A wise sage once said:
“She works hard for the money…”
And these places in Montana definitely treat her right.
You see, these are the places in Montana where the cost of living is the lowest; where your salary goes the furthest. And when if you have the luxury of choosing where to live in the Treasure State, then the cost of living should play a role in the decision.
So we did the hard for you and crunched the numbers to find the cities that have lower food, energy, and housing costs. After the dust settled on our analysis of the 57 largest places in Montana, we were left with this set of the best value for your money.
- Browning (Homes For Sale)
- Libby (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Ronan (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Eureka (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Thompson Falls (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Superior (Homes For Sale)
- Polson (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Columbia Falls (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Kalispell (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Whitefish (Photos | Homes For Sale)
So listen up Sidney (the most expensive place in Montana) as we explain how we created this ranking. You could learn some things from the rest of the state.
And if you already knew these places were cheap, check out some more reading about Montana and the cheapest places in the country:
How We Determined The Cheapest Places To Live In The Treasure State For 2018
There are basic necessities that you have to buy no matter where in the country you live. Those things include:
- Housing
- Food
- Gas
- Health Insurance
- Utilities
- Transportation
You can then compare the cost of these things in each of the places in Montana to figure out which is the least expensive.
What you are left with is a “Cost of Living Index” that normalizes to 100 for an average place in the United States.
So we used that cost of living index in order to rank all of the 57 places in Montana that have more than 5,000 people.
And just so you can better understand how the cost of living index works, 100 is the average cost of a place in the United States. A score of 90 means that the place cost 10% less than average. A score of 90 means it’s 10% less expensive.
San Francisco has a score of 243 meaning it’s almost 2.5 times as expensive as the average place in the country.
1. Browning
Population: 1,172
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 34
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Browning: Real Estate | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 2,667
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 56
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Libby: Real Estate | Data | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 2,143
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 65
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Ronan: Real Estate | Data | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 1,123
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 70
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Eureka: Real Estate | Data | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 1,174
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 71
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Thompson Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
nan
6. Superior
Population: 1,108
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 73
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Superior: Real Estate | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 4,524
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 93
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Polson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
nan
/10
Population: 4,690
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 96
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Columbia Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Columbia Falls is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,710 at the 2010 census
/10
Population: 20,016
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 98
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Kalispell: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Kalispell is a city in, and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2015 Census estimates put Kalispell’s population at 22,052. The Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 93,068 and it is the largest city and commercial center of northwest Montana. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning “flat land above the lake”. Kalispell is also the gateway to Glacier National Park.
/10
Population: 6,402
Services: 95
Groceries: 92
Health Care: 114
Housing: 129
Transportation: 93
Utilities: 81
More on Whitefish: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 6,357 at the 2010 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort.
There You Have It Mr. Or Mrs. Montana Cheapskate
If you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Montana, this is an accurate list of the cheapest places to call home.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Montana according to the data:
- Sidney
- Glendive
- Plentywood
For more Montana reading, check out:
- 10 Safest Places In Montana
- 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Montana For 2018
Detailed List Of The Cheapest Places In Montana
| Rank | City | CheapScore |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Browning | 12.75 |
| 2 | Libby | 15.0 |
| 3 | Ronan | 16.75 |
| 4 | Eureka | 17.58 |
| 5 | Thompson Falls | 17.83 |
| 6 | Superior | 18.25 |
| 7 | Polson | 20.17 |
| 8 | Columbia Falls | 20.42 |
| 9 | Kalispell | 20.67 |
| 10 | Whitefish | 21.75 |
| 11 | Chinook | 24.25 |
| 12 | Cut Bank | 24.5 |
| 13 | Malta | 24.5 |
| 14 | Walkerville | 24.83 |
| 15 | Conrad | 24.83 |
| 16 | Deer Lodge | 25.25 |
| 17 | Roundup | 25.75 |
| 18 | White Sulphur Springs | 25.92 |
| 19 | Hardin | 26.5 |
| 20 | Shelby | 26.5 |
| 21 | Choteau | 27.0 |
| 22 | Lewistown | 27.0 |
| 23 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 27.42 |
| 24 | Fort Benton | 27.58 |
| 25 | Forsyth | 27.75 |
| 26 | Havre | 28.17 |
| 27 | Whitehall | 28.17 |
| 28 | Boulder | 28.42 |
| 29 | Colstrip | 28.58 |
| 30 | Townsend | 29.42 |
| 31 | Dillon | 29.42 |
| 32 | Laurel | 29.75 |
| 33 | Great Falls | 29.92 |
| 34 | Baker | 30.0 |
| 35 | Miles City | 30.0 |
| 36 | Big Timber | 30.08 |
| 37 | Columbus | 30.25 |
| 38 | Hamilton | 30.5 |
| 39 | Three Forks | 30.5 |
| 40 | Livingston | 30.75 |
| 41 | Stevensville | 30.92 |
| 42 | East Helena | 31.08 |
| 43 | Billings | 31.33 |
| 44 | Helena | 31.83 |
| 45 | Belgrade | 32.08 |
| 46 | Red Lodge | 32.25 |
| 47 | Missoula | 32.42 |
| 48 | Manhattan | 32.58 |
| 49 | Bozeman | 32.75 |
| 50 | West Yellowstone | 33.08 |
| 51 | Poplar | 43.17 |
| 52 | Wolf Point | 43.5 |
| 53 | Scobey | 44.5 |
| 54 | Glasgow | 45.58 |
| 55 | Plentywood | 46.42 |
| 56 | Glendive | 46.42 |
| 57 | Sidney | 48.42 |
