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: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,849 in Mataro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,739 in Mataro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $3,628 in Mataro.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 9% more expensive than Mataro, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Mataro 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.68

$17.25 €14.84

-1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$57.8 €49.72

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.77

$10.30 €8.86

10.29%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$2.18 €1.87

5.50%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$2.70 €2.32

11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.06 €1.77

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$4.39 €3.77

-16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$3.53 €3.04

6.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.07 €1.78

-28.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.28 €1.10

33.59%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$3.34 €2.87

-12.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.47

$17.02 €14.64

-7.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.45

$9.32 €8.02

-7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.72

$13.76 €11.83

-0.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.59 €2.23

3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.07 €1.78

12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.55 €2.20

-4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.83 €2.43

-13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.05 €1.76

-17.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.37 €2.04

-5.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.78 €0.67

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$6.50 €5.59

7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.17

$5.94 €5.11

40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.22 €1.05

10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.39 €2.05

12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.28 €1.96

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.06

$25.02 €21.53

95.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$2.48 €2.13

120.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.55 €1.33

-41.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.03

$29.50 €25.37

14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.80 €1.54

1.11%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

-0.83%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$30.1K €25.9K

7.70%

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

$155 €133

$187 €161

-16.93%

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

$21.95 €18.88

$20.73 €17.83

5.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.93

$35.89 €30.87

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.43

$64.0 €55.1

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.76

$15.18 €13.06

-32.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.76

$10.82 €9.31

-5.82%

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

$542 €466

$516 €443

5.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,842

$8,129 €6,993

12.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.5

$72.9 €62.7

17.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.08

$37.07 €31.88

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$90.6 €78.0

-8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.7

$113 €96.8

-0.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €952

$883 €759

25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €812

$802 €690

17.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,544

$1,393 €1,198

28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,164

$1,228 €1,056

10.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,100

$3,514 €3,023

68.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,206

$2,227 €1,916

67.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,110

$1,937 €1,666

26.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.39

-0.29%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mataro: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $883 in Mataro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 27% 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 $58.0 in Mataro. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $289, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,849 including rent). Mataro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 27% 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 $883 in Mataro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $516 in Mataro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,849 in Mataro versus $2,008 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 9% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.