Moving to Montana from New Zealand
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Zealand to Montana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Zealand to Montana, you would find that Montana is 29.9% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$128,326 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly $85,556 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between New Zealand and Montana.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$128,326 → $85,556
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 22.4% more
Groceries
pay 34.6% more
Transportation
pay 18.8% less
Housing
pay 56.5% more
Childcare
pay 95.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.7% 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.
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 Montana cost about 38% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from New Zealand to Montana.
people moved from New Zealand to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
93.49,640
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Montana compared to New Zealand.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
New Zealand performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New Zealand 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
Montana performs significantly better than New Zealand across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
New Zealand performs better than Montana across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than New Zealand?
On average Montana is around 14% pricier than New Zealand, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Budget about $21,389 for 3 months in Montana (based on a NZ$128,326 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Montana?
From major Montana cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in New Zealand and Montana are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Montana?
The official language in Montana is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
