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: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 62% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 59% above, Maldonado is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.78

$14.69 UYU 591

40.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.5

$55.1 UYU 2,218

29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.09

$10.99 UYU 442

17.29%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.29

$4.53 UYU 182

-41.28%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$2.60 UYU 104

21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.62 UYU 146

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.71 UYU 149

-6.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.18 UYU 47.46

18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.79 UYU 112

-40.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-13.41%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$4.03 UYU 162

-16.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$14.37 UYU 578

5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.97

$11.63 UYU 468

-30.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.71

$11.63 UYU 468

17.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.90 UYU 116

-4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.18 UYU 87.6

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.83 UYU 73.5

46.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$3.15 UYU 127

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.04 UYU 82.2

-25.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.99 UYU 80.1

28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.40 UYU 56.4

-9.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-54.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.88

$5.45 UYU 219

25.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$8.01 UYU 322

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.74 UYU 110

-4.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.36 UYU 54.9

38.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.56

$49.26 UYU 1,982

7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.02

$3.42 UYU 138

70.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.43 UYU 17.41

148.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.34

$9.98 UYU 402

241.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.94 UYU 78.2

-11.86%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

32.61%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-14.50%

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

$149 €128

$113 UYU 4,552

31.83%

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

$20.81 €17.90

$16.99 UYU 684

22.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.11

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-31.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.54

$48.71 UYU 1,960

18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.94

$30.07 UYU 1,210

-46.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.10

$12.35 UYU 497

-14.41%

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

$555 €477

$492 UYU 19.8K

12.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

74.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.5

$90.6 UYU 3,647

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €30.93

$37.96 UYU 1,527

-5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.6

$122 UYU 4,900

-41.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$117 UYU 4,693

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,121

$427 UYU 17.2K

205.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €946

$317 UYU 12.8K

246.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,205

$910 UYU 36.6K

181.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,555

$587 UYU 23.6K

207.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,234

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,298

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,099

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

142.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

-40.40%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 142% 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 $281 vs $321, 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 62% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,345 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 142% 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: $1,302 in Bilbao versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 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 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $2,181 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 62% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.