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: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,467 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,312 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $3,156 in Novara.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 37% more expensive than Novara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.68

$17.51 €15.06

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$58.0 €49.87

21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.77

$9.35 €8.04

21.50%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$1.83 €1.57

25.68%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$3.40 €2.92

-11.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.42 €1.22

39.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$5.88 €5.06

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$5.17 €4.45

-27.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.49 €1.28

-13.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.91 €1.65

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.81 €2.42

-39.15%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$3.38 €2.91

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.47

$12.77 €10.99

22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.45

$9.12 €7.84

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.72

$14.03 €12.07

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.68 €2.31

0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.70 €1.46

37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$3.25 €2.79

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.31 €1.99

6.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.02 €1.73

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.12 €0.97

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.06 €0.91

36.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.54 €0.47

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$7.08 €6.09

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.17

$6.78 €5.83

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.65 €1.42

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.89 €1.63

41.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.77 €1.52

9.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.06

$39.01 €33.56

25.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$4.67 €4.02

16.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$2.09 €1.79

-56.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.03

$35.43 €30.48

-4.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.02 €1.74

-9.90%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.4K €24.4K

37.50%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$31.5K €27.1K

3.12%

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

$155 €133

$168 €145

-7.96%

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

$21.95 €18.88

$13.53 €11.64

62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.93

$32.43 €27.90

7.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.43

$66.4 €57.1

-15.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.76

$19.77 €17.00

-48.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.76

$12.76 €10.98

-20.14%

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

$542 €466

$536 €461

1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,842

$10.6K €9,132

-14.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.5

$85.8 €73.8

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.08

$35.04 €30.14

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$85.3 €73.4

-3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.7

$129 €111

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €952

$655 €563

69.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €812

$449 €386

110.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,544

$1,119 €963

60.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,164

$815 €701

66.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,100

$2,948 €2,536

101.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,206

$1,945 €1,673

91.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,110

$2,133 €1,835

15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.21

-19.71%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Novara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $655 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 15% 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 $285 vs $278 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,467 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 15% 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 $655 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $536 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Novara versus $2,008 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 37% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.