Overall
102.5
Above avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Bozeman, MT
Cost-of-living indicators for Bozeman, MT, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 102.5
- Overall RPP
- #52
- of 387 metros
- 139.2
- Rents RPP
- $98K
- $100K national buys
Bozeman ranks #52 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 3.7 points since 2008.
- rising since 2008
- similar cost to Worcester
The verdict
Bozeman is more expensive than 87% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 102.5, 2.5% above the national average, led by rents at 139.2.
- top 13%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.0
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 73.6
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $97,551 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $102,510.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 3.7 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2023, when the index jumped 4.2 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Bozeman overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.8 |
| 2009 | 95.8 |
| 2010 | 95.1 |
| 2011 | 96.5 |
| 2012 | 97.1 |
| 2013 | 94.1 |
| 2014 | 96.9 |
| 2015 | 99.1 |
| 2016 | 97.5 |
| 2017 | 98.9 |
| 2018 | 97.3 |
| 2019 | 99.5 |
| 2020 | 96.5 |
| 2021 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 94.8 |
| 2023 | 99.0 |
| 2024 | 102.5 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Bozeman's overall RPP rose +3.5 points, from 99.0 in 2023 to 102.5 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 131.5 to 139.2. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$102,510
in Bozeman, MT purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$51,255
$75,000 nationally
$76,883
$125,000 nationally
$128,138
$150,000 nationally
$153,765
$200,000 nationally
$205,020
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
5/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
5th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Bozeman vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
103 Top 13% higher than 87% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Bozeman cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
139.2 RPP
- Services
Services
73.6 RPP
- Overall
Overall
102.5 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96 RPP
What this shows Bozeman's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 139.2 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 73.6. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Bozeman's cost comes from
Metros near Bozeman's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Bozeman (Bozeman, this metro): goods RPP 96, rents RPP 139.2
- Worcester: goods RPP 97, rents RPP 113
- Philadelphia: goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 113.1
- Mount Vernon: goods RPP 105, rents RPP 108.2
- North Port: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 128
- Cape Coral: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 125.1
- Hartford: goods RPP 97.3, rents RPP 110.2
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.0
Below avg
Services
73.6
Cheap
Rents
139.2
Expensive
Housing-led cost profile
How Bozeman's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Bozeman: rents index at 139.2, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 102.5 places Bozeman in the top quartile for cost; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, Naples-Marco Island, FL. They resemble Bozeman across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Bozeman's overall index has risen by 3.7 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
MT-relative analysis
Goods prices places Bozeman, MT near the bottom of MT's metros
Among the 5 MT metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Bozeman, MT ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Bozeman, MT only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 5
0th percentile in MT
Services prices
#1 of 5
80th percentile in MT
Rent prices
#1 of 5
80th percentile in MT
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within MT only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Bozeman, MT: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (102.5 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (139.2 here).
Other MT Metros
View all MT metros → Cheapest in MT → Most expensive in MT →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Bozeman, MT's index of 102.5.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Bozeman's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Goods 96.4 · Services 79.0 · Rents 123.3 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Goods 101.0 · Services 87.9 · Rents 146.9 Naples-Marco Island, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 87.8 · Rents 129.4 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 88.2 · Rents 128.0 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 86.9 · Rents 125.1 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Goods 95.5 · Services 88.5 · Rents 125.8
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Bozeman
How to read Bozeman's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $97,551 in Bozeman. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 139.2, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Bozeman head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Bozeman, MT?
Bozeman, MT has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 102.5, meaning it is 2.5% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.0, services at 73.6, and rents at 139.2. It ranks #52 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Bozeman, MT to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $102,510 in Bozeman, MT. Conversely, $100K earned in Bozeman, MT has the purchasing power of $97,551 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Bozeman, MT?
Rents in Bozeman, MT are indexed at 139.2, which is 39.2% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Bozeman, MT getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Bozeman, MT's overall cost index changed by +3.7 points (from 98.8 to 102.5). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Bozeman, MT?
The priciest category in Bozeman, MT is rents at 139.2, 39.2% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 73.6, 26.4% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Bozeman, MT?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Worcester, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Mount Vernon-Anacortes. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Bozeman, MT's 102.5.
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.