Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,299 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,116 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $2,933 in Maldonado.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 55% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 50% above, Maldonado is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.38

$16.01 UYU 643

9.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.5

$54.5 UYU 2,190

26.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.14

$11.04 UYU 444

4.89%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$4.19 UYU 168

-45.82%

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

$2.91 €2.55

$2.16 UYU 86.7

34.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.71 UYU 68.8

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.34

$2.43 UYU 97.8

56.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.27

$3.65 UYU 147

2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.13 UYU 45.31

8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.79 UYU 112

-46.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.60 UYU 64.3

5.62%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$4.75 UYU 191

-39.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.37

$13.69 UYU 550

11.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.89

$10.71 UYU 430

-15.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.93

$10.87 UYU 437

25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.43

$2.20 UYU 88.5

25.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$2.40 UYU 96.6

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.54 UYU 62.1

59.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$3.49 UYU 140

-31.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.79 UYU 71.8

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.96 UYU 78.8

14.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.24 UYU 49.67

18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.59 UYU 64.0

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.94

$5.29 UYU 213

28.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$8.04 UYU 323

0.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.96 UYU 78.7

-31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.67 UYU 107

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.38 UYU 55.3

39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.61

$44.18 UYU 1,776

12.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.87

$1.44 UYU 57.8

286.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.85

$2.09 UYU 84.1

-53.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.83

$11.21 UYU 450

193.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.83 UYU 73.4

-3.83%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

9.67%

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

$32.2K €28.2K

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

-11.91%

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

$156 €136

$155 UYU 6,218

0.55%

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

$22.02 €19.28

$16.47 UYU 662

33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.09

$42.44 UYU 1,705

-19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.5

$46.40 UYU 1,865

24.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.93

$29.58 UYU 1,189

-65.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.81

$7.91 UYU 318

27.18%

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

$549 €481

$492 UYU 19.8K

11.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,967

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €72.0

$86.6 UYU 3,479

-4.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.46

$47.65 UYU 1,915

-27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.2

$88.5 UYU 3,557

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.9

$93.1 UYU 3,743

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €952

$370 UYU 14.9K

193.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €839

$282 UYU 11.3K

239.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,583

$886 UYU 35.6K

104.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,189

$620 UYU 24.9K

118.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,059

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

282.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,239

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

183.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,094

$861 UYU 34.6K

177.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.68

-40.49%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $370 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 178% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $54.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $305, 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Maldonado differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,299 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $1,087 in Bilbao versus $370 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,299 in Maldonado versus $2,010 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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 Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.