Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Nelson: $1,878 a month against $2,576 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Missoula, MT and in Nelson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Missoula, MT versus $1,878 in Nelson.

Missoula, MT $2,576
Nelson $1,878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Missoula, MT versus $2,893 in Nelson.

Missoula, MT $4,184
Nelson $2,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,793 in Missoula, MT versus $3,908 in Nelson.

Missoula, MT $5,793
Nelson $3,908

Living in Missoula, MT is roughly 37% more expensive than in Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Missoula, MT 90% above, Nelson 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$14.02 NZ$24.79

19.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$64.7 NZ$114

14.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 $9.74

$8.51 NZ$15.06

14.45%

Cappuccino

$4.33 $4.33

$3.20 NZ$5.66

35.31%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.81 NZ$3.20

76.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.74 NZ$3.08

38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$7.50 NZ$13.27

-19.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$5.78 NZ$10.22

5.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.16 NZ$3.82

55.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.85 NZ$3.28

167.57%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$5.72 NZ$10.11

-23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.90 $24.90

$9.41 NZ$16.64

164.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.66 NZ$13.55

29.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.07 $19.07

$13.91 NZ$24.61

37.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.09 NZ$5.46

58.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.25 NZ$3.98

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$3.09 NZ$5.47

109.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.11 NZ$3.73

16.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.26 NZ$2.22

132.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.08 NZ$3.68

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.08 NZ$1.90

265.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 $10.44

$25.12 NZ$44.43

-58.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.89 $24.89

$9.78 NZ$17.29

154.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.13 NZ$5.53

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.91 NZ$5.14

50.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.83 NZ$3.23

167.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.78 NZ$3.16

173.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.14 $40.14

$34.49 NZ$61.0

16.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.64 NZ$2.89

-34.76%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

91.81%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$22.1K NZ$39.0K

10.59%

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

$136 $136

$132 NZ$233

3.51%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$33.48 NZ$59.2

57.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$42.52 NZ$75.2

63.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 $59.8

$100 NZ$177

-40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.06 $22.06

$33.54 NZ$59.3

-34.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 $13.54

$11.45 NZ$20.25

18.25%

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

$2,026 $2,026

$461 NZ$816

339.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K $13.8K

$13.0K NZ$23.0K

5.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$53.7 NZ$94.9

21.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.23 $43.23

$28.65 NZ$50.7

50.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$105 NZ$185

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$138 NZ$244

8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$1,048 NZ$1,853

51.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$822 NZ$1,454

55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,091 $3,091

$1,720 NZ$3,042

79.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,856 $2,856

$1,477 NZ$2,611

93.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,924 $3,924

$1,419 NZ$2,509

176.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,564 $3,564

$854 NZ$1,511

317.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,506 $3,506

$2,029 NZ$3,588

72.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

5.39

26.90%

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

Last update for Missoula, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nelson: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 49.6%

Nelson

$822 43.8% 35.6% $455

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$481 18.7%

Nelson

$320 17% 33.5% $161

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$280 10.9%

Nelson

$239 12.8% 14.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$259 10%

Nelson

$208 11.1% 19.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$162 6.3%

Nelson

$146 7.8% 10% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$87 3.4%

Nelson

$123 6.6% 41.9% $36

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$29 * 1.1%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 32.8% $9.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Missoula, MT and $1,048 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Missoula, MT vs $65.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $320 per month, with Nelson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

18:50 6:50 PM

19 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

51,100

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Missoula, MT Nelson 12,140 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
Nelson

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

Missoula, MT vs Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Missoula, 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: $1,592 in Missoula, MT versus $1,048 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,026 in Missoula, MT versus $461 in Nelson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nelson – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $74.0 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,878 in Nelson versus $2,576 in Missoula, MT, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Missoula, MT. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nelson is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Missoula, MT and Nelson are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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