Moving to Montana from New Mexico
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Mexico to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Mexico to Montana, you would find that Montana is 9.9% more expensive than New Mexico. A $75,000 salary in New Mexico would need to be roughly $79,657 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Mexico to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $79,657
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 11.0% more
Groceries
pay 3.2% more
Transportation
pay 8.4% more
Housing
pay 14.8% more
Childcare
pay 19.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.9% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Mexico to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Montana performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
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 performs significantly better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Mexico generally does better on what about housing?, though Montana leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana performs significantly better than New Mexico 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
Montana generally does better on employment & economy, though New Mexico 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 significantly better than New Mexico 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Santa Fe | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/22°F (9°/-5°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/43°F (23°/6°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/53°F (28°/12°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/28°F (12°/-2°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Santa Fe | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°/19°F (5.9°/-7.4°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 47°/21°F (8.3°/-6.2°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 54°/27°F (12.3°/-2.6°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 63°/33°F (17.4°/0.6°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.3°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/52°F (28.3°/11.2°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 85°/56°F (29.6°/13.4°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 83°/55°F (28.1°/12.8°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/9.1°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 65°/38°F (18.6°/3.1°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 53°/28°F (11.6°/-2.5°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 43°/19°F (6.2°/-7.4°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than New Mexico?
No — Montana is on average about 6% more expensive than New Mexico. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,914 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Montana performs significantly better than New Mexico across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to New Mexico?
Montana performs significantly better than New Mexico across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to New Mexico?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 64°F in Santa Fe. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Santa Fe gets 15.7 in.
