Overall
- Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
- 103.7
- Bozeman
- 102.5
Diff -1.2 RPP
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater vs Bozeman
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Bozeman is 1.1% less expensive than Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater.
1.1% less expensive
Bozeman, MT is 1.1% less expensive than Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 102.5 vs 103.7). A $100,000 salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater buys about the same as $98,881 in Bozeman; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 103.7 (Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater) vs 102.5 (Bozeman)
- $100k in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater ≈ $98,881 purchasing power in Bozeman
- Rents drives the gap (+22.5 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair WA:MT 103.7→102.5
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE WA × MT
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
103.7
Cost Index
Bozeman
102.5
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Bozeman, MT are a photo finish on overall price level, only 1.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Bozeman is 22.5 points higher. But rents move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater corresponds to $98,881 in Bozeman.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
- 105.0
- Bozeman
- 96.0
Diff -9.0 RPP
Services
- Bozeman
- 73.6
Diff -18.1 RPP
Rents
- Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
- 116.7
- Bozeman
- 139.2
Diff +22.5 RPP
| Category | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | Bozeman | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 103.7 | 102.5 | -1.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.0 | -9.0 |
| Services | 91.7 | 73.6 | -18.1 |
| Rents | 116.7 | 139.2 | +22.5 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 103.7
Bozeman 102.5
Goods
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 105.0
Bozeman 96.0
Services
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 91.7
Bozeman 73.6
Rents
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 116.7
Bozeman 139.2
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater would need to be in Bozeman for the same purchasing power:
| In Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | In Bozeman | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,441 | $-559 |
| $75,000 | $74,161 | $-839 |
| $100,000 | $98,881 | $-1,119 |
| $150,000 | $148,322 | $-1,678 |
$ in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater = in Bozeman
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (103.7 → 102.5), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bozeman more expensive than Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Bozeman is 1.1% less expensive than Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater. The overall cost index is 102.5 vs 103.7 (national average = 100).
What salary in Bozeman equals $100K in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
A $100,000 salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has the same purchasing power as $98,881 in Bozeman. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater and Bozeman?
Rents in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater are indexed at 116.7 while Bozeman is at 139.2 (national average = 100). Bozeman has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.