Last checked October 30, 2026.
Montana Cost of Living (montanacostofliving.com) publishes sourced, dated cost figures for 26 Montana towns and all 56 counties; you’re welcome to quote them with a link to the page the figure came from and its “last checked” date.
How to cite this site
Credit “Montana Cost of Living (montanacostofliving.com)”, link to the specific page, and include the date shown on it. Figures we take from agencies and data providers link to the original source on each page; figures labeled “our calculation” are ours, and the method is on the methodology page.
Key figures
| Figure | Value | Original source and date | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-tax income a single adult needs to rent their own 1-bedroom, Montana towns, at current asking rents | About $36,000 (Lewistown) to $60,300 (Bozeman) a year | Our calculation, 2026 rents and taxes | How much to live in Montana; Cost index |
| Same, larger towns | $46,744 (Billings), $47,457 (Great Falls), $49,760 (Missoula), $50,089 (Kalispell), $51,222 (Helena), $60,325 (Bozeman) | Our calculation, 2026 | Towns and regions |
| Montana income tax rates, tax year 2026 | 4.7% up to $47,500 of taxable income (single); 5.65% above | Montana Department of Revenue | Income tax |
| Montana top income tax rate, 2027 | 5.4% | Montana Department of Revenue | Income tax |
| Montana sales tax | 0%; local resort taxes of 3% or 4% in a few communities | Montana Department of Revenue; town sources, 2026 | Sales and resort tax |
| Minimum wage, Montana | $10.85 an hour (2026); $11.20 from January 1, 2027 | Montana Department of Labor and Industry | Minimum wage |
| Homestead property tax rate, Montana, 2026 | 0.76% of the first $378,000 of market value, before local mill levies; second homes 1.9% | Montana Department of Revenue | Property tax |
| Median home sale price, Montana towns we track, June to September 2026 | About $337,000 (Laurel) to $1.9 million (Big Sky); $389,900 Billings, $649,570 Bozeman | Redfin | Buying a home |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate used in our payment examples | 7.24% (U.S. average, October 29, 2026) | Freddie Mac PMMS | Buying a home; Rent vs. buy |
| Homeowners insurance, Montana, typical annual premium | About $2,400 to $3,100 (2026 estimates) | NerdWallet, Insurify | Insurance |
| Median wage, all jobs, Montana | $48,740 a year (May 2025) | BLS OEWS via Montana DLI | Wages |
| Households with a broadband subscription, Montana | 89.4% (2020–2024) | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS table B28002 | Internet and phone |
| Workers who worked from home, Montana | 12.5% (2020–2024) | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS table B08301 | Remote work |
| Overall price level, Montana vs. U.S. | 94.6 (U.S. = 100), 2024; housing (rents) 84.6 | BEA Regional Price Parities, released Feb 2026 | How much to live in Montana |
| Homestead property tax, median Billings home ($389,900) | About $2,197 a year (737.18 mills, 2026 tax year) | Montana DOR rates; Yellowstone County levy sheet | Property tax |
| Gas, regular, Montana average | $4.36 a gallon (October 29, 2026) | AAA | Driving costs |
What “income needed” means
It is the gross salary a single adult with no children needs to pay rent and typical utilities, a paid-off car, groceries, health insurance, a phone and modest extras, pay 2026 federal and Montana income taxes and payroll taxes, and save 10% of pay. It is our own calculation, not an official statistic. Where current listing rents aren’t available, towns are shown on the Census rent basis instead, which runs lower; the two bases shouldn’t be compared directly.
How often figures change
We recheck mortgage rates weekly, gas prices weekly, and listing rents on a rotating schedule, and update tax and wage figures when the state publishes new rates. Each page’s “last checked” date shows when its figures were last verified.