If you’ve never paddled Flathead Lake or had a bison burger in Bozeman, then you’ve not experienced what the good people of Montana already know.
Some of the best, most affordable fun in the country can be found in Montana.
So we compiled the ultimate list of the most affordable places to live in Big Sky Country for 2026. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze the most recent Montana census data on the cost of living, home prices, and incomes for all cities with 5,000 or more residents.
There isn’t a wrong place to build your dream cabin in Montana, but these places are steals.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Montana
What’s the most affordable place to live in Montana for 2026? The most affordable place in Montana is Anaconda-Deer Lodge County according to the most recent Census data.
Montana’s most affordable places also free up cash to score tickets to Livingston’s Roundup Rodeo or catch a powder day in Whitefish.
Way better than spending it on rent.
Check out some more reading about Montana and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Montana For 2026
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Population: 9,597
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $57,527
Median Home Price: $287,878
Median Rent: $696
We’re taking our first trip into southwestern Montana to reach our most affordable city, Anaconda. Whether you want to catch kokanee salmon at Georgetown Lake or shred some powder at Discovery Ski Area, Anaconda is sure to bring endless entertainment to those of an outdoorsy inclination. Renting in Anaconda will cost you about $696/month, while buying a home here will set you back around $287,878. Renting in Anaconda is slightly more affordable than buying, since Anaconda has the best rent to income ratio in Montana
More on Anaconda-Deer Lodge County: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 6,087
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $48,750
Median Home Price: $296,569
Median Rent: $1,007
The second cheapest city in Montana for 2026 goes to Lewistown with a cost of living index of 89. That means living in is 12.7% cheaper than the Montana average.
According to Zillow, the average home goes for $296,569, and the average rent is $1,007 in Lewistown. Located in the smack-dab middle of Montana, you’re looking at about a two to three-hour drive to Bozeman.
More on Lewistown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,215
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $68,474
Median Home Price: $374,156
Median Rent: $974
Sneaking onto the list of the cheapest cities in Montana is Laurel. The overall cost of living index of 97 includes low index values for groceries and transportation.
Located 20 minutes southwest of Billings, Laurel is near the Sundance Lodge Recreation Area or a long weekend in Billings itself.
More on Laurel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 60,329
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $63,373
Median Home Price: $334,707
Median Rent: $900
Great Falls, located about an hour and a half north of Helena, ranks fourth for affordability in the Treasure State. The overall cost of living index of 98 has low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare. Rent is the third lowest in the state at $900.
Cheap things to do in town for the family include the Electric City Water Park and Gibson Park.
More on Great Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
One of my sisters and her family live in Great Falls and I have cousins in Montana as well. I’ve been there in the summer and the winter and have loved both. I grew up in Minnesota, lived in Massachusetts, and now live in Pennsylvania. Montana is my dream. I get there every few years and next year am taking my wife, who has never been there. I may never get to live there but when I die my ashes will be spread in the mountains there!
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Population: 9,258
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 99
Median Income: $50,329
Median Home Price: $232,554
Median Rent: $844
Havre, the fifth most affordable city in Montana, has a $232,554 average home price and an excellent 4.62 home price to income ratio.
Located at the intersection of Routes 2 and 87, the 9,258 residents can save some of their $50,329 income they aren’t spending on expensive bread for skiing at Bear Paw Ski Bowl.
More on Havre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,428
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 99
Median Income: $53,418
Median Home Price: $560,670
Median Rent: $912
Polson, located on Montana’s southern Flathead Lake shore, ranks sixth on our list of the cheapest cities in the state.
The $560,670 average home price supports a cost of living score of 99. You can use your savings for a weekend trip to Missoula to catch a University of Montana football game.
More on Polson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,407
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 100
Median Income: $67,727
Median Home Price: $243,450
Median Rent: $926
Miles City is miles ahead of the competition when it comes to cheap living. The city is the seventh cheapest in Montana. In Custer County where the Tongue River and Yellowstone meet, Miles City has a cost of living score of 100 on a national scale where 100 is average.
