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Living in Montana · 2026

Is $32,000 enough to live in Montana?

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

Statewide verdict:Manageable

Monthly take-home

$2,173

Avg monthly expenses

$2,058

Avg monthly surplus

$115

Savings potential

~5%

After-tax take-home in Montana

Gross salary$32,000
Federal income tax− $1,734
State income tax− $1,740
Social Security− $1,984
Medicare− $464
Annual take-home$26,078
Effective tax rate18.51%

How $32,000 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

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $153/mo
Rent burden: 50.6% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Billings analysis →

Missoula

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$440
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,170/mo
Surplus: $3/mo
Rent burden: 55.2% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Missoula analysis →

Great Falls

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$405
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,814/mo
Surplus: $359/mo
Rent burden: 43.7% — High (35–50%)
Full Great Falls analysis →

Bozeman

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Not recommended
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$475
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,713/mo
Surplus: $-540/mo
Rent burden: 73.6% — Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Bozeman analysis →

Butte

COL index: 0.80× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$850
Food
$387
Transport
$140
Utilities
$132
Healthcare
$160
Total: $1,669/mo
Surplus: $504/mo
Rent burden: 39.1% — High (35–50%)
Full Butte analysis →

Helena

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$418
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,959/mo
Surplus: $214/mo
Rent burden: 48.3% — High (35–50%)
Full Helena analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $2,173 ($26,076/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,087

per month

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

$652

per month

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

$435

per month

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

Needs / year

$13,038

Wants / year

$7,823

Savings / year

$5,215

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Billings

Rent alone would take 51% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $44,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 3.5/10 (Challenging)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $32,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Billings, Montana, but leaves little room for savings (~7% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated challenging, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.

Purchasing Power

Billings is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.93). $32,000 here is roughly equivalent to $63,656 in San Francisco or $30,280 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$32,000 is 20% below the Montana individual median of $39,900. Consider negotiating a higher salary or exploring higher-paying roles in this state.

State individual median

$39,900

-20%

State household median

$68,933

-54%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA — Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$32,000 vs. Montana income benchmarks

Individual median (Montana)

$39,900

-20% vs. this salary

Household median (Montana)

$68,933

-54% 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.