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: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $2,012 in Southend-on-Sea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $3,450 in Southend-on-Sea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $4,888 in Southend-on-Sea.

Monthly costs are close between Bilbao and Southend-on-Sea; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 50% above, Southend-on-Sea 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.69

$20.30 £15.12

-15.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$82.3 £61.3

-14.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.78

$9.71 £7.23

16.99%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$4.50 £3.35

-48.89%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$1.52 £1.14

98.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.10 £0.82

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$5.50 £4.10

-33.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$4.44 £3.31

-15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.40 £1.04

-7.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.40 £1.04

6.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.35 £1.00

26.67%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$3.73 £2.78

-21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.48

$8.04 £5.99

94.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$7.23 £5.39

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.73

$13.13 £9.78

3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$3.18 £2.37

-15.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.33 £0.99

75.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.21 £1.65

9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.78 £2.07

-11.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.80 £1.34

-6.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.58 £1.18

41.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.81 £0.60

79.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.43 £1.07

-20.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$18.97 £14.13

-63.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.18

$9.12 £6.79

-8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.77 £2.07

-51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.44 £1.82

9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.78 £2.07

-30.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.09

$48.14 £35.86

1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$5.82 £4.34

-6.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.28 £0.95

-28.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.05

$50.2 £37.38

-32.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.95 £1.46

-6.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$38.7K £28.8K

0.92%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$41.0K £30.5K

-20.79%

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

$155 €134

$172 £128

-9.80%

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

$21.95 €18.89

$14.49 £10.80

51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.95

$35.19 £26.22

-1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.47

$41.40 £30.84

35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.77

$8.35 £6.22

22.04%

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

$542 €466

$1,915 £1,427

-71.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,848

$20.2K £15.0K

-54.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.6

$89.6 £66.8

-4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.10

$40.11 £29.89

-12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$89.1 £66.4

-7.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.8

$99.6 £74.2

12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €953

$1,448 £1,079

-23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €813

$987 £735

-4.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,545

$2,417 £1,801

-25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,165

$2,442 £1,819

-44.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,104

$4,623 £3,444

28.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,209

$4,053 £3,019

-8.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,112

$3,761 £2,802

-34.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.45

-37.98%

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

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Last update for Southend-on-Sea: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $1,448 in Southend-on-Sea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southend-on-Sea pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $82.0 in Southend-on-Sea. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $260, 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

On paper, Southend-on-Sea earns 53% less. 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: $1,107 in Bilbao versus $1,448 in Southend-on-Sea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bilbao runs roughly 2% less than in Southend-on-Sea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Southend-on-Sea pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,008 in Bilbao versus $2,012 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.

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