Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Southend-on-Sea Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Southend-on-Sea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $2,325 in Southend-on-Sea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $3,659 in Southend-on-Sea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $4,992 in Southend-on-Sea.

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 6% less than in Southend-on-Sea, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 59% above, Southend-on-Sea 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.77

$20.09 £14.85

2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.5

$84.3 £62.3

-15.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.08

$9.43 £6.97

36.69%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.29

$4.45 £3.29

-40.22%

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

$3.15 €2.70

$2.72 £2.01

15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.87 £1.38

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$6.87 £5.08

-47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.97

$4.76 £3.52

-27.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.53 £1.13

-8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.38 £1.02

20.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.38 £1.02

12.32%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.89

$3.76 £2.78

-10.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €12.98

$8.24 £6.09

83.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.96

$6.67 £4.93

21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.70

$15.63 £11.56

-12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.13 £2.31

-11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.39 £1.03

53.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.08 £1.54

28.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.76 £2.04

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.87 £1.38

-19.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.92 £1.42

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.97 £0.72

30.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.59 £1.17

-45.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.87

$22.86 £16.90

-70.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.00

$10.04 £7.42

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$3.27 £2.42

-51.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.44 £2.55

-23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.75 £2.03

-31.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.52

$46.95 £34.71

12.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.01

$5.87 £4.34

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.72 £2.01

-60.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.31

$49.59 £36.66

-31.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.00 £1.48

-14.50%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$39.6K £29.3K

-8.00%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$41.1K £30.4K

-23.08%

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

$149 €128

$181 £134

-17.55%

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

$20.81 €17.89

$18.30 £13.52

13.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.09

$45.11 £33.35

-30.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.49

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.92

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.09

$4.15 £3.07

154.70%

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

$555 €477

$2,001 £1,479

-72.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$20.5K £15.1K

-42.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.4

$86.9 £64.2

7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €30.91

$48.40 £35.78

-25.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.5

$94.7 £70.0

-24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$108 £79.7

25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,119

$1,431 £1,058

-9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €945

$1,267 £937

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,203

$2,366 £1,749

8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,554

$2,451 £1,812

-26.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,230

$4,838 £3,576

25.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,295

$4,009 £2,963

-4.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,097

$3,894 £2,878

-37.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

5.04

-40.87%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Southend-on-Sea: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $1,431 in Southend-on-Sea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southend-on-Sea pays 60% 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 $84.0 in Southend-on-Sea. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $276, with Southend-on-Sea 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 Southend-on-Sea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Southend-on-Sea differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $2,325 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Southend-on-Sea. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,302 in Bilbao versus $1,431 in Southend-on-Sea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $2,001 in Southend-on-Sea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Southend-on-Sea pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,181 in Bilbao versus $2,325 in Southend-on-Sea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Southend-on-Sea. The gap between the two cities makes Bilbao 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 Southend-on-Sea 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Southend-on-Sea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.