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: $2,098 in Bilbao versus $2,120 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Bilbao versus $3,069 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Bilbao versus $4,018 in Valencia.

Living in Bilbao costs roughly 1% less than in Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bilbao 53% above, Valencia 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.11 €18.28

$18.73 €16.21

12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 €62.7

$68.8 €59.6

5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.14

$12.74 €11.03

1.02%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.18

$2.84 €2.46

-11.62%

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

$2.98 €2.58

$2.59 €2.24

15.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$2.05 €1.78

-13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.93

$3.39 €2.94

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.86

$4.58 €3.97

-27.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.26 €1.10

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.37 €1.19

15.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.76 €1.53

-7.39%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.84

$3.66 €3.17

-10.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 €13.03

$11.13 €9.63

35.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 €7.06

$7.94 €6.87

2.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.80

$16.53 €14.31

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.60 €2.25

9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.94 €1.68

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$1.90 €1.65

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.57 €2.22

-5.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.67 €1.45

-9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.20

$1.82 €1.58

39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.22 €1.06

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.80 €0.69

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.11 €6.16

$6.86 €5.94

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$5.62 €4.87

42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.37 €1.18

16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.23

$1.76 €1.53

46.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.28 €1.97

-19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €45.08

$41.18 €35.65

26.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €4.88

$4.53 €3.92

24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.40 €1.21

-24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €28.89

$24.63 €21.32

35.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.72 €1.49

4.07%

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

$36.5K €31.6K

$36.8K €31.8K

-0.87%

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

$31.9K €27.6K

$30.3K €26.2K

5.31%

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

$146 €126

$163 €141

-10.69%

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

$20.91 €18.10

$16.52 €14.30

26.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 €26.32

$35.40 €30.65

-14.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €49.00

$43.85 €37.96

29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 €13.61

$8.34 €7.22

88.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 €8.88

$10.86 €9.40

-5.52%

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

$541 €469

$605 €524

-10.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.2K

$10.2K €8,821

15.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €80.1

$93.4 €80.9

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 €30.99

$43.02 €37.24

-16.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 €62.8

$97.9 €84.7

-25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$120 €104

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 €1,118

$1,433 €1,240

-9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €931

$1,055 €913

2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,132

$2,347 €2,032

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,510

$1,691 €1,464

3.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,058 €5,244

$5,697 €4,932

6.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,812 €3,300

$3,336 €2,888

14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,502 €2,166

$1,974 €1,709

26.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

3.38

-11.83%

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

Last update for Bilbao: September 15, 2026

Last update for Valencia: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Bilbao and $1,433 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Bilbao vs $69.0 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $261 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,098 vs $2,120 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,291 in Bilbao versus $1,433 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Bilbao versus $605 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Valencia pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,098 in Bilbao versus $2,120 in Valencia, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Valencia. 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 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.