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: $2,098 in Bilbao versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Bilbao versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Bilbao versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 70% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 53% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.11 €18.28

$4.41 ฿146

378.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 €62.7

$32.26 ฿1,071

124.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.14

$8.93 ฿297

44.12%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.18

$2.90 ฿96.1

-13.45%

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

$2.98 €2.58

$0.88 ฿29.22

238.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$0.48 ฿15.97

270.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.93

$2.35 ฿78.1

43.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.86

$3.72 ฿124

-11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.87 ฿61.9

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.47 ฿48.68

7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.55 ฿51.5

5.16%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.84

$2.10 ฿69.8

56.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.03

$19.59 ฿650

-23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 €7.06

$3.42 ฿114

138.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.80

$11.38 ฿378

19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.98 ฿99.1

-4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.68 ฿55.9

25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.21 ฿73.3

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.16 ฿71.8

12.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.52 ฿50.6

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.20

$1.34 ฿44.43

89.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.13 ฿37.47

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.55 ฿18.14

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.16

$4.26 ฿142

66.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$19.09 ฿634

-57.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.78 ฿59.1

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.23

$2.78 ฿92.4

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.23 ฿74.0

-17.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €45.08

$22.74 ฿755

128.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €4.88

$3.03 ฿101

85.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.02 ฿33.96

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €28.89

$3.89 ฿129

757.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.49 ฿49.50

20.13%

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

$36.5K €31.6K

$26.6K ฿882.5K

37.16%

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

$31.9K €27.6K

$27.0K ฿897.4K

17.87%

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

$146 €126

$102 ฿3,402

42.09%

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

$20.91 €18.10

$11.33 ฿376

84.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 €26.32

$17.40 ฿578

74.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.00

$52.1 ฿1,729

8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 €13.61

$11.07 ฿368

42.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 €8.88

$7.69 ฿255

33.42%

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

$541 €469

$561 ฿18.6K

-3.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$11.5K ฿382.0K

2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €80.1

$63.0 ฿2,093

46.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 €30.99

$29.52 ฿980

21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 €62.8

$98.0 ฿3,254

-25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$88.5 ฿2,938

47.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,118

$738 ฿24.5K

74.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €931

$482 ฿16.0K

123.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,132

$2,107 ฿69.9K

16.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,510

$1,226 ฿40.7K

42.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,058 €5,244

$3,617 ฿120.1K

67.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,812 €3,300

$2,603 ฿86.4K

46.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,502 €2,166

$494 ฿16.4K

406.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

5.57

-46.50%

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

Last update for Bilbao: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Bilbao and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 407% 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: $72.0 in Bilbao vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,098 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 407% 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: $1,291 in Bilbao versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Bilbao versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,098 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 70% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.