Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Cremona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Cremona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $1,638 in Cremona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $2,561 in Cremona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $3,484 in Cremona.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 33% more expensive than in Cremona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 59% above, Cremona 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.78

$17.69 €15.22

16.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.5

$82.4 €70.9

-13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.09

$9.26 €7.97

39.20%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.29

$1.87 €1.61

42.25%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$3.49 €3.01

-9.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.68 €1.44

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.93 €5.10

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$4.59 €3.95

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.42 €1.22

-1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.13 €1.83

-22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.12 €1.82

-26.89%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$3.80 €3.27

-11.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$16.57 €14.26

-8.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.97

$12.24 €10.53

-33.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.71

$18.85 €16.22

-27.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.43 €2.09

13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.09 €1.80

2.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.74 €2.35

-2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.38 €2.05

2.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.27 €1.95

-33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$2.78 €2.39

-7.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.19 €1.03

6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.36 €0.31

138.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.88

$7.13 €6.14

-4.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$6.95 €5.98

17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.50 €1.29

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.40 €2.06

9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.56 €1.34

21.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.56

$43.68 €37.58

21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.02

$7.94 €6.83

-26.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.34 €2.02

-54.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.34

$22.79 €19.61

49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.07 €1.78

-17.39%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$38.3K €32.9K

-4.85%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$40.2K €34.6K

-21.30%

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

$149 €128

$165 €142

-9.81%

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

$20.81 €17.90

$7.45 €6.41

179.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.11

$23.40 €20.14

34.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.54

$53.1 €45.66

8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.94

$20.77 €17.88

-22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.10

$9.01 €7.76

17.31%

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

$555 €477

$529 €455

4.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$2,366 €2,036

396.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.5

$87.9 €75.7

6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €30.93

$39.43 €33.93

-8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.6

$111 €95.8

-35.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$117 €101

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,121

$741 €638

75.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €946

$547 €471

100.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,205

$1,311 €1,129

95.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,555

$925 €796

95.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,234

$2,718 €2,339

123.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,298

$2,124 €1,828

80.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,099

$2,373 €2,042

2.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.92

-23.98%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cremona: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $741 in Cremona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 3% 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: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $82.0 in Cremona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $322 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 Cremona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Cremona differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,638 including rent). Cremona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,302 in Bilbao versus $741 in Cremona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $529 in Cremona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,638 in Cremona versus $2,181 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cremona but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Cremona 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 Cremona 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 Cremona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.