Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataro: $1,844 a month against $2,166 in Bilbao, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Mataro
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Mataro Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Mataro

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,844

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Mataro versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Mataro $1,844
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,696 in Mataro versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Mataro $2,696
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,548 in Mataro versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Mataro $3,548
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Mataro costs roughly 15% less than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mataro 35% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €15.00

$22.64 €20.33

-26.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.9

$73.0 €65.5

-22.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.99

$12.47 €11.20

6.98%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.83

$2.67 €2.40

-23.60%

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

$2.33 €2.09

$3.12 €2.80

-25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$1.91 €1.72

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.60

$3.30 €2.97

21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.30 €2.97

3.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.31 €1.18

-6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.87

$1.65 €1.48

26.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.54 €1.39

-3.90%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.58

$3.31 €2.98

20.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.04 €15.31

$15.55 €13.97

9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 €8.33

$7.97 €7.16

16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.59 €17.60

$14.56 €13.08

34.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.76 €2.48

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$2.09 €1.88

-6.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.54 €2.28

5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.57

$2.65 €2.38

7.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.64 €1.47

26.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €2.05

$2.43 €2.18

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.28 €1.15

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.93 €0.83

-5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.70

$6.57 €5.90

-3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.07

$7.59 €6.82

-25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.51 €1.35

-27.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.59 €2.32

-11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.95 €1.75

30.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.37 €30.87

$50.7 €45.55

-32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 €2.07

$5.37 €4.83

-57.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.03 €0.92

3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.06 €26.10

$32.32 €29.03

-10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.83 €1.64

-4.92%

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

$32.3K €29.0K

$33.3K €29.9K

-2.95%

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

$32.0K €28.8K

$32.3K €29.0K

-0.73%

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

$184 €165

$145 €130

27.09%

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

$12.18 €10.94

$19.91 €17.88

-38.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €26.35

$29.47 €26.48

-0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 €54.6

$50.8 €45.65

19.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 €12.36

$15.21 €13.66

-9.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.71

$10.18 €9.14

6.19%

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

$500 €449

$534 €480

-6.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,830 €7,034

$11.7K €10.5K

-33.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €78.2

$105 €94.0

-16.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 €35.83

$36.56 €32.84

9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 €87.0

$76.0 €68.3

27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$143 €129

-20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 €844

$1,366 €1,227

-31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 €700

$1,093 €982

-28.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 €1,198

$2,008 €1,804

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 €1,053

$1,559 €1,401

-24.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,286 €2,951

$5,880 €5,282

-44.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 €2,557

$3,707 €3,330

-23.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 €1,672

$2,346 €2,108

-20.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

2.98

10.07%

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

Last update for Mataro: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mataro

$780 42.3%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 40.2% $313

Groceries & Markets

Mataro

$310 16.8%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 8.8% $27

Eating Out

Mataro

$242 13.1%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 21.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataro

$226 12.2%

Bilbao

$194 9% 13.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Mataro

$152 8.2%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 6.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Mataro

$82 4.5%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 13.6% $11

Getting Around

Mataro

$52 2.8%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 32.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $940 in Mataro and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Mataro vs $73 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $283, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Mataro

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Mataro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

129,870

346,096

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Mataro vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mataro and Bilbao differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,844 vs $2,166 including rent). Mataro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Mataro. 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: $940 in Mataro versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $500 in Mataro versus $534 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mataro 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, Mataro 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.

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