Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Saint Charles, MO

For one person, living costs are similar in Bilbao and in Saint Charles, MO: $2,101 and $2,184 a month, rent and utilities included.

Bilbao
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,101
/mo nomad
Saint Charles, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,184
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bilbao and in Saint Charles, MO

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 Saint Charles, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,101 in Bilbao versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO.

  • Bilbao $2,101
  • Saint Charles, MO $2,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,158 in Bilbao versus $3,474 in Saint Charles, MO.

  • Bilbao $3,158
  • Saint Charles, MO $3,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,215 in Bilbao versus $4,763 in Saint Charles, MO.

  • Bilbao $4,215
  • Saint Charles, MO $4,763

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 4% less than in Saint Charles, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 55% above, Saint Charles, MO 61% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.59 €20.10
$14.80 $14.80
52.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.6 €65.4
$60.0 $60.0
22.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.16 €10.82
$11.83 $11.83
2.79%
Cappuccino
$2.56 €2.28
$4.84 $4.84
-47.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 €2.82
$2.61 $2.61
21.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.85 $1.85
3.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.31 €2.94
$5.06 $5.06
-34.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.05
$6.15 $6.15
-44.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 €1.19
$0.75 $0.75
78.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.43
$2.60 $2.60
-38.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$6.27 $6.27
-76.56%
Eggs
$3.35 €2.98
$3.12 $3.12
7.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.44 €13.74
$9.38 $9.38
64.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.25 €7.34
$6.51 $6.51
26.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.39 €12.80
$24.11 $24.11
-40.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 €2.58
$3.71 $3.71
-21.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.16 $2.16
-0.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.66 €2.37
$10.18 $10.18
-73.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.35
$5.12 $5.12
-48.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.64 €1.45
$3.62 $3.62
-54.70%
Onion (1kg)
$2.54 €2.26
$3.71 $3.71
-31.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.11 $2.11
-39.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.83
$2.16 $2.16
-56.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.65 €5.91
$11.14 $11.14
-40.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 €6.91
$12.02 $12.02
-35.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.31
$1.89 $1.89
-21.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 €2.29
$2.57 $2.57
0.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 €1.58
$4.90 $4.90
-63.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.4 €45.76
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 €5.03
$3.05 $3.05
85.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.69 $1.69
-40.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 €29.24
$49.89 $49.89
-34.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$0.91 $0.91
97.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$27.5K $27.5K
22.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K €28.4K
$26.6K $26.6K
20.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 €126
$334 $334
-57.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.30 €18.06
$61.0 $61.0
-66.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.31 €26.96
$75.5 $75.5
-59.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.4 €49.29
$49.26 $49.26
12.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.19 €13.51
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.22 €9.09
$11.93 $11.93
-14.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$526 €468
$980 $980
-46.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K €10.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.4
$68.9 $68.9
50.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.05 €32.95
$42.64 $42.64
-13.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 €66.3
$78.6 $78.6
-5.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €127
$160 $160
-10.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,267 €1,127
$1,479 $1,479
-14.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 €913
$790 $790
29.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,414 €2,147
$1,970 $1,970
22.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,694 €1,507
$1,917 $1,917
-11.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,882 €5,232
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,700 €3,291
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bilbao
Saint Charles, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,424 €2,156
$4,223 $4,223
-42.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.98
6.58
-54.71%

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

Last update for Bilbao: October 18, 2026

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bilbao
$1K
Saint Charles, MO
$790 23% $236
Eating Out
Bilbao
$292
Saint Charles, MO
$267 8.3% $24
Groceries & Markets
Bilbao
$285
Saint Charles, MO
$393 37.8% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bilbao
$192
Saint Charles, MO
$471 146% $279
Clothing & Footwear
Bilbao
$161
Saint Charles, MO
$158 2.3% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Bilbao
$76
Saint Charles, MO
$73 3.6% $2.7
Getting Around
Bilbao
$69
Saint Charles, MO
$31 * 55% $38

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 $1,267 in Bilbao and $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Charles, MO pays 74% 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: $74.0 in Bilbao vs $60.0 in Saint Charles, MO. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $393, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Bilbao
🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO
🕒 Local time
23:08 11:08 PM
16:08 4:08 PM
7 h behind Bilbao
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
346,096
70,329
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bilbao Saint Charles, MO 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bilbao
  • Saint Charles, MO

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 Saint Charles, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bilbao and in Saint Charles, MO?
Bilbao and Saint Charles, MO differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,101 vs $2,184 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Saint Charles, MO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Bilbao and in Saint Charles, MO?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,267 in Bilbao versus $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Saint Charles, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bilbao or Saint Charles, MO?
All in, you'll spend $2,101 per month in Bilbao versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,101 in Bilbao versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Saint Charles, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Bilbao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bilbao and Saint Charles, MO?
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.
Is Bilbao or Saint Charles, MO safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bilbao and Saint Charles, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Bilbao or Saint Charles, MO?
Expats usually find Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Saint Charles, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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