City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Missoula | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,064/mo | 45.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $380,500 | 21.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $59,783 | 44.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 98.4 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 88.0 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 100.5 | 2.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 100.3 | 4.5% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $90,029 in Missoula to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Missoula, MT is about 10% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Missoula than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $72,023 in Missoula to keep the same standard of living.