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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Montana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 100, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in Montana beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. 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 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The #1 spot goes to Billings, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,383/month — saving renters $6,144 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 92, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 103. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Now, stack that against what people actually earn here: State context matters: Montana's 1 cities average a 100 cost index with $1,383/month median rent and $71,855 household income. Big Sky country with an inflating housing bubble. Compare the top 3 — the spread is tighter than you'd expect.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers. The math checks out.
120,864 residents · Montana
The numbers for Billings are straightforward: 100 on the cost index, $1,383/month rent, $71,855 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That tracks (that's pre-tax, of course).
Billings ranks #1 in Montana for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $71,855.
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.
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.