Is it cheaper to live in Casper or Missoula?

Casper, WY is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $930 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 15% below Missoula, MT's $1,100, mainly because of rent.

How much more do you need to earn to live in Casper than in Missoula?

To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Casper versus $38,000 in Missoula.

Which has lower taxes, Casper or Missoula?

Casper is taxed under Wyoming's rules (no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax); Missoula under Montana's (a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax).

Casper vs Missoula Cost of Living 2026

Casper

Wyoming

$930/mo est.

Missoula

Montana

$1,100/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $930 in Casper, WY versus $1,100 in Missoula, MT. Overall, Casper, WY is roughly 15% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Missoula, MT, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $69,171 in Casper, WY and $65,329 in Missoula, MT — about 6% higher in Casper, WY. Wyoming has no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax; Montana has a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax.

Casper, WY

Missoula, MT

Rent

Studio

$730

$755

+3% in Missoula, MT

1 Bedroom

$764

$953

+25% in Missoula, MT

2 Bedroom

$930

$1,176

+26% in Missoula, MT

3 Bedroom

$1,299

$1,676

+29% in Missoula, MT

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$250,700

$427,400

+70% in Missoula, MT

Income

Median Household Income

$69,171

$65,329

+6% in Casper, WY

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$48,880

$47,830

+2% in Casper, WY

People & Lifestyle

Median Age

37.0 yr

34.3 yr

+2.7 yr in Casper, WY

Homeownership

70.3%

47.8%

+22.5 pp in Casper, WY

Bachelor's+ (25+)

30.0%

51.7%

+21.7 pp in Missoula, MT

Avg Commute

16.9 min

16.6 min

+0.3 min in Casper, WY

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime

302.4

601.9

+99% in Missoula, MT

Property Crime

2,123.8

3,685.2

+74% in Missoula, MT

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature

45.4°F

45.9°F

+0.5°F in Missoula, MT

Annual Precipitation

12.5 in

14.1 in

+1.6 in in Missoula, MT

Gas

Regular Gasoline

$4.27/gal

about equal

Area: Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) vs Rocky Mountain (PADD 4).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)

15.2

15.1

+1% in Casper, WY

Natural Gas ($/MCF)

$18.28

$10.12

+45% in Casper, WY

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.82

about equal

Bread (lb)

$2.04

about equal

Eggs (doz)

$2.19

about equal

Ground Beef (lb)

$7.36

about equal

Chicken (lb)

$2.01

about equal

Bananas (lb)

$0.70

about equal

Average prices — West vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (WY / MT)

None

+4.0 pp in WY

Income Tax (top rate)

None

5.65%

+5.7 pp in MT

Casper vs Missoula — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Casper or Missoula?: Casper, WY is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $930 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 15% below Missoula, MT's $1,100, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Casper than in Missoula?: To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Casper versus $38,000 in Missoula.
Which has lower taxes, Casper or Missoula?: Casper is taxed under Wyoming's rules (no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax); Missoula under Montana's (a top state income tax rate of 5.65% and no state sales tax).

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).