Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Helena, MT: $3,125 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,125

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helena, MT and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Helena, MT versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Helena, MT $3,125
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,583 in Helena, MT versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Helena, MT $4,583
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,041 in Helena, MT versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Helena, MT $6,041
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Helena, MT costs roughly 17% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helena, MT 130% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.55 $21.55

$25.30 $25.30

-14.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$101 $101

7.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.11 $18.11

$14.76 $14.76

22.70%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$6.50 $6.50

-19.38%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$3.21 $3.21

-31.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.14 $3.14

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$7.97 $7.97

-37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.13 $8.13

-15.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.30 $5.30

-26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.40 $6.40

-28.28%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$5.06 $5.06

-29.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$18.71 $18.71

-3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$18.72 $18.72

-52.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.02 $20.02

$22.88 $22.88

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$6.06 $6.06

-22.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.95 $1.95

-10.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.51 $5.51

-16.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$6.52 $6.52

-36.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.49 $3.49

-38.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.29 $3.29

-55.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.80 $2.80

-38.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.58 $2.58

-37.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 $10.45

$12.49 $12.49

-16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.87 $14.87

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$4.19 $4.19

-58.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.80 $5.80

-55.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.05 $3.05

15.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$106 $106

-43.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.58 $2.58

292.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.64 $1.64

114.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.22 $44.22

$30.12 $30.12

46.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 $1.41

-30.50%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$36.8K $36.8K

-3.68%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

12.88%

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

$375 $375

$308 $308

21.83%

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

$68.2 $68.2

$69.2 $69.2

-1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$86.1 $86.1

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$76.5 $76.5

-32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 $15.28

$35.50 $35.50

-56.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.11 $12.11

$18.02 $18.02

-32.80%

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

$1,930 $1,930

$2,746 $2,746

-29.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$30.6K $30.6K

-9.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$79.2 $79.2

-17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$54.3 $54.3

120.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$127 $127

-35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$159 $159

-22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$2,508 $2,508

-29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$1,938 $1,938

-22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$5,117 $5,117

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$3,542 $3,542

-28.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 $3,528

$7,374 $7,374

-52.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,009 $3,009

$5,002 $5,002

-39.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,363 $6,363

$6,470 $6,470

-1.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.89

-5.52%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 28.3% $427

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$528 16.9%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 12.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$389 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 40.7% $158

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$344 11%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 18.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$176 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 7.4% $13

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$102 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 26.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 48.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,768 in Helena, MT and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $109 in Helena, MT vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $547, with Helena, MT cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Helena, MT Seattle, WA 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,125 in Helena, MT and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Helena, MT is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,688 in Helena, MT and $5,677 in Seattle, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,768 in Helena, MT versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,930 in Helena, MT versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Seattle, WA. 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.