Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monroe, LA and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Monroe, LA: $1,868 a month against $2,101 in Bilbao, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Monroe, LA
Learn more

Monroe, LA Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
Learn more

Bilbao Living Index

Jump to prices

Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,868

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,101

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,868 in Monroe, LA versus $2,101 in Bilbao.

Monroe, LA $1,868
Bilbao $2,101

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,845 in Monroe, LA versus $3,158 in Bilbao.

Monroe, LA $2,845
Bilbao $3,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,822 in Monroe, LA versus $4,215 in Bilbao.

Monroe, LA $3,822
Bilbao $4,215

Living in Monroe, LA costs roughly 11% less than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monroe, LA 38% above, Bilbao 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 $16.80

$22.59 €20.10

-25.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.32 $39.32

$73.6 €65.4

-46.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$12.16 €10.82

-16.20%

Cappuccino

$3.08 $3.08

$2.56 €2.28

20.31%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$3.17 €2.82

-37.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.91 €1.70

27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.31 €2.94

21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.43 €3.05

79.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.34 €1.19

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.61 €1.43

70.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.47 €1.31

87.07%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$3.35 €2.98

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$15.44 €13.74

-43.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.25 €7.34

-3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$14.39 €12.80

9.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.90 €2.58

73.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.15 €1.91

-33.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.66 €2.37

62.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.64 €2.35

43.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.64 €1.45

65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.54 €2.26

1.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.28 €1.14

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.94 €0.83

97.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.65 €5.91

19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 $13.25

$7.77 €6.91

70.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.48 €1.31

22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.58 €2.29

-34.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.4 €45.76

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.66 €5.03

-55.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.00 €0.89

53.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.83 $23.83

$32.88 €29.24

-27.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.80 €1.60

-50.00%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$33.7K €29.9K

-17.98%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$32.0K €28.4K

-16.55%

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

$171 $171

$141 €126

21.13%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$20.30 €18.06

162.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$30.31 €26.96

108.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.06 $47.06

$55.4 €49.29

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 €13.51

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 $12.91

$10.22 €9.09

26.32%

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

$807 $807

$526 €468

53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$11.4K €10.2K

67.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$104 €92.4

-60.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 $38.06

$37.05 €32.95

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 $63.3

$74.5 €66.3

-15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$143 €127

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 $984

$1,267 €1,127

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 $812

$1,026 €913

-20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,414 €2,147

-11.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$1,694 €1,507

-4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 $1,858

$5,882 €5,232

-68.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$3,700 €3,291

-52.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,703 $3,703

$2,424 €2,156

52.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

2.98

126.51%

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

Last update for Monroe, LA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monroe, LA

$812 43.5%

Bilbao

$1K 48.9% 26.4% $214

Groceries & Markets

Monroe, LA

$325 17.4%

Bilbao

$285 13.6% 12.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monroe, LA

$287 15.4%

Bilbao

$192 9.1% 33.2% $95

Eating Out

Monroe, LA

$252 13.5%

Bilbao

$292 13.9% 15.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Monroe, LA

$109 5.8%

Bilbao

$161 7.7% 48.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Monroe, LA

$73 3.9%

Bilbao

$76 3.6% 4.1% $3

Getting Around

Monroe, LA

$10 * 0.5%

Bilbao

$69 3.3% 580% $59

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 $984 in Monroe, LA and $1,267 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monroe, LA pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Monroe, LA vs $74.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $285, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monroe, LA

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

7 h ahead of Monroe, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,702

346,096

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monroe, LA Bilbao 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Monroe, LA
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

Monroe, LA vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monroe, LA and Bilbao differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,868 vs $2,101 including rent). Monroe, LA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Monroe, LA, 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: $984 in Monroe, LA versus $1,267 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,868 per month in Monroe, LA versus $2,101 in Bilbao – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,868 in Monroe, LA versus $2,101 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monroe, LA but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Monroe, LA 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, Monroe, LA 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 Monroe, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.