Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Montana's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Billings at index 81, where median rent of $1,383/month saves renters $6,144/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Billings — cost index 81, rent $1,383/mo, income $71,855
0 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Billings | 5.9% | 0% | 0.74% | $37,172 |
Dollar for dollar, few states match Montana's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Billings at index 81, where median rent of $1,383/month saves renters $6,144/year versus the national median.
Dive into Billings's numbers: cost index 81 (30 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 — Housing is the cheapest category at 81, while Healthcare runs 96. With 120,864 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
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.
120,864 residents · Montana
The #1 spot goes to Billings, and the breakdown explains why. And most of the time, renters here pay $1,383/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $6,144 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 81, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. At a 23% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
We model what a $50K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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 81 and median income of $71,855.
Yes. On a $50K salary in Billings, rent would consume about 33% 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 $50K in Billings is approximately $37,172/year ($3,098/month). After median rent of $1,383/month, you'd have roughly $20,576/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.