Cost of Living Comparison Between Houma, LA and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Houma, LA and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,036 in Houma, LA versus $2,176 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,988 in Houma, LA versus $3,210 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,941 in Houma, LA versus $4,244 in Bilbao.

Living in Houma, LA costs roughly 6% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houma, LA 48% above, Bilbao 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$20.59 €17.74

-3.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.16 $49.16

$73.3 €63.2

-32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$12.61 €10.87

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$2.63 €2.27

111.79%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$3.05 €2.63

-26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.89 €1.63

-12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.58 €3.08

-14.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.41 €2.94

41.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.40 €1.21

-22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.64 €1.41

139.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$1.58 €1.36

216.46%

Eggs

$1.71 $1.71

$3.30 €2.84

-48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$14.91 €12.86

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.25 €7.11

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$13.93 €12.01

8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.77 €2.39

86.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.07 €1.78

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.67 €2.30

100.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.50 €2.16

65.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.58 €1.36

31.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.56 €2.21

27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.29 €1.11

55.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.87 €0.75

209.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.53 $8.53

$6.96 €6.00

22.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 $13.25

$8.19 €7.06

61.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.59 €1.37

55.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.60 €2.24

53.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €44.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.84 €5.04

-41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.04 €0.89

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.51 $34.51

$33.30 €28.70

3.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.76 €1.52

-51.14%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$36.8K €31.7K

-4.77%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$32.0K €27.5K

-18.58%

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

$151 $151

$150 €129

0.47%

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

$71.1 $71.1

$20.95 €18.06

239.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 $47.00

$31.43 €27.09

49.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.26 $27.26

$57.4 €49.44

-52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 €13.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 $12.39

$10.61 €9.14

16.78%

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

$1,539 $1,539

$552 €476

179.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$12.0K €10.3K

-13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$93.8 €80.9

-38.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.03 $43.03

$35.72 €30.79

20.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 $87.3

$71.9 €62.0

21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$131 €113

-6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$1,327 €1,144

-21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 $922

$1,091 €940

-15.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 $1,552

$2,518 €2,170

-38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 $1,442

$1,787 €1,540

-19.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,461 $1,461

$6,053 €5,218

-75.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 $1,444

$3,882 €3,346

-62.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,709 $3,709

$2,446 €2,109

51.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

34.23%

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

Last update for Houma, LA: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,044 in Houma, LA and $1,327 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houma, LA pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Houma, LA vs $73.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $282, 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

Houma, LA vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houma, LA and Bilbao differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,036 vs $2,176 including rent). Houma, LA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Houma, LA, 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: $1,044 in Houma, LA versus $1,327 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,036 per month in Houma, LA versus $2,176 in Bilbao – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,036 in Houma, LA versus $2,176 in Bilbao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Houma, LA but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Houma, LA 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, Houma, LA 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 Houma, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.