Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,959 in Bilbao versus $1,428 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Bilbao versus $2,217 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $3,007 in Okinawa.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 37% more expensive than in Okinawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 47% above, Okinawa 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.39

$8.47 ¥1,384

108.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.8

$42.01 ¥6,860

66.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.15

$5.84 ¥954

99.32%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €2.00

$3.33 ¥544

-31.23%

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

$2.98 €2.60

$1.35 ¥221

120.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.86 ¥141

130.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 €3.25

$3.56 ¥581

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.19

$4.79 ¥782

-23.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.89 ¥308

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.26

$2.25 ¥368

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$4.60 ¥751

-64.35%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.50

$2.04 ¥334

40.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 €13.26

$16.45 ¥2,686

-7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.62

$11.24 ¥1,835

-22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$26.66 ¥4,353

-50.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.43

$5.02 ¥820

-44.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.69 ¥439

-13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.14

$3.06 ¥499

-19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.76 ¥940

-58.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.46

$3.53 ¥576

-52.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.77 ¥453

-20.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.52 ¥248

-6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$0.88 ¥143

30.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.98

$4.76 ¥777

44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.99

$6.27 ¥1,025

27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.81 ¥296

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.96 ¥484

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.68 ¥275

15.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.56 €43.21

$35.11 ¥5,734

41.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.80

$4.06 ¥664

35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.85

$3.77 ¥615

-74.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.68

$12.85 ¥2,098

164.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.25 ¥205

40.00%

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

$38.7K €33.8K

$23.2K ¥3.8M

66.91%

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

$32.1K €28.0K

$17.0K ¥2.8M

89.33%

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

$155 €135

$176 ¥28.7K

-11.91%

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

$21.27 €18.55

$27.21 ¥4,443

-21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.92 €30.44

$32.15 ¥5,250

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €49.08

$52.4 ¥8,552

7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 €8.61

$7.11 ¥1,161

38.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 €8.85

$12.63 ¥2,063

-19.64%

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

$556 €485

$346 ¥56.6K

60.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,034 €7,876

$13.4K ¥2.2M

-32.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 €72.6

$48.92 ¥7,989

70.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €31.02

$29.26 ¥4,777

21.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 €72.5

$72.9 ¥11.9K

14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.6

$90.5 ¥14.8K

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 €970

$453 ¥73.9K

145.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €813

$400 ¥65.3K

133.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,552

$960 ¥156.8K

85.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,155

$737 ¥120.3K

79.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,936 €5,175

$8,685 ¥1.4M

-31.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,292

$1,206 ¥197.0K

213.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,310 €2,014

$1,744 ¥284.8K

32.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

69.00%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 27, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Bilbao and $453 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 32% 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: $70.0 in Bilbao vs $42.00 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $396, 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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Okinawa differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,959 vs $1,428 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,113 in Bilbao versus $453 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Bilbao versus $346 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,428 in Okinawa versus $1,959 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Okinawa but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Okinawa 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 Okinawa 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 Okinawa 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.