Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bilbao: $2,101 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,101 in Bilbao.

Austin, TX $2,704
Bilbao $2,101

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,137 in Bilbao.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bilbao $3,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,172 in Bilbao.

Austin, TX $5,562
Bilbao $4,172

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 29% more expensive than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Bilbao 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$20.91 €18.66

-3.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$69.0 €61.6

23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.14 €10.83

1.73%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.50 €2.23

118.80%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.91 €2.59

31.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.73 €1.55

44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.40 €3.03

137.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.27 €2.92

174.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.30 €1.16

-13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.58 €1.41

139.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.51 €1.35

115.23%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.32 €2.96

24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.39 €12.85

-9.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.05 €7.18

77.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.25 €11.82

20.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.72 €2.43

61.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.02 €1.80

-28.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.61 €2.33

73.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.38 €2.13

76.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.52 €1.36

73.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.41 €2.15

-2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.21 €1.08

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.78 €0.70

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.83 €6.09

43.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.78 €6.94

89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.48 €1.32

87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.62 €2.34

32.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.83 €1.63

-18.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$50.7 €45.25

-20.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.63 €5.02

-52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.99 €0.88

59.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$31.89 €28.46

10.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.79 €1.60

-44.69%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$35.0K €31.2K

2.26%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.4K €27.1K

-10.55%

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

$219 $219

$142 €127

54.00%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$20.34 €18.15

185.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$30.13 €26.89

126.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$55.8 €49.81

3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.27 €13.62

-2.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.92 €8.86

42.44%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$538 €480

180.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.5K €10.3K

86.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$89.5 €79.9

-42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$34.39 €30.69

28.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$68.7 €61.3

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$127 €114

-17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,261 €1,125

53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,054 €941

20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,469 €2,203

48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,707 €1,523

47.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,875 €5,243

29.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,675 €3,280

-12.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,385 €2,128

114.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.98

127.85%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.6% 17.1% $218

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Bilbao

$271 13% 32.7% $132

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Bilbao

$276 13.2% 20.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Bilbao

$193 9.3% 44.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Bilbao

$144 6.9% 11.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Bilbao

$76 3.6% 12.2% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Bilbao

$69 3.3% 20.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,261 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 114% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $69.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $271 per month, with Bilbao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

11:05 11:05 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

346,096

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bilbao 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bilbao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,261 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,101 in Bilbao – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bilbao runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,101 in Bilbao versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bilbao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bilbao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,101 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bilbao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.