Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Novara versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Novara versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,156 in Novara versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Novara costs roughly 27% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Novara 9% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.51 €15.06

$17.06 €14.68

2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €49.87

$70.6 €60.8

-17.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 €8.04

$11.36 €9.77

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.57

$2.30 €1.98

-20.43%

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

$3.40 €2.92

$3.01 €2.59

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.98 €1.70

-28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.06

$3.67 €3.16

60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.45

$3.75 €3.23

37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.29 €1.11

15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.49 €1.28

28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.71 €1.47

64.33%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.91

$2.92 €2.51

15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €10.99

$15.66 €13.47

-18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €7.84

$8.66 €7.45

5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.07

$13.63 €11.72

2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.69 €2.32

-0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.33 €2.01

-27.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$2.43 €2.09

33.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.45 €2.11

-5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.69 €1.45

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €0.97

$2.24 €1.92

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.45 €1.25

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$1.14 €0.98

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 €6.09

$6.99 €6.02

1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €5.83

$8.34 €7.17

-18.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.35 €1.16

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.68 €2.30

-29.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.94 €1.67

-8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.01 €33.56

$48.89 €42.06

-20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 €4.02

$5.46 €4.70

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.79

$0.91 €0.79

129.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.43 €30.48

$33.74 €29.03

5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.82 €1.56

10.99%

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

$28.4K €24.4K

$39.0K €33.6K

-27.27%

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

$31.5K €27.1K

$32.4K €27.9K

-3.03%

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

$168 €145

$155 €133

8.65%

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

$13.53 €11.64

$21.95 €18.88

-38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.43 €27.90

$34.79 €29.93

-6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 €57.1

$56.3 €48.43

17.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 €17.00

$10.19 €8.76

94.01%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 €10.98

$10.19 €8.76

25.22%

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

$536 €461

$542 €466

-1.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,132

$9,116 €7,842

16.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 €73.8

$85.5 €73.5

0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.04 €30.14

$34.97 €30.08

0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €73.4

$82.7 €71.2

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$112 €96.7

14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 €563

$1,107 €952

-40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 €386

$944 €812

-52.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €963

$1,795 €1,544

-37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €701

$1,353 €1,164

-39.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,948 €2,536

$5,928 €5,100

-50.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 €1,673

$3,727 €3,206

-47.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,133 €1,835

$2,453 €2,110

-13.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.38

24.56%

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

Last update for Novara: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Novara and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 15% 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: $58.0 in Novara vs $71.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $285 per month, with Novara cheaper across the board.

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

Novara vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novara and Bilbao differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $2,008 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bilbao earns 15% less. 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: $655 in Novara versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $536 in Novara versus $542 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Novara versus $2,008 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Novara 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, Novara 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 Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.