Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Palermo Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Palermo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $1,607 in Palermo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $2,371 in Palermo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $3,136 in Palermo.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 36% more expensive than in Palermo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 59% above, Palermo 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.82

$15.77 €13.60

31.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.7

$58.1 €50.2

22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.12

$11.76 €10.14

9.61%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.30

$2.10 €1.81

26.67%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$2.40 €2.07

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.27 €1.09

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.09

$5.98 €5.16

-40.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.95 €3.41

-12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.34 €1.16

4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.83 €1.58

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.96 €2.55

-47.64%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$3.08 €2.66

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.02

$15.29 €13.19

-1.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.98

$12.42 €10.71

-34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.74

$17.45 €15.05

-22.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.03 €2.62

-8.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.26 €1.95

-5.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.98 €2.57

-10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$3.10 €2.67

-21.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.69 €1.46

-10.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.56 €1.35

64.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.93 €1.67

-34.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.41 €0.35

109.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.89

$6.77 €5.84

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.03

$7.89 €6.80

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.24 €1.93

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.01 €2.59

-12.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.59 €1.37

18.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.67

$37.31 €32.18

41.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.03

$3.39 €2.93

71.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.14 €0.99

-6.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.41

$39.70 €34.24

-14.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.08 €1.80

-17.79%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$37.8K €32.6K

-3.76%

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

$31.6K €27.3K

$36.2K €31.2K

-12.60%

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

$149 €129

$229 €198

-34.93%

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

$20.81 €17.95

$10.48 €9.04

98.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.18

$27.49 €23.71

14.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.65

$48.84 €42.13

17.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.97

$33.57 €28.95

-51.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.12

$9.15 €7.89

15.52%

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

$555 €478

$441 €381

25.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.7

$75.5 €65.1

23.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €31.01

$31.98 €27.58

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.7

$89.4 €77.1

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$131 €113

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,123

$775 €668

68.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €948

$510 €440

115.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,210

$1,165 €1,005

119.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,559

$754 €650

139.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,247

$2,736 €2,359

122.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,306

$1,360 €1,173

181.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,104

$1,718 €1,482

41.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.8

-21.58%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Palermo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $775 in Palermo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 42% 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: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $58.0 in Palermo. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $326, 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 Palermo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Palermo differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $1,607 including rent). Palermo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,302 in Bilbao versus $775 in Palermo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $441 in Palermo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,607 in Palermo versus $2,181 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Palermo but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Palermo 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 Palermo 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 Palermo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.