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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,831 in Alcala de Henares.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,647 in Alcala de Henares.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $3,463 in Alcala de Henares.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 10% more expensive than in Alcala de Henares, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Alcala de Henares 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$17.46 €15.25

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.4

$70.7 €61.8

-2.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.12

$10.22 €8.93

13.31%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.98

$2.62 €2.29

-13.36%

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

$2.91 €2.54

$3.14 €2.74

-7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.04 €1.78

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.33

$4.02 €3.51

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.26

$4.60 €4.02

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.20 €1.05

2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.05 €0.92

40.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.70 €1.49

-0.59%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.51

$2.66 €2.32

8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.33

$22.48 €19.64

-32.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.87

$8.85 €7.74

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.90

$17.05 €14.90

-20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$2.88 €2.52

-3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.20 €1.92

6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.05 €1.79

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.77 €2.42

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.80 €1.57

-4.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.99 €1.73

13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.34 €1.17

9.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.91 €0.80

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$6.30 €5.51

7.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.05

$7.82 €6.84

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.37 €1.20

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.28 €1.99

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.94 €1.70

-1.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.51

$48.03 €41.97

3.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.86

$3.95 €3.45

41.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.37 €1.19

-29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.76

$23.46 €20.49

40.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.78 €1.56

-1.12%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$37.0K €32.3K

2.62%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$29.8K €26.0K

8.28%

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

$156 €136

$127 €111

22.49%

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

$22.02 €19.24

$21.62 €18.89

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.02

$32.00 €27.96

7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.4

$42.89 €37.48

34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.91

$11.63 €10.16

-12.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.79

$10.53 €9.20

-4.46%

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

$549 €479

$263 €230

108.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,948

$6,898 €6,027

31.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €71.9

$87.6 €76.6

-6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.39

$37.39 €32.67

-6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.1

$81.2 €71.0

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$88.6 €77.4

27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €950

$881 €769

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €837

$802 €701

19.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,580

$1,882 €1,644

-3.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,187

$1,158 €1,011

17.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,047

$4,251 €3,714

35.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,232

$3,558 €3,109

3.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,089

$1,795 €1,568

33.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.27

3.36%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Alcala de Henares: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $881 in Alcala de Henares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 33% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $71.0 in Alcala de Henares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $305 per month, with Bilbao cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bilbao and Alcala de Henares differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,831 including rent). Alcala de Henares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Bilbao, 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: $1,087 in Bilbao versus $881 in Alcala de Henares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $263 in Alcala de Henares. 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 $1,831 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,010 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, Bilbao and Alcala de Henares 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.