Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Oviedo Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Oviedo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,945 in Bilbao versus $1,586 in Oviedo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,794 in Bilbao versus $2,408 in Oviedo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $3,229 in Oviedo.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 23% more expensive than Oviedo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 45% above, Oviedo 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.58

$17.68 €15.14

-3.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.5

$58.4 €49.95

19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.80

$11.75 €10.06

-2.55%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.06

$2.03 €1.74

18.72%

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

$3.02 €2.58

$2.78 €2.38

8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 €3.16

$3.17 €2.71

16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.32

$4.52 €3.87

-14.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.11 €0.95

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.21 €1.04

21.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.66 €1.42

-0.60%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.51

$2.95 €2.52

-0.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 €13.49

$17.11 €14.64

-7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 €7.51

$8.42 €7.21

4.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 €11.62

$22.56 €19.31

-39.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$2.71 €2.32

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.24 €1.92

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$2.29 €1.96

7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$4.26 €3.65

-44.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.87 €1.60

-8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$2.54 €2.18

-9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.13 €0.97

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.63 €0.54

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €5.99

$6.15 €5.26

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.23

$5.71 €4.89

47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.19 €1.02

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.23

$2.38 €2.03

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.42 €1.22

39.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.12 €42.05

$37.58 €32.17

30.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.76

$5.57 €4.77

-0.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.82

$0.94 €0.81

2.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €28.47

$31.72 €27.16

4.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.84 €1.57

-5.43%

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

$39.0K €33.4K

$38.9K €33.3K

0.20%

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

$32.4K €27.8K

$36.4K €31.1K

-10.84%

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

$153 €131

$145 €124

5.89%

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

$21.52 €18.42

$20.94 €17.93

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 €29.15

$32.69 €27.99

4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.47

$47.40 €40.57

21.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 €8.51

$15.43 €13.21

-35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.56

$10.03 €8.59

-0.30%

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

$543 €464

$358 €306

51.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,023 €7,724

$8,295 €7,100

8.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.3

$75.6 €64.7

11.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 €30.53

$31.56 €27.02

13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €70.4

$88.5 €75.7

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.5

$141 €121

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 €917

$824 €705

30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 €824

$558 €478

72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,535

$942 €806

90.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,162

$894 €765

51.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 €5,113

$3,020 €2,585

97.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,752 €3,212

$1,857 €1,590

102.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,413 €2,066

$2,031 €1,738

18.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.5

-3.43%

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

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Last update for Oviedo: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Bilbao and $824 in Oviedo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 19% 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 $58.0 in Oviedo. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $305, 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 Oviedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Oviedo differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,945 vs $1,586 including rent). Oviedo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 19% 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 $824 in Oviedo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Bilbao versus $358 in Oviedo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,586 in Oviedo versus $1,945 in Bilbao, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oviedo but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Oviedo 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 Oviedo 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 Oviedo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.