Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macon, GA and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bilbao: $2,166 a month against $2,316 in Macon, GA, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Macon, GA
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Macon, GA Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Macon, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,316

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macon, GA and in Bilbao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Macon, GA and in Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Macon, GA versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Macon, GA $2,316
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Macon, GA versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Macon, GA $3,218
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,121 in Macon, GA versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Macon, GA $4,121
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Macon, GA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macon, GA 70% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.60 $19.60

$22.64 €20.27

-13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$73.0 €65.4

-17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.47 €11.17

-19.01%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$2.67 €2.39

92.13%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.12 €2.79

-18.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.91 €1.71

-15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.30 €2.96

54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.30 €2.96

79.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.31 €1.17

-40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.65 €1.48

68.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.54 €1.38

103.90%

Eggs

$2.43 $2.43

$3.31 €2.97

-26.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$15.55 €13.93

-64.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$7.97 €7.14

20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$14.56 €13.04

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.76 €2.47

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.09 €1.87

-37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.54 €2.28

-15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.65 €2.38

38.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.64 €1.47

96.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.43 €2.18

26.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.28 €1.14

71.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.93 €0.83

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 $8.71

$6.57 €5.89

32.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 $12.79

$7.59 €6.80

68.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.51 €1.35

41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.59 €2.32

33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.95 €1.75

-35.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 $49.79

$50.7 €45.41

-1.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.37 €4.81

-8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.03 €0.92

376.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.6 $50.6

$32.32 €28.94

56.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.83 €1.64

-50.27%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$33.3K €29.8K

-15.54%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$32.3K €28.9K

-16.47%

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

$120 $120

$145 €130

-17.39%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$19.91 €17.83

233.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$29.47 €26.40

186.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 €45.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.62

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 $13.46

$10.18 €9.11

32.22%

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

$933 $933

$534 €478

74.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K $18.3K

$11.7K €10.5K

56.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 $65.7

$105 €93.7

-37.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 $34.58

$36.56 €32.74

-5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$76.0 €68.1

69.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$143 €128

-7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 $1,314

$1,366 €1,224

-3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$1,093 €979

7.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 $1,861

$2,008 €1,798

-7.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 $1,607

$1,559 €1,397

3.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,354 $1,354

$5,880 €5,266

-76.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 $1,351

$3,707 €3,320

-63.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,366 $3,366

$2,346 €2,101

43.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

2.98

120.47%

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

Last update for Macon, GA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Macon, GA

$1.2K 50.6%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 6.7% $78

Eating Out

Macon, GA

$303 13.1%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 2.9% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Macon, GA

$297 12.8%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macon, GA

$271 11.7%

Bilbao

$194 9% 28.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Macon, GA

$163 7%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 0.5% $0.8

Getting Around

Macon, GA

$84 3.6%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 18.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Macon, GA

$27 * 1.2%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 164% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,314 in Macon, GA and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macon, GA pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Macon, GA vs $73 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $283, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Macon, GA

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

15:23 3:23 PM

6 h ahead of Macon, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,663

346,096

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macon, GA Bilbao 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Macon, GA
Bilbao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Macon, GA vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,316 in Macon, GA and $2,166 in Bilbao, so Bilbao is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Macon, GA, 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: $1,314 in Macon, GA versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Macon, GA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,316 per month in Macon, GA versus $2,166 in Bilbao – Bilbao is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bilbao gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Bilbao wins on affordability, Macon, GA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.