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: $1,945 in Bilbao versus $1,418 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,794 in Bilbao versus $2,190 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $2,962 in Okinawa.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 45% above, Okinawa 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.55

$8.49 ¥1,354

100.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.3

$41.68 ¥6,649

66.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.78

$6.06 ¥967

88.94%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.06

$3.45 ¥551

-30.14%

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

$3.02 €2.58

$1.37 ¥219

120.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.85 ¥135

138.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 €3.15

$3.40 ¥543

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.31

$4.97 ¥793

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.94 ¥310

-36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.35 ¥375

-37.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$4.64 ¥741

-64.44%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.50

$2.07 ¥331

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.46

$16.49 ¥2,631

-4.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 €7.49

$11.02 ¥1,759

-20.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 €11.59

$26.68 ¥4,257

-49.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.25

$5.15 ¥822

-48.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.58 ¥412

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$3.00 ¥478

-18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$5.64 ¥900

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$3.57 ¥570

-51.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.96

$2.81 ¥448

-18.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$1.55 ¥247

-4.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.91 ¥145

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €5.98

$4.93 ¥786

41.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.21

$8.50 ¥1,356

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.81 ¥289

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.22

$2.99 ¥477

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.64 ¥262

20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.12 €41.95

$34.66 ¥5,529

41.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.75

$4.28 ¥683

29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.82

$3.64 ¥580

-73.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €28.40

$12.70 ¥2,026

161.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.21 ¥193

43.80%

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

$39.0K €33.3K

$23.2K ¥3.7M

67.78%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$17.3K ¥2.8M

87.76%

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

$153 €131

$177 ¥28.2K

-13.20%

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

$21.52 €18.38

$27.99 ¥4,465

-23.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.08

$32.04 ¥5,112

6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.35

$52.9 ¥8,438

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 €8.49

$7.00 ¥1,117

42.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.54

$12.28 ¥1,960

-18.57%

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

$543 €463

$343 ¥54.7K

58.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,023 €7,706

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-31.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.1

$47.74 ¥7,616

76.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 €30.46

$28.65 ¥4,572

24.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.2

$72.4 ¥11.5K

13.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.3

$93.1 ¥14.8K

21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €915

$452 ¥72.1K

136.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 €822

$402 ¥64.1K

139.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,532

$945 ¥150.8K

89.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,159

$751 ¥119.8K

80.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 €5,101

$8,673 ¥1.4M

-31.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 €3,204

$1,203 ¥191.8K

212.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,413 €2,061

$1,316 ¥210.0K

83.33%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Bilbao and $452 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 83% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $42.00 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $401, 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 ($1,945 vs $1,418 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 83% 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: $1,071 in Bilbao versus $452 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Bilbao versus $343 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 $1,418 in Okinawa versus $1,945 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.