Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Valencia Cost of Living Comparison Between Bilbao and Valencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,959 in Bilbao versus $1,874 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Bilbao versus $2,679 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,643 in Bilbao versus $3,484 in Valencia.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 5% more expensive than in Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 47% above, Valencia 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 €15.31

$15.14 €13.13

16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.5

$57.2 €49.63

21.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.10

$12.90 €11.19

-9.77%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.99

$2.56 €2.22

-10.55%

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

$2.98 €2.58

$2.52 €2.19

18.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.97 €1.71

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 €3.24

$3.54 €3.07

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.17

$3.40 €2.95

7.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.16 €1.01

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.30 €1.13

10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.75 €1.52

-6.29%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.49

$2.77 €2.41

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 €13.20

$11.14 €9.67

36.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.58

$8.35 €7.24

4.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 €11.50

$13.96 €12.11

-5.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.42

$2.61 €2.26

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.79 €1.56

30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.08 €1.81

18.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.38 €2.06

-0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.87 €1.62

-10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.98 €1.72

11.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.60 €1.39

-11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.72 €0.62

59.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.95

$6.67 €5.79

2.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$5.66 €4.91

41.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.49 €1.29

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.05 €1.78

28.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.71 €1.48

13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.56 €43.00

$33.65 €29.19

47.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.78

$3.39 €2.94

62.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.21 €1.05

-19.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.53

$24.56 €21.31

38.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.74 €1.51

0.57%

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

$38.7K €33.6K

$34.7K €30.1K

11.73%

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

$32.1K €27.9K

$32.2K €27.9K

-0.34%

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

$155 €134

$141 €122

9.93%

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

$21.27 €18.46

$13.40 €11.62

58.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.92 €30.29

$30.20 €26.20

15.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.84

$42.24 €36.64

33.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.87 €8.56

$12.81 €11.11

-22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 €8.80

$9.93 €8.61

2.22%

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

$556 €482

$605 €525

-8.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,034 €7,837

$11.8K €10.2K

-23.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 €72.3

$102 €88.4

-18.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €30.87

$37.23 €32.29

-4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 €72.1

$101 €87.9

-17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €97.2

$125 €108

-10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 €966

$1,235 €1,071

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €809

$915 €794

1.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 €1,545

$1,974 €1,712

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,149

$1,347 €1,169

-1.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,936 €5,150

$5,600 €4,858

6.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,276

$3,391 €2,942

11.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,310 €2,004

$1,956 €1,697

18.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.44

-1.74%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 27, 2026

Last update for Valencia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Bilbao and $1,235 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 18% 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: $70.0 in Bilbao vs $57.0 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $251 per month, with Valencia cheaper across the board.

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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bilbao and Valencia differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,959 vs $1,874 including rent). Valencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,113 in Bilbao versus $1,235 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Bilbao versus $605 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,874 in Valencia versus $1,959 in Bilbao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia 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 Valencia 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.