Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Philadelphia, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA: $2,823 a month against $3,125 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Helena, MT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

151

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia, PA Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,125

/mo nomad

Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helena, MT and in Philadelphia, PA

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 Philadelphia, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Helena, MT versus $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA.

Helena, MT $3,125
Philadelphia, PA $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,583 in Helena, MT versus $4,218 in Philadelphia, PA.

Helena, MT $4,583
Philadelphia, PA $4,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,041 in Helena, MT versus $5,612 in Philadelphia, PA.

Helena, MT $6,041
Philadelphia, PA $5,612

Living in Helena, MT is roughly 11% more expensive than in Philadelphia, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helena, MT 130% above, Philadelphia, PA 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.55 $21.55

$23.40 $23.40

-7.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$85.0 $85.0

27.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.11 $18.11

$12.73 $12.73

42.26%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.32 $5.32

-1.50%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$3.00 $3.00

-26.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.23 $2.23

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.83 $5.83

-14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.14 $8.14

-16.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.45 $1.45

-28.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.34 $4.34

-10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$7.04 $7.04

-34.80%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.93 $4.93

-27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$11.93 $11.93

51.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$12.45 $12.45

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.02 $20.02

$17.21 $17.21

16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$5.59 $5.59

-16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.60 $1.60

8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.56 $5.56

-17.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.57 $5.57

-25.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.88 $2.88

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.18 $3.18

-53.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.57 $2.57

-33.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.53 $2.53

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 $10.45

$12.03 $12.03

-13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.25 $15.25

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.33 $2.33

-25.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.37 $4.37

-40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.98 $2.98

18.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$117 $117

-48.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.83 $2.83

257.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.58 $1.58

122.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.22 $44.22

$23.53 $23.53

87.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.10 $1.10

-10.91%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$31.8K $31.8K

11.46%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

15.03%

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

$375 $375

$224 $224

67.58%

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

$68.2 $68.2

$64.9 $64.9

5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$67.5 $67.5

26.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$71.1 $71.1

-27.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 $15.28

$88.9 $88.9

-82.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$15.13 $15.13

-19.96%

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

$1,930 $1,930

$2,117 $2,117

-8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$41.8K $41.8K

-33.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$50.2 $50.2

29.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$43.91 $43.91

172.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$103 $103

-20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$142 $142

-12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$2,069 $2,069

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,269 $1,269

19.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$4,571 $4,571

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$2,103 $2,103

20.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 $3,528

$4,141 $4,141

-14.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,009 $3,009

$1,890 $1,890

59.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,363 $6,363

$4,139 $4,139

53.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.66

-2.25%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: October 25, 2026

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.4%

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 44.9% 16.1% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$528 16.9%

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6% 32.6% $172

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$389 12.4%

Philadelphia, PA

$450 15.9% 15.7% $61

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$344 11%

Philadelphia, PA

$356 12.6% 3.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$176 5.6%

Philadelphia, PA

$152 5.4% 13.3% $23

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$102 3.3%

Philadelphia, PA

$139 4.9% 37.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Philadelphia, PA

$101 3.6% 33.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,768 in Helena, MT and $2,069 in Philadelphia, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in Helena, MT vs $85 in Philadelphia, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $450, with Helena, MT cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

2 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

1,573,916

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Helena, MT Philadelphia, PA 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
Philadelphia, PA

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 Philadelphia, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,125 in Helena, MT and $2,823 in Philadelphia, PA, so Philadelphia, PA is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $2,069 in Philadelphia, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,930 in Helena, MT versus $2,117 in Philadelphia, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Helena, MT pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Philadelphia, PA 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 – Philadelphia, PA wins on affordability, Helena, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.