Cost of Living Comparison Between Monroe, LA and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Monroe, LA and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Monroe, LA versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,853 in Monroe, LA versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,963 in Monroe, LA versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Monroe, LA costs roughly 13% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monroe, LA 30% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 $14.83

$17.06 €14.68

-13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.22 $39.22

$70.6 €60.8

-44.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.36 €9.77

-11.00%

Cappuccino

$2.95 $2.95

$2.30 €1.98

28.26%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$3.01 €2.59

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.98 €1.70

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.67 €3.16

37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.75 €3.23

76.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.29 €1.11

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.49 €1.28

81.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.71 €1.47

35.09%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.92 €2.51

1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$15.66 €13.47

-45.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.66 €7.45

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$13.63 €11.72

8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.69 €2.32

104.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.33 €2.01

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.43 €2.09

116.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.45 €2.11

60.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.69 €1.45

77.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.24 €1.92

21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.45 €1.25

1.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.14 €0.98

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.99 €6.02

13.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$8.34 €7.17

45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.35 €1.16

34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.68 €2.30

2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.94 €1.67

5.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$5.46 €4.70

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.91 €0.79

39.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.0 $59.0

$33.74 €29.03

74.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.82 €1.56

-56.59%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-4.60%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$32.4K €27.9K

-23.25%

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

$136 $136

$155 €133

-12.41%

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

$44.02 $44.02

$21.95 €18.88

100.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$34.79 €29.93

81.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 $45.75

$56.3 €48.43

-18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.76

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 $11.81

$10.19 €8.76

15.90%

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

$810 $810

$542 €466

49.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,848 $9,848

$9,116 €7,842

8.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.54 $35.54

$85.5 €73.5

-58.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.76 $42.76

$34.97 €30.08

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 $63.4

$82.7 €71.2

-23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 $77.0

$112 €96.7

-31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 $1,040

$1,107 €952

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$944 €812

-18.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 $2,580

$1,795 €1,544

43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

$1,353 €1,164

41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,008 $2,008

$5,928 €5,100

-66.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,808 $1,808

$3,727 €3,206

-51.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 $3,625

$2,453 €2,110

47.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

3.38

95.56%

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

Last update for Monroe, LA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,040 in Monroe, LA and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monroe, LA pays 48% 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 $71.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $331 vs $285, with Bilbao cheaper for home cooking.

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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,744 vs $2,008 including rent). Monroe, LA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monroe, LA pays 48% 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: $1,040 in Monroe, LA versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bilbao pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,744 per month in Monroe, LA versus $2,008 in Bilbao – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,744 in Monroe, LA versus $2,008 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 15% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.