Real Dollar Value
Montana stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $107.15 of local goods and services in Montana, compared with $92.31 in California.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
California vs Montana: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in Montana: about $107.15 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $14.84 gap.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for purchasing power of $100.
California
#48 · $92.31
Montana
#25 · $107.15
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Purchasing Power of $100
#1
Mississippi
$116.01
Mississippi
#2
Alabama
$114.62
Alabama
#3
Oklahoma
$113.65
Oklahoma
#4
Arkansas
$113.40
Arkansas
#5
Kansas
$113.09
Kansas
#6
West Virginia
$112.73
West Virginia
#7
Missouri
$112.21
Missouri
#8
Iowa
$111.93
Iowa
#9
Tennessee
$111.32
Tennessee
#10
South Dakota
$111.28
South Dakota
Selected states
#48
California
$92.31
California
#25
Montana
$107.15
Montana
California ranks 48th and Montana ranks 25th nationally for purchasing power of $100.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
Montana has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in Montana (97.2) than in California (113.4), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
California has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. California has a median household income of $84,097, versus $63,249 in Montana.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
Montana also looks cheaper on the cost index
Montana's cost-of-living index is 105.2, compared with 138.5 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
California vs Montana: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Montana has a purchasing power of $100 of $107.15, compared with $92.31 in California, a gap of 16.1%. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
California
$92.31
Montana
$107.15
Difference
$15
People Also Ask
California vs Montana Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is California's purchasing power of $100?
California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31.
Q What is Montana's purchasing power of $100?
Montana's purchasing power of $100 is $107.15.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — California or Montana?
$100 goes further in Montana: about $107.15 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $14.84 gap.
Q How much more purchasing power of $100 does Montana have compared to California?
$15.
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.