Cost of Living Comparison Between Urbana, IL and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Urbana, IL and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,630 in Urbana, IL versus $1,955 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Urbana, IL versus $2,838 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,607 in Urbana, IL versus $3,721 in Bilbao.

Living in Urbana, IL costs roughly 17% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Urbana, IL 22% above, Bilbao 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.18 $15.18

$17.32 €15.18

-12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.91 $49.91

$68.5 €60.0

-27.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$11.64 €10.20

-6.01%

Cappuccino

$4.29 $4.29

$2.32 €2.03

84.91%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.94 €2.57

-23.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.00 €1.75

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.71 €3.25

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.73 €3.27

64.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.28 €1.12

-46.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.44 €1.26

84.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.70 €1.49

61.18%

Eggs

$2.63 $2.63

$3.00 €2.63

-12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 $7.89

$15.72 €13.77

-49.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$8.94 €7.83

0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.48 €11.81

-2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.65 €2.32

35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.36 €2.07

-31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.52 €2.21

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.40 €2.10

48.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.68 €1.47

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.29 €2.01

8.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.46 €1.28

17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.12 €0.98

22.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 $10.33

$7.12 €6.24

45.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 $8.44

$8.11 €7.10

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.39 €1.22

25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.60 €2.28

-49.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.99 €1.74

-50.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.44 €42.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.48 €4.80

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.96 €0.84

-34.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 $29.23

$34.07 €29.85

-14.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.75 €1.53

-43.43%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$39.1K €34.2K

-36.49%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$31.7K €27.8K

-26.59%

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

$214 $214

$152 €133

40.53%

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

$42.26 $42.26

$21.40 €18.75

97.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$34.60 €30.31

74.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 $42.80

$57.6 €50.4

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 €8.82

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 $12.10

$10.27 €9.00

17.82%

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

$1,205 $1,205

$559 €490

115.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$9,103 €7,975

152.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.00 $44.00

$83.1 €72.8

-47.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 $39.75

$35.37 €30.99

12.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 $66.6

$81.9 €71.8

-18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$113 €99.4

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 $751

$1,086 €952

-30.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 $576

$948 €831

-39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 $1,485

$1,828 €1,601

-18.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 $1,372

$1,332 €1,167

2.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,649 $1,649

$5,851 €5,126

-71.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 $1,613

$3,760 €3,294

-57.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,733 $6,733

$2,377 €2,082

183.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

3.38

92.90%

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

Last update for Urbana, IL: July 20, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Urbana, IL and $1,086 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbana, IL pays 183% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Urbana, IL vs $68.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $285 per month, with Urbana, IL 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

Urbana, IL vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbana, IL and Bilbao differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,630 vs $1,955 including rent). Urbana, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 183% higher in Urbana, IL, 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: $751 in Urbana, IL versus $1,086 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,630 per month in Urbana, IL versus $1,955 in Bilbao – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,630 in Urbana, IL versus $1,955 in Bilbao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urbana, IL but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Urbana, IL 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, Urbana, IL 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 Urbana, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.