Cost of Living Comparison Between Stirling and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Stirling and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,099 in Stirling versus $2,008 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,262 in Stirling versus $2,876 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,426 in Stirling versus $3,743 in Bilbao.

Living in Stirling is roughly 5% more expensive than Bilbao, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stirling 57% above, Bilbao 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.99 £11.91

$17.06 €14.69

-6.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 £60.3

$70.6 €60.8

14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 £7.36

$11.36 €9.78

-13.03%

Cappuccino

$3.83 £2.85

$2.30 €1.98

66.52%

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

$2.03 £1.51

$3.01 €2.59

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.98 €1.71

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 £4.45

$3.67 €3.16

62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 £4.36

$3.75 €3.23

56.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 £0.68

$1.29 €1.11

-28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.49 €1.28

12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.71 €1.47

5.85%

Eggs

$3.73 £2.77

$2.92 €2.51

27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 £6.63

$15.66 €13.49

-43.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 £6.25

$8.66 €7.46

-3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 £10.32

$13.63 €11.73

1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$2.69 €2.32

1.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.33 €2.01

-26.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.15

$2.43 €2.09

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 £3.11

$2.45 €2.11

70.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 £0.88

$1.69 €1.45

-29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$2.24 €1.93

-38.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.45 €1.25

-18.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.14 €0.99

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.80 £13.26

$6.99 €6.02

154.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 £8.37

$8.34 €7.18

34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.63

$1.35 €1.16

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 £1.69

$2.68 €2.30

-15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 £2.78

$1.94 €1.67

92.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 £57.2

$48.89 €42.10

57.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.36

$5.46 €4.70

-17.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 £1.00

$0.91 €0.79

48.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 £11.68

$33.74 €29.06

-53.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.82 €1.57

2.75%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$39.0K €33.6K

-0.18%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$32.4K €27.9K

28.04%

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

$376 £280

$155 €134

142.36%

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

$16.20 £12.07

$21.95 €18.90

-26.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.43 £28.62

$34.79 €29.96

10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 £21.14

$56.3 €48.48

-49.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 £6.70

$10.19 €8.77

-11.68%

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

$1,851 £1,378

$542 €466

241.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K £11.3K

$9,116 €7,850

66.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 £61.9

$85.5 €73.6

-2.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.97 £29.77

$34.97 €30.11

14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 £69.8

$82.7 €71.2

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 £57.4

$112 €96.8

-31.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 £752

$1,107 €953

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 £630

$944 €813

-10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 £1,755

$1,795 €1,546

31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 £1,328

$1,353 €1,165

31.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,209

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,470 £2,585

$2,453 €2,112

41.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

3.38

63.61%

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

Last update for Stirling: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,009 in Stirling and $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stirling pays 41% 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: $81.0 in Stirling vs $71.0 in Bilbao. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $285, with Stirling 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

Stirling vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stirling and Bilbao differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,099 vs $2,008 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stirling pays 41% 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: $1,009 in Stirling versus $1,107 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,851 in Stirling versus $542 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stirling pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,008 in Bilbao versus $2,099 in Stirling, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Stirling. 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, Stirling 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Stirling. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.