Cost of Living Comparison Between Southend-on-Sea and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Southend-on-Sea and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,012 in Southend-on-Sea versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,450 in Southend-on-Sea versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,888 in Southend-on-Sea versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs are close between Southend-on-Sea and Bilbao; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southend-on-Sea 50% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 £15.12

$17.06 €14.69

18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 £61.3

$70.6 €60.8

16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 £7.23

$11.36 €9.78

-14.52%

Cappuccino

$4.50 £3.35

$2.30 €1.98

95.65%

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

$1.52 £1.14

$3.01 €2.59

-49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.98 €1.71

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 £4.10

$3.67 €3.16

49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 £3.31

$3.75 €3.23

18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.29 €1.11

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.49 €1.28

-6.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.71 €1.47

-21.05%

Eggs

$3.73 £2.78

$2.92 €2.51

27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 £5.99

$15.66 €13.48

-48.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 £5.39

$8.66 €7.46

-16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 £9.78

$13.63 €11.73

-3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 £2.37

$2.69 €2.32

18.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.33 €2.01

-42.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$2.43 €2.09

-9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 £2.07

$2.45 €2.11

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.69 €1.45

6.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.24 €1.93

-29.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 £0.60

$1.45 €1.25

-44.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.14 €0.99

25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.97 £14.13

$6.99 €6.02

171.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.12 £6.79

$8.34 €7.18

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.07

$1.35 €1.16

105.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 £1.82

$2.68 €2.30

-8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.94 €1.67

43.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.14 £35.86

$48.89 €42.09

-1.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 £4.34

$5.46 €4.70

6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 £0.95

$0.91 €0.79

40.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 £37.38

$33.74 €29.05

48.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.82 €1.57

7.14%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$39.0K €33.6K

-0.91%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$32.4K €27.9K

26.24%

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

$172 £128

$155 €134

10.87%

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

$14.49 £10.80

$21.95 €18.89

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.19 £26.22

$34.79 €29.95

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 £30.84

$56.3 €48.47

-26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 £6.22

$10.19 €8.77

-18.06%

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

$1,915 £1,427

$542 €466

253.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K £15.0K

$9,116 €7,848

121.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 £66.8

$85.5 €73.6

4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 £29.89

$34.97 €30.10

14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 £66.4

$82.7 €71.2

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £74.2

$112 €96.8

-11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 £1,079

$1,107 €953

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 £735

$944 €813

4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,417 £1,801

$1,795 €1,545

34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 £1,819

$1,353 €1,165

80.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,623 £3,444

$5,928 €5,104

-22.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,053 £3,019

$3,727 €3,209

8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 £2,802

$2,453 €2,112

53.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.38

61.24%

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

Last update for Southend-on-Sea: May 30, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Southend-on-Sea and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southend-on-Sea pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82.0 in Southend-on-Sea vs $71.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $285, with Southend-on-Sea 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

Southend-on-Sea vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Southend-on-Sea pays 53% 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: $1,448 in Southend-on-Sea versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bilbao runs roughly 2% less than in Southend-on-Sea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Southend-on-Sea pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,008 in Bilbao versus $2,012 in Southend-on-Sea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Southend-on-Sea. The gap between the two cities makes Bilbao 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, Southend-on-Sea 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 – Bilbao wins on affordability, Southend-on-Sea on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.