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: $1,693 in Urbana, IL versus $2,181 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Urbana, IL versus $3,178 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,792 in Urbana, IL versus $4,175 in Bilbao.

Living in Urbana, IL costs roughly 22% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Urbana, IL 23% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$20.67 €17.78

-5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 $64.0

$71.5 €61.5

-10.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$12.89 €11.09

-22.03%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$2.66 €2.29

101.50%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$3.15 €2.71

-31.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.86 €1.60

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.58 €3.08

41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.46 €2.98

71.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.40 €1.20

-48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.66 €1.43

43.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.55 €1.34

94.19%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$3.37 €2.90

-9.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$15.10 €12.99

-55.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$8.09 €6.97

7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$13.61 €11.71

6.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.77 €2.39

46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.14 €1.84

-42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.68 €2.30

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.43 €2.09

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.51 €1.30

43.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.56 €2.20

13.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.27 €1.10

127.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.86 €0.74

54.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 $7.14

$6.83 €5.88

4.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 $8.29

$8.15 €7.01

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.60 €1.38

15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.63 €2.26

-50.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.89 €1.63

-45.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.56

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.83 €5.02

-48.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.07 €0.92

-40.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 $18.30

$34.10 €29.34

-46.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.71 €1.47

-49.12%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.4K €31.3K

-0.24%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.6K €27.2K

-17.06%

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

$209 $209

$149 €128

40.00%

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

$99.1 $99.1

$20.81 €17.90

376.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$31.51 €27.11

93.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.54

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.94

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 $13.06

$10.57 €9.10

23.56%

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

$555 €477

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$93.5 €80.5

-19.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.44 $42.44

$35.95 €30.93

18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 $66.2

$71.6 €61.6

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 $89.6

$135 €116

-33.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 $745

$1,302 €1,121

-42.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 $577

$1,099 €946

-47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 $1,517

$2,563 €2,205

-40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$1,807 €1,555

-25.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,605 $1,605

$6,083 €5,234

-73.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,642 $1,642

$3,833 €3,298

-57.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,657 $6,657

$2,439 €2,099

172.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

2.98

111.41%

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

Last update for Urbana, IL: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $745 in Urbana, IL and $1,302 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbana, IL pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Urbana, IL vs $71.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $281 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,693 vs $2,181 including rent). Urbana, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 173% 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: $745 in Urbana, IL versus $1,302 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Urbana, IL – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $71.0 in Bilbao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,693 per month in Urbana, IL versus $2,181 in Bilbao – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,693 in Urbana, IL versus $2,181 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 29% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.