Cost of living in Columbus, Montana

Columbus, Montana has about 2,003 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $282,800.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Stillwater County is $1,271 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Columbus. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Billings, MT metro area, prices sit at 93.5 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Montana taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 0.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Columbus's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Montana home paid 14.99¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Columbus's bill.

EIA does not publish a Montana gasoline price. For the week of October 12, 2026, the Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) all-grades price was $4.575 a gallon. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $2,196.00 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Montana shares this price.

Among 79 places we list in Montana with a rent figure, 41 have higher typical rent than Columbus.