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Living in Montana · 2026

Is $45,000 enough to live in Montana?

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

Statewide verdict:Comfortable

Monthly take-home

$2,971

Avg monthly expenses

$2,058

Avg monthly surplus

$913

Savings potential

~31%

After-tax take-home in Montana

Gross salary$45,000
Federal income tax− $3,294
State income tax− $2,617
Social Security− $2,790
Medicare− $653
Annual take-home$35,646
Effective tax rate20.79%

How $45,000 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

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,100
Food
$418
Transport
$163
Utilities
$153
Healthcare
$186
Total: $2,020/mo
Surplus: $951/mo
Rent burden: 37.0% — High (35–50%)
Full Billings analysis →

Missoula

COL index: 0.98× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,200
Food
$440
Transport
$172
Utilities
$162
Healthcare
$196
Total: $2,170/mo
Surplus: $801/mo
Rent burden: 40.4% — High (35–50%)
Full Missoula analysis →

Great Falls

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$405
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,814/mo
Surplus: $1,157/mo
Rent burden: 32.0% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Great Falls analysis →

Bozeman

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Manageable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$475
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,713/mo
Surplus: $258/mo
Rent burden: 53.9% — 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: $1,302/mo
Rent burden: 28.6% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Butte analysis →

Helena

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$418
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,959/mo
Surplus: $1,012/mo
Rent burden: 35.3% — High (35–50%)
Full Helena analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $2,971 ($35,652/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$1,486

per month

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

$891

per month

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

$594

per month

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

Needs / year

$17,826

Wants / year

$10,696

Savings / year

$7,130

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Billings

Rent would consume 37% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 6.7/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $45,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Billings, Montana, with approximately $951/month (~32% 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). $45,000 here is roughly equivalent to $89,516 in San Francisco or $42,581 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$45,000 is slightly above the Montana individual median of $39,900 (+13%). The state household median is $68,933.

State individual median

$39,900

+13%

State household median

$68,933

-35%

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)

$45,000 vs. Montana income benchmarks

Individual median (Montana)

$39,900

+13% vs. this salary

Household median (Montana)

$68,933

-35% 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.