Overall
- Sherman-Denison
- 93.8
- Billings
- 93.5
Diff -0.2 RPP
Sherman-Denison vs Billings
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Billings is 0.3% less expensive than Sherman-Denison.
0.3% less expensive
Billings, MT is 0.3% less expensive than Sherman-Denison, TX on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 93.5 vs 93.8). A $100,000 salary in Sherman-Denison buys about the same as $99,739 in Billings; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 93.8 (Sherman-Denison) vs 93.5 (Billings)
- $100k in Sherman-Denison ≈ $99,739 purchasing power in Billings
- Rents drives the gap (-12.1 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair TX:MT 93.8→93.5
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE TX × MT
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 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.
Sherman-Denison
93.8
Cost Index
Billings
93.5
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Sherman-Denison, TX and Billings, MT are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.2 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Rents creates the largest separation: Billings is 12.1 points lower. But goods 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 remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
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 Sherman-Denison corresponds to $99,739 in Billings.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Sherman-Denison
- 93.8
- Billings
- 96.0
Diff +2.2 RPP
Services
- Sherman-Denison
- 83.3
- Billings
- 72.4
Diff -10.9 RPP
Rents
- Sherman-Denison
- 89.5
- Billings
- 77.4
Diff -12.1 RPP
| Category | Sherman-Denison | Billings | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 93.8 | 93.5 | -0.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.0 | +2.2 |
| Services | 83.3 | 72.4 | -10.9 |
| Rents | 89.5 | 77.4 | -12.1 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Sherman-Denison 93.8
Billings 93.5
Goods
Sherman-Denison 93.8
Billings 96.0
Services
Sherman-Denison 83.3
Billings 72.4
Rents
Sherman-Denison 89.5
Billings 77.4
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Sherman-Denison would need to be in Billings for the same purchasing power:
| In Sherman-Denison | In Billings | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,869 | $-131 |
| $75,000 | $74,804 | $-196 |
| $100,000 | $99,739 | $-261 |
| $150,000 | $149,608 | $-392 |
$ in Sherman-Denison = in Billings
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (93.8 → 93.5), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Billings more expensive than Sherman-Denison?
Billings is 0.3% less expensive than Sherman-Denison. The overall cost index is 93.5 vs 93.8 (national average = 100).
What salary in Billings equals $100K in Sherman-Denison?
A $100,000 salary in Sherman-Denison has the same purchasing power as $99,739 in Billings. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Sherman-Denison and Billings?
Rents in Sherman-Denison are indexed at 89.5 while Billings is at 77.4 (national average = 100). Sherman-Denison 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.