CostIndexUSA

Charlottesville, VA vs Missoula, MT Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

VA
Charlottesville
99.1
overall index
$1,950/mo rent
More AffordableMT
Missoula
96.4
overall index
$1,550/mo rent

Missoula is slightly cheaper than Charlottesville — 2.7% lower overall cost of living.

To match an $80,000 salary in Charlottesville, you would need $77,800 in Missoula. Calculate your salary ↓

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing11.3%
Charlottesville
107
Missoula
94.9
🛒 Groceries0.8%
Charlottesville
96.8
Missoula
96
🚗 Transportation≈ Equal
Charlottesville
103.5
Missoula
103.7
🏥 Healthcare≈ Equal
Charlottesville
93.7
Missoula
93.8
Utilities19.0%
Charlottesville
89
Missoula
72.1

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Charlottesville to see what you'd need to earn in Missoula to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Missoula, MT
$77,800
$2,200 less needed in Missoula

Formula: salary × (96.4 ÷ 99.1) = salary × 0.9728. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Charlottesville, VA

Median Home Price
$455,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,950
Housing Index
107
Price-to-Rent Ratio
19.4×

Missoula, MT

Median Home Price
$552,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,550
Housing Index
94.9
Price-to-Rent Ratio
29.7×

Charlottesville has 11.3% lower housing costs compared to Missoula.

Income & Job Market

Charlottesville, VA

Median Household Income
$92,300
Per Capita Income
$52,600
Unemployment Rate
2.3%
Population
46,553
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyGovernmentTourism

Missoula, MT

Median Household Income
$73,300
Per Capita Income
$41,800
Unemployment Rate
2.5%
Population
73,489
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTourismGovernmentRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Charlottesville, VA
3.9×income-to-rent ratio

75% of income left after rent (median)

Missoula, MT
3.9×income-to-rent ratio

75% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.