Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Gela Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Gela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,463 in Gela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,230 in Gela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $2,998 in Gela.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 37% more expensive than Gela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Gela 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.68

$11.39 €9.80

49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$59.0 €50.7

19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.77

$10.52 €9.05

7.98%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$1.86 €1.60

23.66%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$2.29 €1.97

31.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.21 €1.04

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$4.72 €4.06

-22.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$4.12 €3.54

-8.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.47 €1.26

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.96 €1.69

-23.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.50 €2.15

-31.60%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$3.44 €2.96

-15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.47

$14.52 €12.49

7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.45

$12.62 €10.85

-31.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.72

$17.82 €15.33

-23.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.86 €2.46

-5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.34 €2.01

-0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.15 €1.85

13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.36 €2.03

3.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.77 €1.53

-4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.24 €1.06

80.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.27 €1.09

14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.44 €0.38

159.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$6.63 €5.70

5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.17

$7.81 €6.72

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.17 €1.87

-37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.18 €2.74

-15.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.72 €1.48

12.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.06

$57.3 €49.26

-14.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$11.76 €10.12

-53.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$2.14 €1.84

-57.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.03

$34.62 €29.78

-2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.10 €1.81

-13.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$25.1K €21.6K

55.59%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$30.0K €25.8K

8.15%

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

$155 €133

$210 €181

-26.32%

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

$21.95 €18.88

$14.68 €12.63

49.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.93

$28.22 €24.28

23.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.43

$58.5 €50.4

-3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.76

$14.21 €12.23

-28.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.76

$9.79 €8.42

4.09%

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

$542 €466

$394 €339

37.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,842

$10.8K €9,272

-15.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.5

$87.8 €75.5

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.08

$31.50 €27.10

11.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$91.8 €79.0

-9.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.7

$132 €113

-14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €952

$370 €318

199.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €812

$351 €302

168.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,544

$562 €483

219.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,164

$614 €528

120.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,100

$2,222 €1,911

166.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,206

$1,035 €890

260.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,110

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.72

-28.39%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gela: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $370 in Gela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $59.0 in Gela. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $318, 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 Gela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Gela differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,463 including rent). Gela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,013 in Bilbao and $2,194 in Gela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,107 in Bilbao versus $370 in Gela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $394 in Gela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,463 in Gela versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gela but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Gela 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 Gela 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 Gela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.