Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mataro Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mataro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,176 in Bilbao versus $1,909 in Mataro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,210 in Bilbao versus $2,774 in Mataro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,244 in Bilbao versus $3,638 in Mataro.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 14% more expensive than in Mataro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 58% above, Mataro 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 €17.74

$17.40 €15.00

18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 €63.2

$57.1 €49.24

28.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 €10.87

$13.88 €11.96

-9.15%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.27

$2.17 €1.87

21.20%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$2.50 €2.16

22.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.15 €3.58

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.51 €3.03

-2.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.23 €1.06

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.16 €1.86

-24.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.59 €1.37

-0.63%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.84

$4.29 €3.70

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.86

$17.10 €14.74

-12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 €7.11

$9.44 €8.14

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 €12.01

$20.07 €17.30

-30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.84 €2.45

-2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.26 €1.95

-8.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.56 €2.21

4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.16

$2.85 €2.45

-12.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.25 €1.94

-29.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.30 €1.98

11.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.55 €1.34

-16.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.88 €0.76

-1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.00

$6.53 €5.63

6.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.06

$5.94 €5.12

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.19 €1.02

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.36 €2.03

10.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.68 €2.31

-32.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €44.89

$36.66 €31.60

42.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.04

$2.45 €2.11

138.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.08 €0.93

-3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.30 €28.70

$30.24 €26.07

10.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.78 €1.54

-1.12%

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

$36.8K €31.7K

$37.3K €32.2K

-1.32%

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

$32.0K €27.5K

$29.9K €25.7K

7.01%

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

$150 €129

$188 €162

-20.43%

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

$20.95 €18.06

$13.02 €11.23

60.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.43 €27.09

$30.76 €26.52

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.44

$63.4 €54.7

-9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 €13.73

$14.74 €12.70

8.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 €9.14

$11.17 €9.63

-5.01%

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

$552 €476

$523 €451

5.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.3K

$8,314 €7,166

44.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €80.9

$92.6 €79.8

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.72 €30.79

$40.42 €34.84

-11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 €62.0

$102 €87.6

-29.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$118 €102

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 €1,144

$979 €844

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 €940

$815 €702

33.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,170

$1,384 €1,193

81.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 €1,540

$1,219 €1,050

46.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,053 €5,218

$3,518 €3,033

72.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,882 €3,346

$2,937 €2,531

32.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,446 €2,109

$1,959 €1,689

24.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.16

-5.70%

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

Last update for Bilbao: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mataro: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Bilbao and $979 in Mataro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 25% 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: $73.0 in Bilbao vs $57.0 in Mataro. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $319, 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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Mataro differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,176 vs $1,909 including rent). Mataro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,327 in Bilbao versus $979 in Mataro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $552 in Bilbao versus $523 in Mataro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,909 in Mataro versus $2,176 in Bilbao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mataro but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Mataro 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 Mataro 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 Mataro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.