Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Nelson: $1,867 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index
124

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

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Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,867

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,867 in Nelson versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

Nelson $1,867
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Nelson versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

Nelson $2,863
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,859 in Nelson versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

Nelson $3,859
Missoula, MT $5,565

Living in Nelson costs roughly 28% less than in Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nelson 38% above, Missoula, MT 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 NZ$25.16

$16.73 $16.73

-15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 NZ$114

$75.3 $75.3

-14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 NZ$14.65

$9.27 $9.27

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.80

$4.37 $4.37

-25.40%

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

$1.74 NZ$3.10

$3.10 $3.10

-43.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$2.34 $2.34

-28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 NZ$12.87

$5.86 $5.86

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 NZ$9.96

$5.93 $5.93

-5.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$1.12 $1.12

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.82

$3.44 $3.44

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.11

$4.98 $4.98

-64.86%

Eggs

$5.85 NZ$10.39

$4.27 $4.27

37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 NZ$16.56

$24.81 $24.81

-62.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 NZ$13.14

$9.67 $9.67

-23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 NZ$24.37

$18.98 $18.98

-27.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.35

$4.81 $4.81

-37.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.72

$1.46 $1.46

43.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.16

$6.51 $6.51

-55.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$10.04

$3.73 $3.73

51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.61

$2.33 $2.33

-12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 NZ$2.36

$2.96 $2.96

-55.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 NZ$3.64

$2.41 $2.41

-14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NZ$1.80

$3.90 $3.90

-74.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.90 NZ$44.23

$10.50 $10.50

137.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 NZ$17.35

$24.82 $24.82

-60.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$1.98 $1.98

64.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.94

$4.38 $4.38

-36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 NZ$3.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$5.13 $5.13

-64.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$4.99 $4.99

-63.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 NZ$60.2

$39.29 $39.29

-13.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 NZ$2.73

$1.09 $1.09

41.28%

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

$17.2K NZ$30.5K

$32.3K $32.3K

-46.84%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

-8.85%

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

$127 NZ$225

$139 $139

-8.61%

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

$32.01 NZ$56.9

$52.7 $52.7

-39.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 NZ$77.5

$69.2 $69.2

-36.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.7 NZ$177

$49.22 $49.22

102.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.34 NZ$59.2

$22.25 $22.25

49.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 NZ$20.30

$13.75 $13.75

-16.87%

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

$447 NZ$794

$2,009 $2,009

-77.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K NZ$41.1K

$17.7K $17.7K

30.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 NZ$93.0

$66.4 $66.4

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 NZ$49.29

$44.46 $44.46

-37.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$183

$104 $104

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$249

$149 $149

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NZ$1,845

$1,522 $1,522

-31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NZ$1,464

$1,324 $1,324

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 NZ$3,023

$2,992 $2,992

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 NZ$2,584

$2,649 $2,649

-45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,388 NZ$2,466

$4,211 $4,211

-67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$840 NZ$1,493

$3,475 $3,475

-75.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,065 NZ$3,669

$3,666 $3,666

-43.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.84

-21.20%

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

Last update for Nelson: November 3, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nelson

$824 44.1%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 60.6% $500

Groceries & Markets

Nelson

$314 16.8%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 51.9% $163

Eating Out

Nelson

$238 12.8%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 16.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nelson

$202 10.9%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 28.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nelson

$145 7.8%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 12.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nelson

$123 6.6%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 37.4% $46

Getting Around

Nelson

$20 * 1.1%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 52.3% $10

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 $1,038 in Nelson and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays 77% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Nelson vs $75 in Missoula, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $477 per month, with Nelson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Nelson

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

14:08 2:08 PM

20 h behind Nelson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,100

73,489

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Nelson
Missoula, MT

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

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

Nelson is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Nelson. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,038 in Nelson versus $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in Nelson versus $2,009 in Missoula, MT. 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 $64 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 – Nelson wins on affordability, Missoula, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.