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Living in Montana · 2026

Is $300,000 enough to live in Montana?

Single adult · MT · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$16,295

Avg monthly expenses

$2,058

Avg monthly surplus

$14,237

Savings potential

~87%

After-tax take-home in Montana

Gross salary$300,000
Federal income tax− $68,172
State income tax− $19,830
Social Security− $11,203
Medicare− $5,250
Annual take-home$195,545
Effective tax rate34.82%

How $300,000 feels in Montana cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Billings

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $14,275/mo
Rent burden: 6.8% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Billings analysis →

Missoula

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$440
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,170/mo
Surplus: $14,125/mo
Rent burden: 7.4% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Missoula analysis →

Great Falls

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$405
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,814/mo
Surplus: $14,481/mo
Rent burden: 5.8% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Great Falls analysis →

Bozeman

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$475
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,713/mo
Surplus: $13,582/mo
Rent burden: 9.8% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Bozeman analysis →

Butte

COL index: 0.80× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$850
Food
$387
Transport
$140
Utilities
$132
Healthcare
$160
Total: $1,669/mo
Surplus: $14,626/mo
Rent burden: 5.2% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Butte analysis →

Helena

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$418
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,959/mo
Surplus: $14,336/mo
Rent burden: 6.4% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Helena analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $16,295 ($195,540/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$8,148

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$4,889

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$3,259

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$97,770

Wants / year

$58,662

Savings / year

$39,108

Salary Intelligence

Excellent salary in Billings

At $300,000, housing costs only 7% of take-home income — well below the 25% threshold. This leaves strong room for savings, discretionary spending, and wealth building.

Lifestyle score: 8.7/10 (Excellent)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $300,000 salary comfortably supports a excellent single lifestyle in Billings, Montana, with approximately $14,275/month (~88% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Billings is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.93). $300,000 here is roughly equivalent to $596,774 in San Francisco or $283,871 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$300,000 is 652% above the Montana individual median of $39,900 and 436% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$39,900

+652%

State household median

$68,933

+335%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$300,000 vs. Montana income benchmarks

Individual median (Montana)

$39,900

+652% vs. this salary

Household median (Montana)

$68,933

+335% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Montana

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.