Moving to Montana from Utah
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Utah to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Utah to Montana, you would find that Montana is 13.6% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $80,529 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Utah to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,529
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.3% more
Groceries
pay 11.2% more
Transportation
pay 9.5% less
Housing
pay 9.5% more
Childcare
pay 46.1% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Utah to Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs better than Montana 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah 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 Utah leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah 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
Utah 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
Utah 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 | Salt Lake City | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salt Lake City | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than Utah?
No — Montana is on average about 7% more expensive than Utah. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,132 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
Utah performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Utah?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Utah?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.
