Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
151

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 21% more expensive than in Helena, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$21.55 $21.55

17.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$109 $109

-7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$18.11 $18.11

-18.50%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.24 $5.24

24.05%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.21 $2.21

45.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.73 $1.73

81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.96 $4.96

60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.83 $6.83

19.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.88 $3.88

36.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.59 $4.59

39.43%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.59 $3.59

40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.05 $18.05

3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.87 $8.87

111.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.02 $20.02

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.67 $4.67

29.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.74 $1.74

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.60 $4.60

19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.13 $4.13

57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.16 $2.16

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.48 $1.48

122.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.71 $1.71

63.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.61 $1.61

60.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.45 $10.45

19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.98 $12.98

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.73 $1.73

142.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.58 $2.58

124.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.53 $3.53

-13.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$59.8 $59.8

77.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$10.13 $10.13

-74.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.51 $3.51

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$44.22 $44.22

-31.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.4K $35.4K

3.82%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$30.0K $30.0K

-11.41%

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

$308 $308

$375 $375

-17.92%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$68.2 $68.2

1.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$85.3 $85.3

0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$51.6 $51.6

48.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$15.28 $15.28

132.33%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.11 $12.11

48.80%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,930 $1,930

42.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$27.8K $27.8K

9.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$65.1 $65.1

21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$120 $120

-54.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.9 $81.9

54.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$124 $124

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,768 $1,768

41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,511 $1,511

28.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,837 $2,837

80.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,543 $2,543

39.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,528 $3,528

108.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,009 $3,009

66.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,363 $6,363

1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Helena, MT: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.4% 22% $427

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Helena, MT

$389 12.4% 28.9% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Helena, MT

$528 16.9% 14.1% $65

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Helena, MT

$344 11% 15.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Helena, MT

$176 5.6% 6.9% $13

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Helena, MT

$102 3.3% 21.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Helena, MT

$76 2.4% 32.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

32,091

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
Helena, 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

Seattle, WA vs Helena, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $4,688 in Helena, MT 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,768 in Helena, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,930 in Helena, MT. 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.