Moving to Montana from Texas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Texas to Montana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Texas to Montana, you would find that Montana is 8.0% more expensive than Texas. A $75,000 salary in Texas would need to be roughly $81,399 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 79°F in Austin, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Texas and Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $81,399
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.7% more
Groceries
pay 11.9% more
Transportation
pay 8.1% less
Housing
pay 6.2% more
Childcare
pay 18.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.4% 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 7% more than cities in Texas.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Montana compared to Texas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Texas 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
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
Texas generally does better on infrastructure, though Montana leads in average commute.
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
Texas generally does better on employment & economy, though Montana leads in unemployment rate.
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 Texas 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 | Austin | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Austin | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Texas?
On average Montana is around 9% pricier than Texas, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Budget about $20,350 for 3 months in Montana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Montana safe?
Texas generally does better on safety, though Montana leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Texas?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Texas leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Texas?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 79°F in Austin. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Austin gets 36.2 in.
