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

😐 Solo nomad: Madrid is 7.5% more expensive than Bilbao without rent, and 14.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Madrid is 9.1% more expensive than Bilbao without rent, and 22.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.19 €14.59
$17.17 €14.58
0.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 €59.8
$70.3 €59.7
0.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.06 €10.24
$11.59 €9.84
4.06%
Cappuccino
$3.15 €2.67
$2.41 €2.04
30.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 €2.73
$2.96 €2.51
8.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.79
$2.07 €1.76
1.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.96 €3.36
$3.69 €3.14
7.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €3.84
$3.80 €3.22
19.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.06
$1.22 €1.04
2.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 €1.43
$1.47 €1.25
14.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 €1.45
$1.70 €1.45
0.59%
Eggs
$3.40 €2.89
$2.88 €2.44
18.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.93 €12.68
$15.64 €13.28
-4.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.95 €7.60
$9.08 €7.71
-1.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.18 €14.59
$13.22 €11.22
29.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.21
$2.69 €2.29
-3.35%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.86
$2.43 €2.06
-9.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.56 €2.17
$2.41 €2.05
6.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.24
$2.48 €2.11
6.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.12 €1.80
$1.67 €1.42
26.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.10 €1.78
$2.21 €1.88
-4.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.19
$1.46 €1.24
-3.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 €0.82
$1.11 €0.94
-13.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.06 €5.99
$7.14 €6.06
-1.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.28 €7.03
$8.46 €7.18
-2.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.23
$1.39 €1.18
4.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €1.92
$2.58 €2.19
-12.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 €1.50
$1.94 €1.65
-8.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.35 €41.89
$48.60 €41.26
1.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.94 €3.34
$5.57 €4.73
-29.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 €1.13
$0.94 €0.80
41.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.57 €24.26
$34.16 €29.00
-16.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.61
$1.74 €1.48
9.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K €32.6K
$39.0K €33.1K
-1.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K €29.0K
$31.6K €26.8K
8.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 €166
$156 €133
25.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.30 €18.08
$21.83 €18.53
-2.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.85 €30.44
$34.77 €29.52
3.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.9 €45.80
$56.8 €48.19
-4.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.54 €14.89
$10.18 €8.64
72.30%
Cinema Ticket
$11.36 €9.64
$10.30 €8.74
10.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$671 €569
$559 €475
19.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K €10.1K
$8,940 €7,590
33.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.1 €79.9
$84.3 €71.6
11.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.46 €36.05
$34.72 €29.48
22.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €88.7
$82.0 €69.7
27.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €113
$111 €94.4
19.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,572 €1,335
$1,097 €931
43.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 €956
$935 €794
20.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,857 €2,426
$1,834 €1,557
55.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,920 €1,630
$1,330 €1,129
44.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,268 €7,868
$5,862 €4,976
58.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,531 €3,847
$3,783 €3,211
19.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madrid
Bilbao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,609 €2,215
$2,416 €2,051
8.00%
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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: April 13, 2026

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

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