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: $1,943 in Bilbao versus $1,459 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,809 in Bilbao versus $2,255 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in Bilbao versus $3,052 in Okinawa.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 45% above, Okinawa 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €15.00

$8.24 ¥1,317

111.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.7

$40.98 ¥6,554

66.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.88

$5.89 ¥942

94.57%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$3.45 ¥552

-33.04%

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

$2.98 €2.56

$1.38 ¥220

115.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$0.85 ¥136

144.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.30

$3.49 ¥559

9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.22

$4.89 ¥782

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.92 ¥308

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.25 ¥359

-36.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$4.68 ¥748

-63.68%

Eggs

$2.86 €2.47

$2.02 ¥324

41.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.75 €13.57

$16.21 ¥2,593

-2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 €7.42

$11.12 ¥1,779

-22.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.45

$26.13 ¥4,180

-49.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.33

$5.19 ¥831

-47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.66 ¥426

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.11 ¥497

-20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$5.98 ¥956

-60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.56 ¥569

-52.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.79 ¥446

-18.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.57 ¥252

-6.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.94 ¥150

21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.00

$4.74 ¥758

46.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.85

$6.10 ¥975

30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.82 ¥291

-23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$3.00 ¥480

-13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.67 ¥267

14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 €41.66

$34.72 ¥5,553

39.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.63

$4.12 ¥658

30.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.83

$3.63 ¥581

-73.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 €28.38

$12.69 ¥2,030

159.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.19 ¥190

53.78%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

65.69%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

83.84%

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

$154 €133

$174 ¥27.9K

-11.56%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$27.88 ¥4,459

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.53 €29.75

$31.40 ¥5,023

9.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 €49.41

$52.3 ¥8,365

9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 €8.70

$6.99 ¥1,117

44.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.61

$12.45 ¥1,991

-19.68%

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

$559 €482

$344 ¥55.0K

62.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,837 €7,614

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-35.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.7

$48.53 ¥7,762

76.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.79

$29.20 ¥4,671

18.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 €69.3

$71.3 ¥11.4K

12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$90.4 ¥14.5K

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €950

$439 ¥70.2K

150.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €820

$401 ¥64.2K

137.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 €1,563

$951 ¥152.1K

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,167

$731 ¥117.0K

85.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,952 €5,128

$8,781 ¥1.4M

-32.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 €3,224

$1,197 ¥191.4K

212.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,389 €2,059

$1,817 ¥290.7K

31.48%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Bilbao and $439 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 31% 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: $68.0 in Bilbao vs $41.00 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,943 vs $1,459 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 31% 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: $1,102 in Bilbao versus $439 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Bilbao versus $344 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 $1,459 in Okinawa versus $1,943 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 33% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.