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: $1,959 in Bilbao versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Bilbao versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 47% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.31

$4.48 ฿150

293.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.5

$45.59 ฿1,522

53.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.10

$8.76 ฿292

32.88%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.99

$2.97 ฿99.1

-22.90%

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

$2.98 €2.58

$0.69 ฿22.92

331.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.72

$0.39 ฿13.05

407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 €3.24

$2.53 ฿84.5

47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.17

$3.75 ฿125

-2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$2.15 ฿71.6

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.82 ฿60.6

-20.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.18 ฿73.0

-24.77%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.49

$2.25 ฿75.1

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 €13.20

$20.00 ฿668

-23.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.58

$3.63 ฿121

140.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.50

$13.56 ฿453

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.42

$3.24 ฿108

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.64 ฿54.6

42.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.33 ฿77.9

5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.07 ฿69.2

14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.55 ฿51.7

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.46 ฿48.58

51.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$0.98 ฿32.88

44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.48 ฿16.11

139.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.95

$4.35 ฿145

57.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$18.57 ฿620

-56.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.86 ฿62.0

-27.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.65 ฿88.7

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.42 ฿47.32

36.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.56 €43.00

$11.57 ฿386

328.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.78

$3.17 ฿106

73.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.03 ฿34.45

-5.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.53

$13.89 ฿464

145.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.34 ฿44.88

30.60%

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

$38.7K €33.6K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

39.31%

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

$32.1K €27.9K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-3.81%

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

$155 €134

$123 ฿4,109

25.80%

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

$21.27 €18.46

$13.77 ฿460

54.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.92 €30.29

$18.33 ฿612

90.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.84

$60.7 ฿2,026

-7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 €8.56

$17.16 ฿573

-42.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 €8.80

$8.87 ฿296

14.43%

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

$556 €482

$688 ฿23.0K

-19.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,034 €7,837

$15.8K ฿526.9K

-42.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 €72.3

$59.3 ฿1,980

40.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €30.87

$34.69 ฿1,158

2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 €72.1

$115 ฿3,846

-27.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.2

$83.8 ฿2,797

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 €966

$621 ฿20.7K

79.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €809

$446 ฿14.9K

109.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,545

$2,034 ฿67.9K

-12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,149

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-11.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,936 €5,150

$3,455 ฿115.4K

71.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,276

$2,531 ฿84.5K

49.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,310 €2,004

$494 ฿16.5K

367.91%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Bilbao and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 368% 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: $70.0 in Bilbao vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $291, 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,959 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 368% 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: $1,113 in Bilbao versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Bilbao versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,959 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 55% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.