Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Austin, TX

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.

101

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index
129

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

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Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,101

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bilbao and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 22% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 €18.66

$20.22 $20.22

3.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 €61.6

$85.0 $85.0

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 €10.83

$12.35 $12.35

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.23

$5.47 $5.47

-54.30%

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

$2.91 €2.59

$3.82 $3.82

-23.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.50 $2.50

-30.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.03

$8.06 $8.06

-57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.92

$8.99 $8.99

-63.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.13 $1.13

15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.41

$3.78 $3.78

-58.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$3.25 $3.25

-53.54%

Eggs

$3.32 €2.96

$4.14 $4.14

-19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 €12.85

$13.08 $13.08

10.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 €7.18

$14.31 $14.31

-43.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.82

$15.96 $15.96

-16.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.43

$4.38 $4.38

-37.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.45 $1.45

39.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.33

$4.54 $4.54

-42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.13

$4.19 $4.19

-43.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.63 $2.63

-42.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.36 $2.36

2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.76 $1.76

-31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.70

$2.16 $2.16

-63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €6.09

$9.81 $9.81

-30.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$14.72 $14.72

-47.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.78 $2.78

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.34

$3.48 $3.48

-24.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.49 $1.49

22.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.7 €45.25

$40.51 $40.51

25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €5.02

$2.67 $2.67

110.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.58 $1.58

-37.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.89 €28.46

$35.29 $35.29

-9.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.99 $0.99

80.81%

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

$35.0K €31.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-2.21%

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

$30.4K €27.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

11.79%

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

$142 €127

$219 $219

-35.07%

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

$20.34 €18.15

$58.0 $58.0

-64.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$68.4 $68.4

-55.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 €49.81

$57.9 $57.9

-3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 €13.62

$14.82 $14.82

3.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.86

$14.13 $14.13

-29.79%

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

$538 €480

$1,509 $1,509

-64.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €79.9

$51.7 $51.7

73.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.39 €30.69

$44.05 $44.05

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 €61.3

$85.1 $85.1

-19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$105 $105

20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,125

$1,932 $1,932

-34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 €941

$1,272 $1,272

-17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 €2,203

$3,670 $3,670

-32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,523

$2,525 $2,525

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,875 €5,243

$7,617 $7,617

-22.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,675 €3,280

$3,199 $3,199

14.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,385 €2,128

$5,105 $5,105

-53.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

6.79

-56.11%

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

Last update for Bilbao: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 20.7% $218

Eating Out

Bilbao

$276 13.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 26.2% $72

Groceries & Markets

Bilbao

$271 13%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 48.5% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bilbao

$193 9.3%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 79.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Bilbao

$144 6.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 10.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bilbao

$76 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 13.9% $10

Getting Around

Bilbao

$69 3.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 16.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,261 in Bilbao and $1,932 in Austin, TX. 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $403 per month, with Bilbao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

7 h behind Bilbao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

346,096

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Bilbao
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 114% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,261 in Bilbao versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,101 per month in Bilbao versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – 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, Bilbao and Austin, TX 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.