Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almelo and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bilbao: $2,129 a month against $2,544 in Almelo, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Almelo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,544
/mo nomad
Bilbao
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,129
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almelo and in Bilbao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almelo and in Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,544 per month in Almelo vs $2,129 in Bilbao, rent included.

  • Almelo $2,544
  • Bilbao $2,129

A couple spends around $3,805 per month in Almelo vs $3,159 in Bilbao, rent included.

  • Almelo $3,805
  • Bilbao $3,159

A family of three spends $5,066 per month in Almelo vs $4,190 in Bilbao, rent included.

  • Almelo $5,066
  • Bilbao $4,190

Almelo costs about 19% more than Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Almelo and Bilbao sit above the global median – Almelo by 88%, Bilbao by 58%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.17 €17.94
$22.39 €19.92
-9.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 €90.1
$71.3 €63.4
42.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.47 €13.76
$12.25 €10.90
26.29%
Cappuccino
$4.64 €4.13
$2.55 €2.27
81.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 €3.49
$3.03 €2.70
29.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 €2.81
$1.89 €1.68
67.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.55 €4.94
$3.33 €2.96
66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 €4.93
$3.41 €3.04
62.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.29 €1.15
3.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 €2.32
$1.58 €1.41
64.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 €2.36
$1.48 €1.32
79.73%
Eggs
$4.55 €4.04
$3.31 €2.95
37.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 €11.46
$15.51 €13.80
-16.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.14 €11.69
$7.99 €7.11
64.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.46 €16.42
$14.47 €12.87
27.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 €2.64
$2.80 €2.49
6.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.16 €1.93
11.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.61 €2.32
-3.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.75 €4.22
$2.55 €2.27
86.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.63 €1.45
24.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 €1.39
$2.50 €2.22
-37.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.27 €1.13
2.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.07
$0.90 €0.80
34.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.68 €12.17
$6.60 €5.88
107.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.52 €5.80
$8.00 €7.12
-18.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.48 €1.31
-7.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.50 €2.23
0.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.75 €3.33
$1.76 €1.57
113.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.9 €87.1
$50.4 €44.87
94.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.67 €5.94
$5.54 €4.93
20.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.66 €2.36
$1.03 €0.91
158.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.91 €25.72
$32.65 €29.04
-11.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.81 €1.61
17.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.3K €36.8K
$34.7K €30.9K
18.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$30.7K €27.3K
25.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 €205
$142 €127
61.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.64 €18.36
$20.57 €18.29
0.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.0 €44.49
$30.26 €26.92
65.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.63 €37.03
$55.0 €48.96
-24.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.12 €18.79
$15.24 €13.55
38.58%
Cinema Ticket
$16.67 €14.82
$9.97 €8.87
67.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,728 €1,537
$521 €463
231.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,567 €6,730
$11.4K €10.1K
-33.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €93.2
$105 €93.4
-0.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.47 €40.45
$37.72 €33.55
20.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.1
$75.7 €67.3
38.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$193 €172
$146 €130
32.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,189
$1,261 €1,121
6.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 €1,030
$1,057 €940
9.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,369 €2,107
$2,392 €2,127
-0.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,868 €1,662
$1,689 €1,503
10.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,914 €4,371
$5,657 €5,032
-13.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,268 €3,797
$3,688 €3,281
15.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Almelo
Bilbao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,829 €4,295
$2,394 €2,129
101.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.43
2.98
15.10%

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

Last update for Almelo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Almelo
$1.2K
Bilbao
$1.1K 8.7% $101
Groceries & Markets
Almelo
$345
Bilbao
$282 18.2% $63
Eating Out
Almelo
$331
Bilbao
$290 12.4% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Almelo
$301
Bilbao
$193 35.8% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Almelo
$202
Bilbao
$164 18.8% $38
Getting Around
Almelo
$133
Bilbao
$68 48.7% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Almelo
$75
Bilbao
$75 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,337 in Almelo versus $1,261 in Bilbao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 102% higher in Almelo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Almelo versus $71.0 in Bilbao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $282 – making Bilbao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Almelo
🇪🇸 Bilbao
🕒 Local time
15:52 3:52 PM
15:52 3:52 PM
Same time as Almelo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
73,107
346,096
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Almelo Bilbao 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Almelo
  • Bilbao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Almelo vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Almelo or Bilbao?
Almelo costs about 19% more than Bilbao, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Almelo and in Bilbao?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,816 per month in Almelo and $3,194 in Bilbao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Almelo or Bilbao?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bilbao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Almelo compared to Bilbao?
Public transport costs about 94% less in Bilbao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Almelo and in Bilbao?
Kindergarten costs $1,728 per month in Almelo and $521 in Bilbao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Almelo or in Bilbao?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bilbao, where all-in costs run around $2,129, than in Almelo at $2,544. In Bilbao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almelo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Almelo or Bilbao?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bilbao costs $2,129 versus $2,544 in Almelo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Almelo compared to Bilbao?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Almelo or to Bilbao?
If budget matters most, go with Bilbao. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almelo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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