City comparison
Billings, MT is about 175 miles (275 km) from Great Falls, MT in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Billings, MT to Great Falls, MT takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Billings has a population of 117,093, vs 60,373 in Great Falls — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Billings covers about 46 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Great Falls.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Billings | Great Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,064/mo | $828/mo | 28.5% higher in Billings |
| Median home value | $285,300 | $223,700 | 27.5% higher in Billings |
| Median household income | $69,692 | $58,272 | 19.6% higher in Billings |
| Groceries index | 96.7 | 96.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 77.2 | 77.7 | 0.7% higher in Great Falls |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.2 | 99.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Billings, you'd need $107,913 in Great Falls to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Billings, MT is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Great Falls, MT, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Great Falls than in Billings. If you earn $80,000 in Billings, you'd need about $86,330 in Great Falls to keep the same standard of living.