Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Madrid Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Madrid

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Bilbao versus $2,270 in Madrid.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,809 in Bilbao versus $3,352 in Madrid.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in Bilbao versus $4,434 in Madrid.

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 14% less than in Madrid, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 45% above, Madrid 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €15.00

$17.07 €14.71

1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.7

$69.5 €59.9

-1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.88

$11.92 €10.27

-3.86%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$3.09 €2.66

-25.24%

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

$2.98 €2.56

$3.10 €2.67

-3.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.11 €1.82

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.30

$4.14 €3.57

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.22

$4.60 €3.96

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.19 €1.02

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.70 €1.46

-15.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

Eggs

$2.86 €2.47

$3.48 €3.00

-17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.75 €13.57

$14.73 €12.69

6.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 €7.42

$9.07 €7.82

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.45

$16.75 €14.44

-20.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.33

$2.61 €2.25

3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.22 €1.91

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.51 €2.16

-1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.75 €2.37

-14.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.14 €1.84

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.13 €1.84

7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.39 €1.19

5.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.97 €0.84

17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.00

$6.79 €5.85

2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.85

$8.02 €6.91

-0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.44 €1.24

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.25 €1.94

15.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.76 €1.52

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 €41.66

$49.48 €42.63

-2.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.63

$4.11 €3.55

30.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.39 €1.20

-30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 €28.38

$29.01 €25.00

13.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.87 €1.61

-2.14%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.6K €32.4K

3.59%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$34.1K €29.3K

-6.86%

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

$154 €133

$195 €168

-20.84%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$21.25 €18.31

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.53 €29.75

$35.75 €30.80

-3.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 €49.41

$52.8 €45.47

8.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 €8.70

$17.91 €15.44

-43.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.61

$11.72 €10.09

-14.68%

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

$559 €482

$680 €586

-17.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,837 €7,614

$12.3K €10.6K

-27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.7

$95.8 €82.6

-10.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.79

$42.50 €36.62

-18.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 €69.3

$106 €91.4

-24.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$137 €118

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €950

$1,609 €1,386

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €820

$1,138 €980

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 €1,563

$2,792 €2,405

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,167

$1,915 €1,650

-29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,952 €5,128

$8,893 €7,662

-33.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 €3,224

$4,347 €3,745

-13.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,389 €2,059

$2,584 €2,226

-7.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.43

-1.46%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 8, 2026

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Bilbao and $1,609 in Madrid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 8% 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: $68.0 in Bilbao vs $69.0 in Madrid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $295 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 Madrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Madrid differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,943 vs $2,270 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Madrid earns 8% less. 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: $1,102 in Bilbao versus $1,609 in Madrid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Bilbao versus $680 in Madrid. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,943 in Bilbao versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Madrid. 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 Madrid 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 17% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.