Moving to Montana from Nebraska
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Nebraska to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Nebraska to Montana, you would find that Montana is 10.3% more expensive than Nebraska. A $75,000 salary in Nebraska would need to be roughly $81,810 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Nebraska to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $81,810
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 7.0% more
Groceries
pay 7.9% more
Transportation
pay 4.0% less
Housing
pay 18.5% more
Childcare
pay 22.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.1% more
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 Nebraska to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Nebraska generally does better on safety, though Montana 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
Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in adult obesity 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 Nebraska leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Nebraska performs better than Montana across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Nebraska performs better than Montana across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Nebraska generally does better on family life, though Montana leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lincoln | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lincoln | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Nebraska?
No — Montana is on average about 9% more expensive than Nebraska. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,452 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Nebraska generally does better on safety, though Montana leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Nebraska?
Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montana leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Nebraska?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 63°F in Lincoln. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Lincoln gets 28.9 in.
