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: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $1,601 in Palermo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $2,393 in Palermo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $3,185 in Palermo.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 26% more expensive than in Palermo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Palermo 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$13.64 €11.92

28.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.4

$58.3 €50.9

18.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.12

$11.39 €9.95

1.67%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.98

$2.01 €1.76

12.94%

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

$2.91 €2.54

$2.28 €1.99

27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.22 €1.07

68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.33

$5.83 €5.09

-34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.26

$4.16 €3.64

-10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.46 €1.28

-15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.17 €1.90

-31.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.74 €2.39

-38.32%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.51

$3.39 €2.96

-15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.33

$14.55 €12.71

4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.87

$12.59 €11.00

-28.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.90

$17.82 €15.57

-23.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$2.79 €2.44

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.29 €2.00

2.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.99 €2.62

-17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$3.09 €2.70

-22.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.75 €1.53

-1.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.24 €1.08

81.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.89 €1.65

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.45 €0.39

146.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$6.82 €5.96

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.05

$7.71 €6.73

4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$2.18 €1.90

-38.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$3.20 €2.79

-18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.61 €1.40

19.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.51

$37.34 €32.63

33.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.86

$4.75 €4.15

17.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.49 €1.30

-34.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.76

$46.82 €40.91

-29.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.01 €1.75

-12.44%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$36.0K €31.5K

5.43%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$29.7K €25.9K

8.53%

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

$156 €136

$237 €207

-34.43%

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

$22.02 €19.24

$14.22 €12.42

54.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.02

$29.00 €25.34

18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.4

$45.73 €39.95

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.91

$33.34 €29.13

-69.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.79

$10.00 €8.74

0.60%

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

$549 €479

$384 €335

42.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,948

$10.7K €9,374

-15.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €71.9

$87.7 €76.6

-6.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.39

$30.96 €27.05

12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.1

$91.5 €79.9

-9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$130 €114

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €950

$737 €644

47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €837

$488 €426

96.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,580

$1,007 €880

79.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,187

$816 €713

66.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,047

$2,695 €2,355

114.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,232

$1,333 €1,165

177.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,089

$1,584 €1,384

50.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

4.72

-28.39%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Palermo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $737 in Palermo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 51% 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 Palermo. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $330, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $1,601 including rent). Palermo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,087 in Bilbao versus $737 in Palermo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $384 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 $1,601 in Palermo versus $2,010 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 26% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.