Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 38% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$13.07 MX$229

34.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.4

$53.8 MX$940

28.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.12

$9.68 MX$169

19.63%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.98

$3.74 MX$65.4

-39.30%

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

$2.91 €2.54

$1.62 MX$28.25

79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.16 MX$20.31

77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.33

$3.23 MX$56.4

17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.26

$4.74 MX$82.9

-21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.65 MX$28.80

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.75 MX$48.15

-46.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.87 MX$32.77

-9.63%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.51

$2.50 MX$43.72

15.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.33

$10.20 MX$178

49.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.87

$8.25 MX$144

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.90

$11.82 MX$207

15.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$3.01 MX$52.6

-7.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.81 MX$31.67

29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.00 MX$34.96

23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.00 MX$34.89

19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$2.08 MX$36.45

-17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$2.27 MX$39.72

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.46 MX$25.47

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.08 MX$18.82

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$4.35 MX$76.0

55.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.05

$16.99 MX$297

-52.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.73 MX$30.31

-22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$3.58 MX$62.5

-27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.39 MX$6.77

392.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.51

$18.69 MX$327

166.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.86

$1.33 MX$23.18

318.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.28 MX$4.89

246.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.76

$5.25 MX$91.8

527.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.34 MX$23.37

31.34%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

95.53%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

35.18%

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

$156 €136

$40.69 MX$712

282.31%

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

$22.02 €19.24

$26.87 MX$470

-18.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.02

$30.51 MX$534

12.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.4

$52.8 MX$923

9.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.91

$26.65 MX$466

-61.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.79

$6.51 MX$114

54.53%

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

$549 €479

$428 MX$7,485

28.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,948

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-13.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €71.9

$57.3 MX$1,001

43.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.39

$45.50 MX$796

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.1

$104 MX$1,819

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$108 MX$1,885

4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €950

$1,003 MX$17.5K

8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €837

$623 MX$10.9K

53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,580

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-14.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,187

$1,218 MX$21.3K

11.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,047

$3,885 MX$67.9K

48.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,232

$2,033 MX$35.5K

81.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,089

$1,038 MX$18.1K

130.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

11.34

-70.19%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 130% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $292, 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Mexico City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 130% 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 $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,010 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.