Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mellieha Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mellieha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,891 in Mellieha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,787 in Mellieha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $3,682 in Mellieha.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 6% more expensive than in Mellieha, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Mellieha 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.38

$20.16 €17.66

-12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.5

$69.0 €60.4

0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.14

$11.49 €10.06

0.78%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$2.72 €2.38

-16.54%

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

$2.91 €2.55

$2.64 €2.31

10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.05 €1.80

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.34

$4.46 €3.91

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.27

$3.44 €3.01

8.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.36 €1.19

-9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.41 €1.24

4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$3.40 €2.98

-50.29%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$3.66 €3.20

-21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.37

$9.74 €8.53

56.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.89

$10.37 €9.08

-13.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.93

$14.08 €12.33

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.43

$3.48 €3.05

-20.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.96 €1.72

19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.79 €2.44

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$3.23 €2.83

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.78 €1.55

-3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$2.81 €2.46

-19.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.79 €1.57

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.18 €1.03

-5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.94

$6.29 €5.51

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$5.96 €5.22

35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$2.29 €2.00

-41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$1.85 €1.62

40.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.97 €2.60

-35.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.87

$8.31 €7.27

-32.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.94 €1.69

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.83

$34.51 €30.23

-4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.51 €1.32

16.56%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$26.1K €22.9K

45.36%

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

$32.2K €28.2K

$40.5K €35.4K

-20.39%

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

$156 €136

$110 €96.2

41.57%

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

$22.02 €19.28

$29.42 €25.77

-25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.09

$32.92 €28.83

4.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.5

$63.0 €55.2

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.93

$23.06 €20.19

-55.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.81

$8.49 €7.44

18.49%

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

$549 €481

$260 €228

111.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,967

$9,314 €8,157

-2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €72.0

$75.5 €66.2

8.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.46

$38.62 €33.82

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.2

$94.4 €82.7

-12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.9

$102 €89.5

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €952

$1,023 €896

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €839

$918 €804

4.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,583

$1,754 €1,536

3.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,189

$1,393 €1,220

-2.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,059

$4,005 €3,508

44.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,239

$2,750 €2,408

34.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,094

$1,362 €1,193

75.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.43

-37.75%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mellieha: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $1,023 in Mellieha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 76% 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 $69.0 in Mellieha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $295 per month, with Bilbao cheaper across the board.

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 Mellieha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Mellieha differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,891 including rent). Mellieha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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 $1,023 in Mellieha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,010 per month in Bilbao versus $1,891 in Mellieha – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,891 in Mellieha versus $2,010 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mellieha but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Mellieha 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 Mellieha 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 Mellieha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.