Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $1,536 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $2,376 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $3,217 in Novara.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 42% more expensive than in Novara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 59% above, Novara 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.78

$17.42 €14.99

18.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.5

$57.7 €49.65

23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.09

$10.66 €9.17

20.92%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.29

$1.80 €1.55

47.78%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$3.53 €3.04

-10.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.78 €1.53

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.96 €5.13

-39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$5.34 €4.60

-35.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.49 €1.28

-6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.92 €1.66

-13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$3.02 €2.60

-48.68%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$3.27 €2.82

3.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.99

$11.71 €10.07

28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.97

$9.15 €7.87

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.71

$13.84 €11.91

-1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.62 €2.25

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.70 €1.46

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.55 €3.05

-24.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.31 €1.99

5.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.05 €1.76

-26.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.12 €0.96

128.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.02 €0.88

24.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.78 €0.67

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.88

$6.41 €5.51

6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.01

$5.94 €5.11

37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.91 €1.65

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.33 €2.01

12.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.76 €1.52

7.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.56

$39.06 €33.61

35.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.02

$4.69 €4.04

24.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.30 €1.12

-17.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.34

$35.40 €30.46

-3.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.06 €1.77

-16.99%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$28.0K €24.1K

30.19%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$34.6K €29.8K

-8.62%

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

$149 €128

$186 €160

-19.72%

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

$20.81 €17.90

$10.46 €9.00

98.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.11

$31.50 €27.10

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.54

$80.1 €68.9

-28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.94

$19.52 €16.80

-17.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.10

$11.70 €10.07

-9.66%

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

$555 €477

$539 €464

2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$10.4K €8,979

12.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.5

$129 €111

-27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €30.93

$35.29 €30.37

1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.6

$58.3 €50.1

22.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$128 €110

5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,121

$673 €580

93.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €946

$454 €391

142.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,205

$1,109 €954

131.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,555

$819 €705

120.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,234

$2,917 €2,510

108.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,298

$1,936 €1,666

98.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,099

$2,195 €1,889

11.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.62

-17.68%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Novara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $673 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 11% 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 Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $279 per month, with Novara 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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Novara differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,536 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $673 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $539 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,536 in Novara versus $2,181 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Novara 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 Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.