Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Madrid versus $1,943 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Madrid versus $2,809 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,434 in Madrid versus $3,674 in Bilbao.

Living in Madrid is roughly 17% more expensive than Bilbao, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Bilbao 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.71

$17.41 €15.00

-1.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$68.1 €58.7

2.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.27

$11.46 €9.88

4.01%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$2.31 €1.99

33.77%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.98 €2.56

4.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.08 €1.79

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.57

$3.83 €3.30

8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.73 €3.22

23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.22 €1.05

-2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.43 €1.23

18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

Eggs

$3.48 €3.00

$2.86 €2.47

21.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 €12.69

$15.75 €13.57

-6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.82

$8.61 €7.42

5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 €14.44

$13.29 €11.45

26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.70 €2.33

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.33 €2.01

-4.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.46 €2.12

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.36 €2.03

16.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.70 €1.46

25.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.28 €1.97

-6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.47 €1.27

-5.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.14 €0.99

-14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$6.96 €6.00

-2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$7.96 €6.85

0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.39 €1.20

3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.60 €2.24

-13.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.92 €1.66

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €42.63

$48.35 €41.66

2.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.55

$5.38 €4.63

-23.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.97 €0.83

43.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.00

$32.93 €28.38

-11.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.83 €1.57

2.19%

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

$37.6K €32.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-3.47%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$31.7K €27.3K

7.36%

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

$195 €168

$154 €133

26.32%

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

$21.25 €18.31

$21.68 €18.68

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 €30.80

$34.53 €29.75

3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €45.47

$57.3 €49.41

-7.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 €15.44

$10.09 €8.70

77.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 €10.09

$10.00 €8.61

17.20%

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

$680 €586

$559 €482

21.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$8,837 €7,614

38.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €82.6

$85.5 €73.7

12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.50 €36.62

$34.57 €29.79

22.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$80.4 €69.3

31.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$115 €98.9

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,386

$1,102 €950

45.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €980

$951 €820

19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 €2,405

$1,814 €1,563

53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 €1,650

$1,354 €1,167

41.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,893 €7,662

$5,952 €5,128

49.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,745

$3,742 €3,224

16.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 €2,226

$2,389 €2,059

8.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.38

1.48%

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

Last update for Madrid: June 6, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Madrid and $1,102 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 8% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $68.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $281 per month, with Bilbao 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

Madrid vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Bilbao differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,270 vs $1,943 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Madrid pays 8% 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: $1,609 in Madrid versus $1,102 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $680 in Madrid versus $559 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,943 in Bilbao versus $2,270 in Madrid, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Madrid. 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, Madrid 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 17% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.