Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, WV and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, WV and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,815 in Charleston, WV versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Charleston, WV versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,517 in Charleston, WV versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Charleston, WV costs roughly 10% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleston, WV 35% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 $15.06

$17.06 €14.68

-11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$70.6 €60.8

-29.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 $7.89

$11.36 €9.77

-30.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 $2.90

$2.30 €1.98

26.09%

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

$2.16 $2.16

$3.01 €2.59

-28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.98 €1.70

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.67 €3.16

-19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.75 €3.23

61.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.29 €1.11

-38.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.49 €1.28

51.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.71 €1.47

-1.17%

Eggs

$3.18 $3.18

$2.92 €2.51

8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$15.66 €13.47

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 $9.38

$8.66 €7.45

8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$13.63 €11.72

12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.69 €2.32

60.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.33 €2.01

-56.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.43 €2.09

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.45 €2.11

105.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.69 €1.45

13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.24 €1.92

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.45 €1.25

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.14 €0.98

-11.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.99 €6.02

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$8.34 €7.17

21.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.35 €1.16

25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.68 €2.30

-33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.94 €1.67

-20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$48.89 €42.06

21.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 $3.67

$5.46 €4.70

-32.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.91 €0.79

31.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 $24.91

$33.74 €29.03

-26.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.82 €1.56

-54.95%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$39.0K €33.6K

-9.10%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$32.4K €27.9K

-21.89%

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

$119 $119

$155 €133

-23.58%

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

$45.88 $45.88

$21.95 €18.88

109.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$34.79 €29.93

57.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 $31.51

$56.3 €48.43

-44.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 $17.08

$10.19 €8.76

67.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$10.19 €8.76

17.37%

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

$1,569 $1,569

$542 €466

189.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$9,116 €7,842

94.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.52 $40.52

$85.5 €73.5

-52.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.01 $40.01

$34.97 €30.08

14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 $87.3

$82.7 €71.2

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 $99.7

$112 €96.7

-11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 $919

$1,107 €952

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 $805

$944 €812

-14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 $1,779

$1,795 €1,544

-0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$1,353 €1,164

-3.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 $1,104

$5,928 €5,100

-81.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,127 $1,127

$3,727 €3,206

-69.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,565 $3,565

$2,453 €2,110

45.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.38

93.20%

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

Last update for Charleston, WV: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $919 in Charleston, WV and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Charleston, WV vs $71.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $285, with Bilbao 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

Charleston, WV vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, WV and Bilbao differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,815 vs $2,008 including rent). Charleston, WV is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Charleston, WV pays 45% more on average, 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: $919 in Charleston, WV versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,569 in Charleston, WV versus $542 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,815 in Charleston, WV versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Charleston, WV but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Charleston, WV 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, Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.