More on Miles City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,101
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $49,204
Median Home Price: $526,561
Median Rent: $947
More on Hamilton: Data | Crime | Movers
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Population: 6,171
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $62,538
Median Home Price: $269,780
Median Rent: $931
Sidney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Montana, United States, less than 10mi away from the North Dakota border. The population was 5,191 at the 2010 census. The city lies along the Yellowstone River and is in proximity to the badlands of the Dakotas. Sidney is approximately midway between Glendive, Montana and Williston, North Dakota.
More on Sidney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Im from sidney, im a highschool grad. growing up there only 5 people have dropped out. How dare you insult my home with ur bull c**p u call a study. HOW DARE U
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Population: 5,615
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $75,766
Median Home Price: $599,165
Median Rent: $1,016
Nestled in Flathead County along the Flathead River, Columbia Falls ranks as the tenth cheapest city statewide. The town has a standout 11th home price-to-income ratio and the tenth lowest median rent.
Columbia Falls is the northernmost city we’ve visited so far on this list. The city is 15 minutes west of the Glacier National Park.
More on Columbia Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The people in this town are so nice and generous. There’s a strong sense of community here. People really look out for one another and always offer help when needed.
The people here are the nicest I have ever come across.
Cheapest places to live in Montana FAQs
The county in Montana with the lowest cost of living is Phillips County. The average living wage in Phillips County is $87,120 according to MIT data. Phillips County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Montana as a whole. Childcare costs $16,384 a year in Phillips County for two children compared to the Montana average of $16,520. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in Phillips County compared to $10,975 on average in Montana.
The cost of living in Montana is 0.0% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Montana is $89,744 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Montana household is $56,539.
The cheapest housing market in Montana is Roundup. The average home value in Roundup is $86,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Montana is $244,900, almost 2.8 times higher than Roundup.
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The county in Montana with the lowest cost of living is Phillips County. The average living wage in Phillips County is $87,120 according to MIT data. Phillips County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Montana as a whole. Childcare costs $16,384 a year in Phillips County for two children compared to the Montana average of $16,520. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in Phillips County compared to $10,975 on average in Montana.
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Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Treasure State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Montana boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Montana using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Montana to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 18 places in Montana that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Montana with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Montana.
Montana Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Montana for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Montana.
The cheapest cities in Montana are Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Lewistown, Laurel, Great Falls, Havre, Polson, Miles City, Hamilton, Sidney, and Columbia Falls.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Montana according to the data:
- Bozeman
- Whitefish
- Missoula
For more Montana reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 9,597 | 89 | $57,527 | $287,878 | $696 |
| 2 | Lewistown | 6,087 | 89 | $48,750 | $296,569 | $1,007 |
| 3 | Laurel | 7,215 | 97 | $68,474 | $374,156 | $974 |
| 4 | Great Falls | 60,329 | 98 | $63,373 | $334,707 | $900 |
| 5 | Havre | 9,258 | 99 | $50,329 | $232,554 | $844 |
| 6 | Polson | 5,428 | 99 | $53,418 | $560,670 | $912 |
| 7 | Miles City | 8,407 | 100 | $67,727 | $243,450 | $926 |
| 8 | Hamilton | 5,101 | 101 | $49,204 | $526,561 | $947 |
| 9 | Sidney | 6,171 | 102 | $62,538 | $269,780 | $931 |
| 10 | Columbia Falls | 5,615 | 102 | $75,766 | $599,165 | $1,016 |
| 11 | Livingston | 8,780 | 106 | $65,861 | $531,830 | $1,046 |
| 12 | Billings | 119,434 | 107 | $73,712 | $392,208 | $1,138 |
| 13 | Kalispell | 28,504 | 107 | $63,415 | $552,745 | $1,078 |
| 14 | Belgrade | 11,872 | 110 | $97,328 | $548,236 | $1,877 |
| 15 | Helena | 33,639 | 111 | $71,036 | $474,028 | $1,092 |
| 16 | Missoula | 76,514 | 115 | $70,392 | $564,622 | $1,189 |
| 17 | Whitefish | 8,749 | 127 | $73,811 | $864,156 | $1,354 |
| 18 | Bozeman | 56,114 | 130 | $85,747 | $724,089 | $1,717 |