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: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,325 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,090 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $2,856 in Maldonado.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 52% more expensive than Maldonado, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 50% above, Maldonado is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.68

$16.02 UYU 646

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$54.8 UYU 2,208

28.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.77

$11.03 UYU 445

2.99%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$4.15 UYU 167

-44.58%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$2.27 UYU 91.4

32.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.75 UYU 70.8

13.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$2.39 UYU 96.4

53.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$3.69 UYU 149

1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.13 UYU 45.46

14.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.86 UYU 115

-47.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.55 UYU 62.4

10.32%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$4.63 UYU 187

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.47

$13.74 UYU 554

13.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.45

$10.77 UYU 434

-19.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.72

$10.97 UYU 442

24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.19 UYU 88.3

22.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.39 UYU 96.3

-2.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.57 UYU 63.5

54.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.54 UYU 143

-30.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.77 UYU 71.5

-4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.93 UYU 77.7

16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.20 UYU 48.29

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.61 UYU 64.9

-29.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$5.25 UYU 212

33.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.17

$3.55 UYU 143

134.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.88 UYU 75.8

-28.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.65 UYU 107

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.32 UYU 53.3

46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.06

$44.20 UYU 1,782

10.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$1.49 UYU 60.2

266.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$2.10 UYU 84.6

-56.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.03

$11.22 UYU 452

200.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.81 UYU 73.1

0.55%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.4K UYU 1.4M

13.44%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-9.30%

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

$155 €133

$155 UYU 6,269

-0.26%

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

$21.95 €18.88

$16.93 UYU 683

29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.93

$43.30 UYU 1,746

-19.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.43

$45.88 UYU 1,850

22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.76

$29.76 UYU 1,200

-65.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.76

$7.95 UYU 320

28.18%

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

$542 €466

$478 UYU 19.3K

13.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,842

$7,205 UYU 290.5K

26.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.5

$85.1 UYU 3,431

0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.08

$46.83 UYU 1,888

-25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$88.9 UYU 3,585

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.7

$91.4 UYU 3,686

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €952

$366 UYU 14.7K

202.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €812

$285 UYU 11.5K

231.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,544

$890 UYU 35.9K

101.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,164

$600 UYU 24.2K

125.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,100

$1,526 UYU 61.5K

288.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,206

$1,299 UYU 52.4K

186.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,110

$886 UYU 35.7K

176.79%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $366 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 177% 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 $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $297, 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 52% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,325 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 177% 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 $366 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $478 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,325 in Maldonado versus $2,008 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 52% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.