in Utah on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Utah safe?

Utah performs significantly better than Montana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Utah compared to Montana?

Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.

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

The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 58°F in Helena. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Helena gets 11.2 in.

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