Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Charleston, WV Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Charleston, WV

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,811 in Charleston, WV.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,653 in Charleston, WV.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $3,496 in Charleston, WV.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 11% more expensive than in Charleston, WV, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Charleston, WV 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.36

$14.84 $14.84

18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.4

$49.16 $49.16

40.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.13

$7.92 $7.92

46.21%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$2.76 $2.76

-17.75%

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

$2.91 €2.54

$2.14 $2.14

35.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.06 $2.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.34

$2.93 $2.93

30.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.27

$5.95 $5.95

-37.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$0.82 $0.82

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.22 $2.22

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.70 $1.70

-0.59%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$3.28 $3.28

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.35

$10.16 $10.16

50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.88

$9.66 $9.66

-6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.91

$15.58 $15.58

-12.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$4.49 $4.49

-38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.03 $1.03

127.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.18 $2.18

12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$4.95 $4.95

-51.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-13.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$2.77 $2.77

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.75 $1.75

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.03 $1.03

7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$5.85 $5.85

15.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.06

$9.99 $9.99

-19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.68 $1.68

-20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$1.83 $1.83

42.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.47 $1.47

30.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.57

$59.9 $59.9

-16.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.87

$3.78 $3.78

47.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.26 $1.26

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.80

$24.92 $24.92

32.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.84 $0.84

109.52%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$35.3K $35.3K

7.52%

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

$32.2K €28.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

26.25%

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

$156 €136

$122 $122

27.03%

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

$22.02 €19.26

$45.06 $45.06

-51.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.06

$55.6 $55.6

-38.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.5

$31.45 $31.45

83.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.92

$16.75 $16.75

-39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.80

$12.04 $12.04

-16.45%

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

$549 €480

$1,542 $1,542

-64.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,959

$17.2K $17.2K

-47.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €72.0

$40.84 $40.84

101.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.43

$39.90 $39.90

-12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.2

$89.2 $89.2

-7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.8

$100.0 $100.0

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €951

$924 $924

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €838

$801 $801

19.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,582

$1,765 $1,765

2.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,188

$1,275 $1,275

6.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,054

$1,136 $1,136

408.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,236

$1,125 $1,125

228.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,092

$3,534 $3,534

-32.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

6.53

-48.24%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Charleston, WV: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $924 in Charleston, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 48% 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 $49.00 in Charleston, WV. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $301, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

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 Charleston, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Charleston, WV differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,811 including rent). Charleston, WV is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Charleston, WV. 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: $1,087 in Bilbao versus $924 in Charleston, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $1,542 in Charleston, WV. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,811 in Charleston, WV versus $2,010 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Charleston, WV but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.