2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Missoula, MT vs Big Bear Lake, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Big Bear Lake or is it cheaper to live in Missoula?
- Big Bear Lake is 5.1% more expensive than Missoula.

Which city has more affordable housing, Big Bear Lake or Missoula?
- Big Bear Lake housing costs are 3.5% less expensive than Missoula housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Missoula or is Health Care more affordable in Big Bear Lake.
- Health related expenses are 13.4% less in Big Bear Lake.
 Missoula, MTBig Bear Lake, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock118.6100
 Food & Groceries103.9  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock88.1100
 Housing157.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$586,600$338,100
 Utilities86  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock114.7100
 Miscellaneous111.8  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Missoula    48 Reviews

I've lived here for 10 years and my view of the city has turned as we (barely) managed to buy a home, started a family, and the blight of homelessness has escalated out  More

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Over 5 years ago

I lived here for 6 years, and it never got any easier to live, I'm a Native American, these people her look down on us, I have been put in jail for sitting in a parking  More

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I have lived in Missoula on and off for the last 30 years, but consistently for the last 12. I met my wife and had my kids here. My father and my wife's entire family  More

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Reviews for Big Bear Lake    5 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

We moved to Big Bear Lake a couple of years ago from Los Angeles because of my husband's job. It is a somewhat pretty city, the lake is mirky and surrounded by trash,  More

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Over 15 years ago

Big Bear Lake, a beautiful setting in a remote mountain community in Southern California. A draw to tourists from the Los Angeles area for skiing, boating, and mountain  More

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In the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California, this little town has almost everything you would want to see and do. In the spring and summer the lake is filled  More

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