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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Montana's value. And generally speaking, pretty standard for this type of city. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — worth pausing on — . Leading the pack: Billings at index 100, where median rent of $1,383/month saves renters $6,144/year ve…
120,864 residents · Montana
What does daily life actually cost in Billings? Start with the 23% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Utilities (index 92) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 103) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $71,855 and homes at $390,654 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 100, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $40K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Montana's value. And generally speaking, pretty standard for this type of city. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112 — worth pausing on — . Leading the pack: Billings at index 100, where median rent of $1,383/month saves renters $6,144/year versus the national median.
Real talk: So, Billings. Cost index of 100, rent at $1,383/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $71,855, which is below the national median. You get the picture.
It's worth mentioning — though it's outside our data model — that cities with these economics tend to attract remote workers, which can push prices up over time (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Contrast this with: The 1 cities we track in Montana paint a clearly affordable picture. Fairly typical for a city this size. 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Billings | 5.9% | 0% | 0.74% | $30,012 |
We calculate what percentage of a $40K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Billings ranks #1 in Montana for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $71,855.
Yes. On a $40K salary in Billings, rent would consume about 41% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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 $40K in Billings is approximately $30,012/year ($2,501/month). After median rent of $1,383/month, you'd have roughly $13,416/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.