Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Rethymno

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,358 a month against $2,166 in Bilbao, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index

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Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bilbao and in Rethymno

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bilbao and in Rethymno actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,166 in Bilbao versus $1,358 in Rethymno.

Bilbao $2,166
Rethymno $1,358

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,118 in Bilbao versus $2,031 in Rethymno.

Bilbao $3,118
Rethymno $2,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,069 in Bilbao versus $2,703 in Rethymno.

Bilbao $4,069
Rethymno $2,703

Living in Bilbao is roughly 60% more expensive than in Rethymno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.64 €20.28

$12.69 €11.38

78.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 €65.4

$56.1 €50.2

30.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.47 €11.18

$10.25 €9.18

21.66%

Cappuccino

$2.67 €2.40

$3.54 €3.18

-24.58%

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

$3.12 €2.79

$1.67 €1.50

86.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.58 €0.52

229.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 €2.96

$4.54 €4.07

-27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.96

$5.25 €4.70

-37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.58 €1.42

-17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.21 €1.08

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.26 €2.03

-31.86%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.97

$4.48 €4.01

-26.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.55 €13.94

$15.17 €13.60

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €7.14

$9.68 €8.67

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 €13.05

$15.43 €13.83

-5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$1.99 €1.79

38.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.99 €1.78

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.24 €1.11

104.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.38

$1.70 €1.52

55.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

$0.96 €0.86

70.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.18

$1.01 €0.90

140.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.15

$0.69 €0.62

85.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.74 €0.66

25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.89

$4.38 €3.93

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.80

$6.89 €6.18

10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.81 €1.62

-16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.82 €1.64

42.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.81 €1.62

7.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.7 €45.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 €4.81

$4.58 €4.10

17.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.14 €1.02

-9.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 €28.96

$11.38 €10.20

184.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.21 €1.98

-17.19%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$22.4K €20.1K

48.59%

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

$32.3K €28.9K

$24.5K €22.0K

31.59%

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

$145 €130

$191 €171

-24.03%

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

$19.91 €17.84

$18.37 €16.46

8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.47 €26.41

$31.03 €27.81

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 €45.54

$61.2 €54.8

-16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.63

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 €9.12

$8.46 €7.58

20.33%

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

$534 €478

$366 €328

45.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.5K

$3,964 €3,552

195.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.8

$88.2 €79.0

18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.56 €32.76

$11.04 €9.89

231.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 €68.1

$44.52 €39.89

70.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$44.41 €39.80

222.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 €1,224

$548 €491

149.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €979

$447 €401

144.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,799

$913 €818

119.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 €1,397

$700 €627

122.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,880 €5,269

$4,172 €3,738

40.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,707 €3,322

$2,963 €2,655

25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,346 €2,102

$1,201 €1,076

95.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

4.3

-30.70%

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

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4%

Rethymno

$447 32.9% 59.1% $646

Eating Out

Bilbao

$294 13.6%

Rethymno

$217 16% 26.1% $77

Groceries & Markets

Bilbao

$283 13.1%

Rethymno

$273 20.1% 3.3% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bilbao

$194 9%

Rethymno

$240 17.7% 23.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Bilbao

$162 7.5%

Rethymno

$85 6.2% 47.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Bilbao

$71 3.3%

Rethymno

$78 5.8% 9.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Bilbao

$69 3.2%

Rethymno

$18 * 1.3% 74.6% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,366 in Bilbao and $548 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 95% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Bilbao vs $56 in Rethymno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $273 per month, with Rethymno cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h ahead of Bilbao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

346,096

35,763

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bilbao Rethymno 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bilbao
Rethymno

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,166 in Bilbao and $1,358 in Rethymno, so Rethymno is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% 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: $1,366 in Bilbao versus $548 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,166 per month in Bilbao versus $1,358 in Rethymno – Rethymno is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,358 in Rethymno versus $2,166 in Bilbao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rethymno but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Rethymno 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 Rethymno are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Rethymno wins on affordability, Bilbao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.