Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Almelo

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.

103

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
Learn more

Bilbao Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Almelo
Learn more

Almelo Living Index

Jump to prices

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,129

/mo nomad

Almelo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bilbao and in Almelo

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

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

Bilbao $2,129
Almelo $2,544

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

Bilbao $3,159
Almelo $3,805

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

Bilbao $4,190
Almelo $5,066

Bilbao is about 16% cheaper than Almelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.39 €19.92

$20.17 €17.94

11.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 €63.4

$101 €90.1

-29.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 €10.90

$15.47 €13.76

-20.81%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.27

$4.64 €4.13

-45.04%

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

$3.03 €2.70

$3.92 €3.49

-22.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.16 €2.81

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.96

$5.55 €4.94

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.04

$5.54 €4.93

-38.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.33 €1.18

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.41

$2.60 €2.32

-39.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.66 €2.36

-44.36%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.95

$4.55 €4.04

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 €13.80

$12.89 €11.46

20.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €7.11

$13.14 €11.69

-39.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 €12.87

$18.46 €16.42

-21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.97 €2.64

-5.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$2.41 €2.14

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.53 €2.25

3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$4.75 €4.22

-46.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.03 €1.81

-19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.56 €1.39

60.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.30 €1.16

-2.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$1.21 €1.07

-25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.88

$13.68 €12.17

-51.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.12

$6.52 €5.80

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.37 €1.22

8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.52 €2.24

-0.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.57

$3.75 €3.33

-53.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 €44.87

$97.9 €87.1

-48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 €4.93

$6.67 €5.94

-16.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.91

$2.66 €2.36

-61.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.65 €29.04

$28.91 €25.72

12.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.61

$2.12 €1.89

-14.62%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$41.3K €36.8K

-15.95%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$38.6K €34.3K

-20.43%

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

$142 €127

$230 €205

-38.20%

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

$20.57 €18.29

$20.64 €18.36

-0.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 €26.92

$50.0 €44.49

-39.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.96

$41.63 €37.03

32.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 €13.55

$21.12 €18.79

-27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.87

$16.67 €14.82

-40.19%

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

$521 €463

$1,728 €1,537

-69.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €10.1K

$7,567 €6,730

50.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$105 €93.2

0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 €33.55

$45.47 €40.45

-17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 €67.3

$105 €93.1

-27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$193 €172

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$1,337 €1,189

-5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €940

$1,158 €1,030

-8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,392 €2,127

$2,369 €2,107

0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,503

$1,868 €1,662

-9.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,657 €5,032

$4,914 €4,371

15.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,688 €3,281

$4,268 €3,797

-13.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,394 €2,129

$4,829 €4,295

-50.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.43

-13.12%

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

Last update for Bilbao: October 11, 2026

Last update for Almelo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bilbao

$1.1K 49.7%

Almelo

$1.2K 45.5% 9.6% $101

Eating Out

Bilbao

$290 13.6%

Almelo

$331 13% 14.2% $41

Groceries & Markets

Bilbao

$282 13.3%

Almelo

$345 13.6% 22.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bilbao

$193 9.1%

Almelo

$301 11.8% 55.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Bilbao

$164 7.7%

Almelo

$202 7.9% 23.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bilbao

$75 3.5%

Almelo

$75 3% 0% $0

Getting Around

Bilbao

$68 3.2%

Almelo

$133 5.2% 94.8% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,261 in Bilbao versus $1,337 in Almelo. 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 $71.0 in Bilbao versus $101 in Almelo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $345 – making Bilbao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🇳🇱 Almelo

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Bilbao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

346,096

73,107

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bilbao Almelo 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bilbao
Almelo

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

Bilbao vs Almelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,194 per month in Bilbao and $3,816 in Almelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Bilbao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $521 per month in Bilbao and $1,728 in Almelo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.

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.