Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,945 in Bilbao versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,794 in Bilbao versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 17% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 45% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.55

$17.61 €15.04

-3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.3

$68.7 €58.7

1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.78

$13.75 €11.74

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.06

$2.76 €2.36

-12.68%

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

$3.02 €2.58

$2.78 €2.38

8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$2.05 €1.75

-0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 €3.15

$4.61 €3.93

-19.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.31

$4.59 €3.92

-15.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.28 €1.09

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.11 €1.80

-30.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.97 €1.68

-16.24%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.50

$3.44 €2.94

-14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.46

$18.83 €16.08

-16.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 €7.49

$9.45 €8.07

-7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 €11.59

$19.01 €16.24

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.25

$2.72 €2.32

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.37 €2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$2.08 €1.77

18.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.76 €2.36

-14.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.97 €1.68

-12.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.96

$1.79 €1.53

28.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$1.51 €1.29

-1.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 €0.77

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €5.98

$6.76 €5.77

3.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.21

$7.55 €6.44

11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.44 €1.23

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.22

$2.41 €2.06

7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.69

$3.03 €2.59

-34.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.12 €41.95

$28.39 €24.25

73.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.75

$4.43 €3.78

25.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.82

$2.05 €1.75

-53.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €28.40

$29.33 €25.05

13.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.89 €1.61

-7.94%

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

$39.0K €33.3K

$38.7K €33.1K

0.67%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$32.4K €27.6K

0.21%

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

$153 €131

$189 €161

-18.65%

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

$21.52 €18.38

$22.21 €18.96

-3.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.08

$36.82 €31.44

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.35

$58.0 €49.52

-0.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 €8.49

$20.99 €17.93

-52.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.54

$11.05 €9.44

-9.50%

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

$543 €463

$726 €620

-25.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,023 €7,706

$15.2K €13.0K

-40.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.1

$88.3 €75.4

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 €30.46

$36.98 €31.58

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.2

$103 €87.6

-19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.3

$119 €102

-5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €915

$1,526 €1,304

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 €822

$1,218 €1,040

-21.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,532

$2,794 €2,386

-35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,159

$2,027 €1,731

-33.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 €5,101

$7,094 €6,058

-15.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 €3,204

$4,849 €4,141

-22.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,413 €2,061

$2,404 €2,053

0.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.39

-0.29%

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

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Bilbao and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $320 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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Barcelona differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,945 vs $2,341 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 0% more on average, 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: $1,071 in Bilbao versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Bilbao versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,945 in Bilbao versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bilbao 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 Barcelona 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 20% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.