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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dive into Billings's numbers: cost index 100 (12 points below national average), rent $1,383/month, income $71,855, and a home price of $390,654. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 92, while Healthcare runs 103. With 120,864 residents, it balances mid-size cit…
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 100, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dive into Billings's numbers: cost index 100 (12 points below national average), rent $1,383/month, income $71,855, and a home price of $390,654. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 92, while Healthcare runs 103. With 120,864 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
On a $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Billings ($1,383/mo, 17%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $69,397 to $69,397/year across these top picks. An outlier in the best sense.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Montana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. And from what we can tell, billings stands out at 100 on the index, with rent of $1,383/month and household income of $71,855. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
Still, the overall picture holds: The 1 cities we track in Montana paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 100. Median rent: $1,383/month. Household income: $71,855. Montana is known for Big Sky country with an inflating housing bubble — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
Bottom line: Billings leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
120,864 residents · Montana
A closer look at Billings: the cost index of 100 breaks down to a Utilities index of 92 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 103 (weakest). Median rent is $1,383/month — 27% below the national median — while household income sits at $71,855, meaning locals spend about 23% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Billings | 5.9% | 0% | 0.74% | $69,397 |
Billings ranks #1 in Montana for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $71,855.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Billings, rent would consume about 17% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Billings is $1,383/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $512 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 5.9% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Billings is approximately $69,397/year ($5,783/month). After median rent of $1,383/month, you'd have roughly $52,801/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Billings is $390,654, which is 5.4× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Montana has a 5.9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 0%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.74%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.