Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,819 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,526 in Alcala de Henares versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Alcala de Henares costs roughly 9% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alcala de Henares 36% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.78

$17.06 €14.68

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.9

$70.6 €60.8

-1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.89

$11.36 €9.77

-9.07%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.15

$2.30 €1.98

8.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.78

$3.01 €2.59

7.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.98 €1.70

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 €3.51

$3.67 €3.16

11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.75 €3.23

22.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.29 €1.11

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.49 €1.28

-29.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.71 €1.47

-4.09%

Eggs

$2.69 €2.31

$2.92 €2.51

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.48 €19.34

$15.66 €13.47

43.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €7.93

$8.66 €7.45

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 €14.68

$13.63 €11.72

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.69 €2.32

1.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.33 €2.01

-9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.43 €2.09

-16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.45 €2.11

8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.69 €1.45

7.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.24 €1.92

-8.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.45 €1.25

-8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.14 €0.98

-18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 €5.58

$6.99 €6.02

-7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.19

$8.34 €7.17

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.35 €1.16

5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.68 €2.30

-19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.30 €40.69

$48.89 €42.06

-3.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.50

$5.46 €4.70

-25.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.91 €0.79

50.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 €20.30

$33.74 €29.03

-30.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.82 €1.56

2.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.9K €31.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

-5.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.7K €25.6K

$32.4K €27.9K

-8.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$127 €109

$155 €133

-18.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.43 €18.43

$21.95 €18.88

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 €27.70

$34.79 €29.93

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 €36.45

$56.3 €48.43

-24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 €9.93

$10.19 €8.76

13.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.90

$10.19 €8.76

1.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$264 €227

$542 €466

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 €6,022

$9,116 €7,842

-23.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 €75.1

$85.5 €73.5

2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 €32.34

$34.97 €30.08

7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €70.0

$82.7 €71.2

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 €74.5

$112 €96.7

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 €770

$1,107 €952

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €696

$944 €812

-14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 €1,609

$1,795 €1,544

4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,000

$1,353 €1,164

-14.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,419 €3,801

$5,928 €5,100

-25.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,583 €3,082

$3,727 €3,206

-3.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,819 €1,565

$2,453 €2,110

-25.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.38

-3.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alcala de Henares: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Alcala de Henares and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $71.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $285, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alcala de Henares vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala de Henares and Bilbao differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,819 vs $2,008 including rent). Alcala de Henares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bilbao earns 35% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $895 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Alcala de Henares versus $542 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,819 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alcala de Henares but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala de Henares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alcala de Henares and Bilbao are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alcala de Henares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.