Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bilbao: $2,166 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barcelona outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Barcelona $2,453
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Barcelona $3,509
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Barcelona $4,564
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Barcelona is roughly 13% more expensive than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.75

$22.64 €20.27

-22.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$73.0 €65.4

-7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$12.47 €11.17

8.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.86

$2.67 €2.39

19.48%

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

$2.91 €2.61

$3.12 €2.79

-6.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.91 €1.71

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.59

$3.30 €2.96

21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.06

$3.30 €2.96

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.65 €1.48

22.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.54 €1.38

20.13%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.33

$3.31 €2.97

45.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.99

$15.55 €13.93

7.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.17

$7.97 €7.14

14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.59

$14.56 €13.04

34.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.76 €2.47

7.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.09 €1.87

-3.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.54 €2.28

6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.65 €2.38

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.64 €1.47

27.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.43 €2.18

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.28 €1.14

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.93 €0.83

1.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.15

$6.57 €5.89

4.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.06

$7.59 €6.80

3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.51 €1.35

-6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.59 €2.32

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.82

$1.95 €1.75

61.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.79

$50.7 €45.41

-49.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.68

$5.37 €4.81

-44.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.03 €0.92

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.89

$32.32 €28.94

3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.83 €1.64

-1.64%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$33.3K €29.8K

-0.29%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$32.3K €28.9K

-1.76%

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

$180 €162

$145 €130

24.51%

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

$13.84 €12.39

$19.91 €17.83

-30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.18

$29.47 €26.40

14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.13

$50.8 €45.51

1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.29

$15.21 €13.62

4.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.85

$10.18 €9.11

7.96%

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

$917 €821

$534 €478

71.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.8K

$11.7K €10.5K

40.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.9

$105 €93.7

-16.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.49

$36.56 €32.74

5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$76.0 €68.1

39.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$143 €128

-16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,522

$1,366 €1,224

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,214

$1,093 €979

24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,331

$2,008 €1,798

29.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,847

$1,559 €1,397

32.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,193

$5,880 €5,266

17.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,592

$3,707 €3,320

38.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,980

$2,346 €2,101

-5.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

2.98

10.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 19.4% $262

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 12.1% $39

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 9.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Bilbao

$194 9% 14.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 2.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 3.2% $2.3

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 42.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $73 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $283, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

346,096

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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From you

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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

Barcelona vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $2,166 in Bilbao, so Bilbao is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $534 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bilbao gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Barcelona and Bilbao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.