Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,010 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,865 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,720 in Bilbao.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 14% more expensive than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$17.56 €15.34

-7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$69.1 €60.4

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$11.58 €10.12

-10.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$2.27 €1.98

24.67%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.91 €2.54

-21.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.06 €1.80

-23.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$3.81 €3.33

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.73 €3.26

8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.23 €1.08

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.48 €1.30

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.69 €1.48

4.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.88 €2.51

10.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$15.26 €13.33

-13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.01 €7.87

-11.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$13.62 €11.90

14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.77 €2.42

-14.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.34 €2.04

-26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.46 €2.15

-18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.38 €2.08

2.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.72 €1.51

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.25 €1.97

-9.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.47 €1.28

30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.11 €0.97

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$6.78 €5.93

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$8.07 €7.05

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.34 €1.17

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.60 €2.28

14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.92 €1.67

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$49.79 €43.51

-8.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$5.57 €4.86

-24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.97 €0.84

-16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$32.92 €28.76

-43.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.76 €1.54

18.18%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$38.0K €33.2K

-8.66%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$32.2K €28.1K

21.55%

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

$148 €129

$156 €136

-4.83%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$22.02 €19.24

-7.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$34.35 €30.02

15.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$57.7 €50.4

-16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$10.20 €8.91

82.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$10.06 €8.79

-8.35%

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

$616 €538

$549 €479

12.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,097 €7,948

80.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$82.2 €71.9

24.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$34.78 €30.39

20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$82.5 €72.1

14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$113 €98.6

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$1,087 €950

50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$958 €837

28.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,808 €1,580

71.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,358 €1,187

49.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$5,777 €5,047

35.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$3,699 €3,232

18.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$2,391 €2,089

-32.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.38

12.72%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,087 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $284 per month, with Lisbon 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

Lisbon vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bilbao differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,010 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Bilbao. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,087 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $549 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,010 in Bilbao versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.