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: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 33% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 59% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.82

$12.11 MX$206

70.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.7

$52.2 MX$887

36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.12

$10.90 MX$185

18.26%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.30

$4.05 MX$68.9

-34.32%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$1.72 MX$29.15

83.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.38 MX$23.41

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.09

$3.47 MX$58.9

3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$5.81 MX$98.8

-40.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.85 MX$31.50

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$3.22 MX$54.8

-48.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.09 MX$35.44

-25.84%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$2.91 MX$49.44

15.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.02

$12.49 MX$212

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.98

$10.11 MX$172

-19.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.74

$15.89 MX$270

-14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.31 MX$56.3

-16.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.13 MX$36.14

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.19 MX$37.22

22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.45 MX$41.59

-0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.19 MX$37.20

-31.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.90 MX$32.37

34.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.62 MX$27.45

-21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.35 MX$22.94

-36.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.89

$5.43 MX$92.2

25.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.03

$17.59 MX$299

-53.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.07 MX$35.14

-22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$4.75 MX$80.7

-44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.34 MX$5.78

455.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.67

$21.58 MX$367

145.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.03

$2.04 MX$34.67

185.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.58 MX$9.82

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.41

$5.97 MX$101

471.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.62 MX$27.46

5.56%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$22.8K MX$387.6K

59.61%

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

$31.6K €27.3K

$26.7K MX$453.1K

18.69%

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

$149 €129

$65.2 MX$1,109

128.59%

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

$20.81 €17.95

$29.87 MX$508

-30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.18

$36.55 MX$621

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.65

$61.0 MX$1,037

-5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.97

$26.70 MX$454

-39.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.12

$6.85 MX$116

54.31%

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

$555 €478

$453 MX$7,705

22.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$13.4K MX$227.2K

-12.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.7

$75.0 MX$1,274

24.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €31.01

$55.3 MX$940

-34.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.7

$114 MX$1,931

-37.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$123 MX$2,084

9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,123

$1,134 MX$19.3K

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €948

$712 MX$12.1K

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,210

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,559

$1,311 MX$22.3K

37.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,247

$3,993 MX$67.8K

52.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,306

$2,095 MX$35.6K

82.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,104

$1,047 MX$17.8K

132.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

11.3

-73.63%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 133% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $345, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 133% 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 $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $453 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 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,181 in Bilbao, a $3,000 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 33% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.