Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Bilbao versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,809 in Bilbao versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in Bilbao versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 54% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 45% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 €15.00

$4.56 ฿149

281.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.7

$46.63 ฿1,519

46.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.88

$8.47 ฿276

35.30%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$3.03 ฿98.6

-23.76%

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

$2.98 €2.56

$0.69 ฿22.45

331.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$0.37 ฿11.92

462.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.30

$2.49 ฿81.0

53.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.22

$3.66 ฿119

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$2.18 ฿71.0

-44.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.90 ฿62.0

-24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.20 ฿71.6

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.86 €2.47

$2.22 ฿72.4

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.75 €13.57

$19.99 ฿651

-21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 €7.42

$3.66 ฿119

135.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 €11.45

$13.25 ฿432

0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.33

$3.23 ฿105

-16.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.70 ฿55.3

37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.39 ฿78.0

2.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.08 ฿67.7

13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

6.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.48 ฿48.31

54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.03 ฿33.54

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.52 ฿16.83

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.00

$4.25 ฿138

63.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.85

$18.79 ฿612

-57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.76 ฿57.2

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.76 ฿89.8

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.36 ฿44.32

41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 €41.66

$11.36 ฿370

325.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 €4.63

$3.14 ฿102

71.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.04 ฿33.74

-6.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.93 €28.38

$13.77 ฿448

139.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.34 ฿43.79

36.57%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

40.76%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-6.31%

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

$154 €133

$124 ฿4,025

24.66%

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

$21.68 €18.68

$13.52 ฿440

60.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.53 €29.75

$18.69 ฿609

84.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 €49.41

$61.8 ฿2,013

-7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 €8.70

$17.25 ฿562

-41.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.61

$9.14 ฿298

9.41%

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

$559 €482

$703 ฿22.9K

-20.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,837 €7,614

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-44.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

43.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.79

$35.07 ฿1,142

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 €69.3

$115 ฿3,754

-30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$84.1 ฿2,737

36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €950

$619 ฿20.1K

78.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €820

$433 ฿14.1K

119.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 €1,563

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,167

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-10.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,952 €5,128

$3,646 ฿118.7K

63.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,742 €3,224

$2,626 ฿85.5K

42.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,389 €2,059

$507 ฿16.5K

371.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.33

-36.59%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Bilbao and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 371% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $293, 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Phuket differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,943 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 371% 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 $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Bilbao versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,943 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.