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: $2,098 in Bilbao versus $1,427 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Bilbao versus $2,228 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Bilbao versus $3,030 in Okinawa.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 47% more expensive than in Okinawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 53% above, Okinawa 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.11 €18.40

$9.68 ¥1,511

118.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 €63.1

$40.32 ¥6,292

79.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.21

$6.94 ¥1,082

85.45%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.19

$4.18 ¥653

-39.95%

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

$2.98 €2.60

$1.47 ¥230

102.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.01 ¥158

76.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.95

$2.00 ¥313

69.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.88

$4.46 ¥696

-25.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.59 ¥249

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.20 ¥344

-28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$3.98 ¥620

-59.05%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.86

$1.81 ¥282

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.12

$17.99 ¥2,807

-16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 €7.11

$5.05 ¥788

61.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.88

$22.90 ¥3,574

-40.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.48

$3.73 ¥582

-23.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.78 ¥434

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.30 ¥358

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$5.27 ¥822

-54.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.45 ¥382

-38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$2.53 ¥394

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.35 ¥211

-5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.77 ¥120

12.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.20

$3.93 ¥614

80.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.99

$6.51 ¥1,015

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.96 ¥306

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.25

$3.45 ¥538

-25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.46 ¥229

26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €45.39

$68.1 ¥10.6K

-23.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €4.91

$3.94 ¥614

42.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$3.59 ¥560

-70.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.09

$11.87 ¥1,853

181.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.13 ¥177

58.41%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$21.9K ¥3.4M

66.35%

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

$31.9K €27.8K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

106.59%

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

$146 €127

$165 ¥25.7K

-11.76%

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

$20.91 €18.23

$25.69 ¥4,009

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 €26.51

$54.8 ¥8,550

-44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.34

$74.0 ¥11.6K

-23.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 €13.71

$56.5 ¥8,814

-72.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 €8.94

$12.50 ¥1,951

-17.92%

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

$541 €472

$345 ¥53.8K

56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$5,827 ¥909.1K

101.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €80.7

$51.7 ¥8,063

79.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 €31.21

$24.12 ¥3,763

48.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 €63.3

$81.1 ¥12.7K

-10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$95.9 ¥15.0K

35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,126

$411 ¥64.2K

213.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €938

$332 ¥51.8K

224.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,147

$863 ¥134.7K

185.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,521

$694 ¥108.2K

151.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,058 €5,281

$8,703 ¥1.4M

-30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,812 €3,323

$1,200 ¥187.3K

217.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,502 €2,181

$1,861 ¥290.4K

34.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

2.23

33.63%

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

Last update for Bilbao: September 15, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Bilbao and $411 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 34% 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: $72.0 in Bilbao vs $40.00 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $337, 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 47% in total monthly costs ($2,098 vs $1,427 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,291 in Bilbao versus $411 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Bilbao versus $345 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,427 in Okinawa versus $2,098 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 47% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.