Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 13% more expensive than Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Mahe 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.69

$15.43 SCR 223

10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$69.8 SCR 1,010

1.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.78

$8.22 SCR 119

38.20%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-47.49%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$2.37 SCR 34.24

27.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.81 SCR 26.20

9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$8.24 SCR 119

-55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$5.18 SCR 75.0

-27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.59 SCR 23.04

-18.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.09 SCR 15.79

36.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.73 SCR 24.99

-1.16%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$4.16 SCR 60.2

-29.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.49

$15.63 SCR 226

0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$7.88 SCR 114

9.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.73

$12.51 SCR 181

8.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.06 SCR 29.77

30.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.23 SCR 32.29

8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-52.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.96 SCR 13.83

76.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$0.96 SCR 13.84

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.06 SCR 15.34

36.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$12.15 SCR 176

-42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.06 SCR 29.81

30.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.85 SCR 12.24

128.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.10

$23.89 SCR 346

104.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$10.24 SCR 148

-46.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$3.21 SCR 46.39

-71.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.06

$10.20 SCR 148

230.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.56 SCR 22.58

16.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

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

$32.4K €27.9K

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

$155 €134

$84.0 SCR 1,216

84.63%

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

$21.95 €18.90

$21.09 SCR 305

4.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.96

$161 SCR 2,324

-78.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.48

$52.5 SCR 760

7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.77

$6.28 SCR 91.0

62.26%

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

$542 €466

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,850

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.6

$27.27 SCR 395

213.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.11

$10.82 SCR 157

223.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$43.47 SCR 629

90.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.8

$55.2 SCR 799

103.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €953

$815 SCR 11.8K

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €813

$852 SCR 12.3K

10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,546

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

3.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,165

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

31.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,209

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,112

$897 SCR 13.0K

173.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $815 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 174% 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 $70.0 in Mahe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $243 per month, with Mahe 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 Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Mahe differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,779 including rent). Mahe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 174% 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: $1,107 in Bilbao versus $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,008 per month in Bilbao versus $1,779 in Mahe – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,779 in Mahe versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe 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 Mahe 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 Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.