Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
124

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Missoula, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

New York, NY $4,906
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

New York, NY $7,273
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

New York, NY $9,641
Missoula, MT $5,565

Living in New York, NY is roughly 88% more expensive than in Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Missoula, MT 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$16.73 $16.73

60.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$75.3 $75.3

55.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.27 $9.27

57.50%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.37 $4.37

49.66%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$3.10 $3.10

24.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.34 $2.34

26.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.86 $5.86

37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.93 $5.93

66.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.12 $1.12

16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.44 $3.44

44.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.98 $4.98

54.62%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$4.27 $4.27

42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$24.81 $24.81

-21.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$9.67 $9.67

81.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$18.98 $18.98

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.81 $4.81

45.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.46 $1.46

51.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$6.51 $6.51

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.73 $3.73

90.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.33 $2.33

97.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.96 $2.96

61.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.41 $2.41

19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.90 $3.90

-31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.50 $10.50

82.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$24.82 $24.82

-20.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.98 $1.98

67.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.38 $4.38

-4.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.13 $5.13

-40.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$4.99 $4.99

-55.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$39.29 $39.29

5.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.09 $1.09

3.67%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$32.3K $32.3K

6.64%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

5.32%

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

$232 $232

$139 $139

67.38%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$52.7 $52.7

34.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$69.2 $69.2

-2.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$49.22 $49.22

134.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$22.25 $22.25

245.21%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$13.75 $13.75

62.98%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$2,009 $2,009

79.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

287.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$66.4 $66.4

19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.46 $44.46

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$104 $104

15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$149 $149

-5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,522 $1,522

199.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,324 $1,324

129.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,992 $2,992

225.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,649 $2,649

101.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,211 $4,211

332.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$3,475 $3,475

92.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,666 $3,666

39.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.84

0.73%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 56.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 15.8% $90

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 34.8% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 29.8% $110

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 7.1% $13

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 81.8% $135

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 52.1% $83

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 $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 39% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $75 in Missoula, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $477 per month, with Missoula, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

73,489

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Missoula, MT 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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

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

Missoula, MT is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY 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 Missoula, MT – a meal for two runs $75 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Missoula, MT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

It comes down to priorities – Missoula, MT wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.