Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,723 in Budva versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,769 in Budva versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,815 in Budva versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Budva costs roughly 14% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budva 29% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.21

$17.06 €14.68

-3.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €56.6

$70.6 €60.8

-6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.90

$11.36 €9.77

1.32%

Cappuccino

$2.86 €2.46

$2.30 €1.98

24.35%

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

$2.20 €1.89

$3.01 €2.59

-26.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.98 €1.70

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.67 €3.16

-6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.27

$3.75 €3.23

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.29 €1.11

6.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.49 €1.28

-25.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.71 €1.47

38.60%

Eggs

$3.26 €2.81

$2.92 €2.51

11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 €7.77

$15.66 €13.47

-42.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.90

$8.66 €7.45

-7.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 €10.21

$13.63 €11.72

-12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.69 €2.32

-51.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.33 €2.01

-23.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.43 €2.09

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.45 €2.11

19.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.69 €1.45

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.24 €1.92

-44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.45 €1.25

17.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.14 €0.98

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 €3.86

$6.99 €6.02

-35.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.64

$8.34 €7.17

-21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.35 €1.16

-5.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.68 €2.30

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.94 €1.67

18.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.39 €34.75

$48.89 €42.06

-17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 €1.01

$5.46 €4.70

-78.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.91 €0.79

12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.20 €14.80

$33.74 €29.03

-49.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.82 €1.56

-2.20%

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

$29.8K €25.7K

$39.0K €33.6K

-23.49%

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

$26.2K €22.6K

$32.4K €27.9K

-19.12%

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

$159 €137

$155 €133

2.71%

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

$18.52 €15.93

$21.95 €18.88

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.49 €28.81

$34.79 €29.93

-3.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 €51.8

$56.3 €48.43

6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.86 €20.52

$10.19 €8.76

134.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 €4.89

$10.19 €8.76

-44.26%

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

$419 €361

$542 €466

-22.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,803

$9,116 €7,842

12.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €101

$85.5 €73.5

37.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.05 €42.19

$34.97 €30.08

40.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.1

$82.7 €71.2

35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 €177

$112 €96.7

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 €807

$1,107 €952

-15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €601

$944 €812

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 €1,503

$1,795 €1,544

-2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 €1,217

$1,353 €1,164

4.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,648

$5,928 €5,100

-28.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,169 €2,726

$3,727 €3,206

-14.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 €900

$2,453 €2,110

-57.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.38

75.44%

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

Last update for Budva: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Budva and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 134% 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: $66.0 in Budva vs $71.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $285 per month, with Budva 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

Budva vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budva and Bilbao differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,723 vs $2,008 including rent). Budva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bilbao earns 134% 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: $938 in Budva versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Budva versus $542 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,723 in Budva versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Budva but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Budva 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, Budva and Bilbao 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 Budva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.