Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Scunthorpe Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Scunthorpe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $1,704 in Scunthorpe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $2,672 in Scunthorpe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $3,640 in Scunthorpe.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 18% more expensive than Scunthorpe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Scunthorpe 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.69

$14.28 £10.64

19.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$80.8 £60.2

-12.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.78

$10.07 £7.50

12.81%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$4.02 £2.99

-42.79%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$1.91 £1.42

57.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.24 £0.93

59.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$4.66 £3.47

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$5.48 £4.08

-31.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.42 £1.06

-9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.66 £1.24

-10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.62 £1.21

5.56%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$3.94 £2.93

-25.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.49

$5.52 £4.11

183.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$5.32 £3.96

62.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.73

$7.43 £5.53

83.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.34 £1.74

14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.93 £1.44

20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$3.22 £2.40

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.69 £2.74

-33.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.78 £0.58

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$0.93 £0.69

140.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.05 £0.78

38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.94 £1.45

-41.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$17.92 £13.35

-60.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.18

$7.86 £5.85

6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.81 £2.09

-51.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.95 £1.45

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$5.21 £3.88

-62.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.10

$68.2 £50.8

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$6.26 £4.67

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.39 £1.04

-34.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.06

$8.28 £6.17

307.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.90 £1.41

-4.21%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.1K £28.4K

2.47%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$42.6K £31.7K

-23.80%

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

$155 €134

$291 £217

-46.71%

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

$21.95 €18.90

$17.12 £12.75

28.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.96

$43.72 £32.57

-20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.48

$94.7 £70.5

-40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.77

$8.79 £6.55

15.93%

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

$542 €466

$1,562 £1,164

-65.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,850

$6,679 £4,974

36.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.6

$41.10 £30.61

107.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.11

$20.36 £15.17

71.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$84.8 £63.1

-2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.8

$73.3 £54.6

53.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €953

$828 £617

33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €813

$559 £416

68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,546

$1,310 £976

37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,165

$1,113 £829

21.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,105

$5,185 £3,862

14.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,209

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,112

$1,945 £1,448

26.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.6

-39.64%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Scunthorpe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $828 in Scunthorpe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 26% 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: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $81.0 in Scunthorpe. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $238, with Scunthorpe 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 Scunthorpe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Scunthorpe differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $1,704 including rent). Scunthorpe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 26% 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: $1,107 in Bilbao versus $828 in Scunthorpe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $1,562 in Scunthorpe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,704 in Scunthorpe versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Scunthorpe but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Scunthorpe 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 Scunthorpe 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 Scunthorpe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.