Montana Grocery Budget Calculator
$1,441/mo for 4 in Montana on the USDA Moderate-Cost plan ($3.94 per person per meal). No state sales tax on groceries.
At Montana grocery prices, USDA's Moderate-Cost food plan for a family of four costs about $1,441 a month — about $333 a week, or $3.94 per person per meal. Montana has no state sales tax, so that basket carries $0 of state grocery tax. $17,291 a year is 22.95% of Montana's $75,340 median household income. Official vs modeled: USDA does not publish a state-specific food-plan cost for Montana, so the Montana figure is StateCalc's model of USDA's national August 2026 figure at Montana's grocery prices.
Estimate only — these are not official figures
USDA's August 2026 national plan figures × Montana's C2ER grocery price index of 103.8; USDA publishes no Montana figure, so the result is modeled
Do not rely on these amounts for budgeting or payment. For exact amounts, check the USDA Cost of Food at Home reports for the national plan figures.
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Pre-filled: C2ER Cost of Living Index, Grocery component (via MERIC)
Monthly Grocery Budget
Estimated • Based on your inputs
Total Monthly Food Cost
$1,403.41
Food as % of Montana's Median Income
22.35%
Detailed Breakdown
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Calculation methodology and assumptions
Montana inputs: grocery price index 103.8 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC), so USDA's August 2026 national plan figures are multiplied by 1.038 rather than by the overall cost-of-living index of 106. A family of 4 in Montana: Thrifty ~$1,063, Low-Cost ~$1,169, Moderate ~$1,441, Liberal ~$1,742 a month. Montana has no state sales tax, so groceries aren't taxed. Grocery tax used here: 0%. Food as a share of income divides by Montana's $75,340 median household income, and restaurant meals default to $19. Those are modeled figures; the USDA method every state shares is explained on the grocery budget hub.
Key State Information
Montana food cost context: grocery price index 103.8 (above the U.S. 100) | cost of living index 106 | Effective grocery tax rate: 0% | median household income $75,340.
Example Calculation
Let's build a realistic grocery budget for a family in Montana.
Montana's grocery price index is 103.8 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC; 100 = national average), which scales USDA's national Moderate-cost figure for a family of four to roughly $1,441/month here.
Result: Recommended monthly grocery budget in Montana: approximately $1,441. The Thrifty plan (about $1,063/month) is achievable with meal planning and cooking from scratch. Switching from the Liberal plan (~$1,742/month) down to Moderate saves roughly $3,612/year per family — mostly by cutting convenience foods and eating out less.
Worked example: groceries for a family of four in Montana
$1,388.20 (USDA Moderate-Cost, reference family of four, August 2026) × 1.0380 (Montana's C2ER grocery index, 103.8 in Q2 2026) = $1,440.95 a month, $17,291.40 a year. Montana charges no state tax on groceries.
| Household | Thrifty | Moderate-Cost | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $357 | $457 | $570 |
| 2 people | $654 | $838 | $1,045 |
| 3 people | $870 | $1,157 | $1,413 |
| 4 people | $1,063 | $1,441 | $1,742 |
| 5 people | $1,262 | $1,711 | $2,069 |
StateCalc Team
Editorial Team
The StateCalc team builds free financial calculators using data from official government sources including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, and state revenue departments. All formulas are validated by an automated test suite and cross-referenced against published data.
Our editorial standardsFrequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on groceries in Montana?
On USDA's Moderate-Cost plan at Montana prices: about $1,441 a month for a family of 4, $838 for two adults and $457 for one adult. The Thrifty to Liberal range for 4 is Thrifty ~$1,063, Low-Cost ~$1,169, Moderate ~$1,441 to Liberal ~$1,742.
What is the average meal cost in Montana?
About $3.94 per person for a home-cooked meal: $1,441 a month ÷ 4 people ÷ 30.44 days ÷ 3 meals. Restaurant meals are separate; this page defaults them to $19.
What is the average weekly grocery bill in Montana?
About $333 a week for a family of four and $105 for one person (the monthly figures × 12 ÷ 52).
Are groceries taxed in Montana?
Montana has no state sales tax, so groceries aren't taxed. On the $1,441 family-of-4 basket that is about $0 a year in state grocery tax, at an effective grocery tax rate of 0%.
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