Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Helena, MT: $3,125 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 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
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,125

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helena, MT and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Helena, MT versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Helena, MT $3,125
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,583 in Helena, MT versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Helena, MT $4,583
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,041 in Helena, MT versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Helena, MT $6,041
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Helena, MT costs roughly 37% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helena, MT 130% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.55 $21.55

$28.55 $28.55

-24.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$118 $118

-8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.11 $18.11

$15.04 $15.04

20.41%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$6.53 $6.53

-19.75%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$3.96 $3.96

-44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.01 $3.01

-42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$8.16 $8.16

-39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$9.84 $9.84

-30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.37 $1.37

-24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.97 $4.97

-21.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$7.81 $7.81

-41.23%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$5.97 $5.97

-39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$18.91 $18.91

-4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$18.04 $18.04

-50.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.02 $20.02

$19.05 $19.05

5.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$6.76 $6.76

-30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.27 $2.27

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$6.83 $6.83

-32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$7.09 $7.09

-41.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.22 $4.22

-48.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$4.65 $4.65

-68.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.87 $2.87

-40.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.60 $2.60

-38.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 $10.45

$18.77 $18.77

-44.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 $12.98

$20.13 $20.13

-35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.45 $3.45

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.02 $4.02

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.91 $2.91

21.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$139 $139

-56.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$3.08 $3.08

228.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.12 $2.12

65.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.22 $44.22

$41.96 $41.96

5.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.17 $1.17

-16.24%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$34.5K $34.5K

2.81%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

16.10%

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

$375 $375

$219 $219

70.80%

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

$68.2 $68.2

$74.2 $74.2

-8.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.2 $70.2

21.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$112 $112

-53.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 $15.28

$74.9 $74.9

-79.59%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$22.14 $22.14

-45.30%

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

$1,930 $1,930

$3,558 $3,558

-45.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$62.2K $62.2K

-55.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$75.6 $75.6

-13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$51.2 $51.2

133.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$123 $123

-33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$140 $140

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$4,499 $4,499

-60.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$3,078 $3,078

-50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$9,447 $9,447

-69.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$5,190 $5,190

-50.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 $3,528

$18.1K $18.1K

-80.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,009 $3,009

$6,693 $6,693

-55.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,363 $6,363

$5,220 $5,220

21.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.86

-5.10%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: October 25, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.4%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 104% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$528 16.9%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 31.1% $164

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$389 12.4%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 44.9% $174

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$344 11%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 28% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$176 5.6%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 0.1% $0.2

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$102 3.3%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 61.6% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 106% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,768 in Helena, MT and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $109 in Helena, MT vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $563 per month, with Helena, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

2 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Helena, MT New York, NY 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,125 in Helena, MT and $4,941 in New York, NY, so Helena, MT is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,930 in Helena, MT versus $3,558 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Helena, MT 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.

Expats usually find Helena, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.