Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bilbao: $2,166 a month against $2,304 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Madrid outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,304

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madrid 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 Madrid and in Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,304 in Madrid versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Madrid $2,304
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Madrid versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Madrid $3,389
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Madrid versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Madrid $4,475
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Madrid is roughly 6% more expensive than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 69% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 €15.84

$22.64 €20.21

-21.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.7

$73.0 €65.2

-8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 €10.09

$12.47 €11.14

-9.38%

Cappuccino

$3.04 €2.72

$2.67 €2.39

13.86%

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

$3.36 €3.00

$3.12 €2.78

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.91 €1.71

23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.48

$3.30 €2.95

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.29

$3.30 €2.95

45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.31 €1.17

0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.65 €1.47

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.54 €1.38

11.69%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.75

$3.31 €2.96

26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 €14.20

$15.55 €13.89

2.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.36

$7.97 €7.12

17.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.37

$14.56 €13.00

18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.76 €2.47

-7.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.54 €2.27

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.65 €2.37

-2.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.64 €1.46

40.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.43 €2.17

-10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.28 €1.14

17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.93 €0.83

15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.86

$6.57 €5.87

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €7.02

$7.59 €6.78

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.51 €1.35

-19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.59 €2.31

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.95 €1.74

-14.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 €33.52

$50.7 €45.28

-25.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.36

$5.37 €4.80

-29.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.03 €0.92

44.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 €26.94

$32.32 €28.86

-6.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.83 €1.63

1.09%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$33.3K €29.7K

1.76%

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

$33.3K €29.8K

$32.3K €28.8K

3.26%

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

$192 €171

$145 €129

32.20%

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

$17.66 €15.77

$19.91 €17.78

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.07 €31.32

$29.47 €26.32

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 €42.21

$50.8 €45.38

-6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 €16.28

$15.21 €13.58

19.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 €10.08

$10.18 €9.09

10.90%

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

$687 €614

$534 €477

28.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K €16.1K

$11.7K €10.5K

53.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 €77.3

$105 €93.5

-17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.65 €37.19

$36.56 €32.65

13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.5

$76.0 €67.9

42.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.7

$143 €128

-22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,347

$1,366 €1,220

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,080

$1,093 €976

10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,829 €2,526

$2,008 €1,793

40.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 €1,790

$1,559 €1,392

28.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,002 €8,038

$5,880 €5,251

53.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,710 €4,206

$3,707 €3,310

27.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,191

$2,346 €2,095

4.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

2.98

5.37%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.5%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 9.6% $117

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$304 13.2%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 7% $21

Eating Out

Madrid

$264 11.5%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 11.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$244 10.6%

Bilbao

$194 9% 20.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.8%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 3.6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$70 3%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 1.9% $1.3

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 24.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Madrid and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 5% 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: $67 in Madrid vs $73 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $283, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

346,096

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,304 in Madrid 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 5% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,508 in Madrid versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Madrid versus $534 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Safety-wise, Madrid and Bilbao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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