26 towns · 56 counties · every number sourced and dated
What it costs to live in Montana, town by town
A single adult renting their own 1-bedroom needs about $36,000 a year before taxes in Lewistown and about $60,300 in Bozeman, at 2026 asking rents, after federal and Montana taxes and saving 10%. Run your own numbers.
- 0%State sales taxMontana, 2026. Resort towns add 3% or 4% (Montana DOR).Sales and resort tax
- 5.65%Top income tax rateMontana, tax year 2026; 4.7% below $47,500 of taxable income. 5.4% top rate in 2027.Income tax
- $10.85Minimum wage, per hourMontana, 2026; $11.20 from Jan. 1, 2027 (Montana DLI).Minimum wage
- 0.76%Homestead tax rateOn the first $378,000 of a lived-in home’s value, before local mills, 2026 (Montana DOR).Property tax
- $4.36Gas, per gallonMontana average, regular, Oct. 29, 2026 (AAA).Driving costs
Pick a region
Not on the list? See rent, home values and income for all 56 counties.
Income needed to rent your own 1-bedroom, 2026
| Town | Average 1-bedroom asking rent, per month | Pre-tax income needed, per year |
|---|---|---|
| Lewistown | $560 | $35,996 |
| Miles City | $637 | $37,312 |
| Havre | $793 | $40,255 |
| Butte | $972 | $43,527 |
| Billings | $1,130 | $46,744 |
| Great Falls | $1,198 | $47,457 |
| Missoula | $1,313 | $49,760 |
| Kalispell | $1,386 | $50,089 |
| Helena | $1,393 | $51,222 |
| Whitefish | $1,549 | $53,068 |
| Bozeman | $1,891 | $60,325 |
Our calculation for a single adult with a paid-off car, typical utilities, groceries, health insurance and a phone, saving 10% of pay, after 2026 federal income, Montana income and payroll taxes. Rents are averages of current listing sites (2026); sources are on each town page. See all 26 towns in the cost index.
Tools
Start here
- How much you need to live in Montana
- Your first 60 days: moving costs checklist
- Utility bills and winter heating
- What jobs pay, by area
Numbers that are out of date online
- 5.9% top income tax rate: it’s 5.65% for 2026 and 5.4% for 2027.
- $10.55 minimum wage: that was 2025. It’s $10.85 now and $11.20 in 2027.
- Property tax the same for every home: since 2026, homes you live in pay a much lower rate than second homes.
How we check
We use the agency that sets a price whenever there is one, show competing sources side by side when they disagree, and date every page. Read our methodology.