Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,125 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,125

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helena, MT and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Helena, MT and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Helena, MT versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Helena, MT $3,125
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,583 in Helena, MT versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Helena, MT $4,583
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,041 in Helena, MT versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Helena, MT $6,041
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Helena, MT is roughly 20% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helena, MT 130% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.55 $21.55

$20.35 $20.35

5.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$84.7 $84.7

28.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.11 $18.11

$12.12 $12.12

49.42%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.65 $5.65

-7.26%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.68 $3.68

-39.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.36 $2.36

-26.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$7.87 $7.87

-36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.82 $8.82

-22.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.14 $1.14

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.69 $3.69

5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.31 $3.31

38.67%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.15 $4.15

-13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$12.98 $12.98

39.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$13.86 $13.86

-36.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.02 $20.02

$16.34 $16.34

22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.69 $4.69

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.45 $1.45

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.11 $5.11

-9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.52 $4.52

-8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.08 $3.08

-29.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.38 $2.38

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.80 $1.80

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.22 $2.22

-27.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 $10.45

$9.97 $9.97

4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.05 $15.05

-13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.91 $2.91

-40.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.33 $3.33

-22.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.22 $1.22

189.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$40.53 $40.53

47.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.78 $2.78

264.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.65 $1.65

112.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.22 $44.22

$35.39 $35.39

24.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.95 $0.95

3.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K $35.4K

$34.2K $34.2K

3.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

12.14%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$375 $375

$223 $223

68.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$58.5 $58.5

16.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$71.2 $71.2

19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$53.0 $53.0

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 $15.28

$16.75 $16.75

-8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$14.06 $14.06

-13.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,930 $1,930

$1,459 $1,459

32.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$52.5 $52.5

24.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$42.75 $42.75

179.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$86.4 $86.4

-5.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$104 $104

19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$2,112 $2,112

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,230 $1,230

22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$3,863 $3,863

-26.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,407 $2,407

5.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 $3,528

$7,426 $7,426

-52.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,009 $3,009

$3,060 $3,060

-1.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,363 $6,363

$5,179 $5,179

22.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.82

-4.55%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Helena, MT: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 18.6% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$528 16.9%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 33.2% $176

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$389 12.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.4% $21

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$344 11%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 1.3% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$176 5.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 26.9% $47

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$102 3.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 44.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,768 in Helena, MT and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in Helena, MT vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $410, with Helena, MT cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

1 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helena, MT Austin, TX 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Helena, MT vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Helena, MT. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Helena, MT, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,768 in Helena, MT versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,125 per month in Helena, MT versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in Helena, MT. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Helena, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.