Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Bilbao Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Bilbao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Valencia versus $1,945 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,717 in Valencia versus $2,794 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,567 in Valencia versus $3,643 in Bilbao.

Living in Valencia costs roughly 4% less than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 39% above, Bilbao 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 €12.81

$17.03 €14.58

-12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.30

$69.5 €59.5

-17.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.77 €10.93

$11.45 €9.80

11.53%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.21

$2.41 €2.06

7.05%

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

$2.39 €2.04

$3.02 €2.58

-20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.68

$2.03 €1.74

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €2.96

$3.69 €3.16

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.92

$3.87 €3.32

-11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.24 €1.06

-5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.47 €1.26

-10.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.65 €1.41

2.42%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.49

$2.93 €2.51

-1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 €9.75

$15.76 €13.49

-27.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 €7.40

$8.77 €7.51

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.16

$13.57 €11.62

4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.64 €2.26

-3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.37 €2.03

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.46 €2.10

-19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$2.35 €2.01

4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.72 €1.47

5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$2.30 €1.97

-13.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.48 €1.27

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.65

$1.14 €0.98

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.76

$7.00 €5.99

-3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 €5.04

$8.44 €7.23

-30.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.34 €1.14

11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.60 €2.23

-22.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.98 €1.70

-13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.26 €28.47

$49.12 €42.05

-32.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €2.92

$5.56 €4.76

-38.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.96 €0.82

26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 €21.24

$33.26 €28.47

-25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.74 €1.49

1.15%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$39.0K €33.4K

-9.43%

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

$32.2K €27.5K

$32.4K €27.8K

-0.84%

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

$143 €122

$153 €131

-6.75%

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

$13.55 €11.60

$21.52 €18.42

-37.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 €25.79

$34.05 €29.15

-11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 €36.02

$57.8 €49.47

-27.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.64 €10.82

$9.94 €8.51

27.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.59 €8.21

$10.00 €8.56

-4.10%

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

$591 €506

$543 €464

9.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$9,023 €7,724

29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$84.5 €72.3

20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.91 €32.45

$35.67 €30.53

6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 €84.8

$82.2 €70.4

20.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$113 €96.5

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 €1,049

$1,071 €917

14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €807

$962 €824

-1.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,709

$1,793 €1,535

11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,181

$1,358 €1,162

1.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,798 €4,963

$5,973 €5,113

-2.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,781

$3,752 €3,212

-13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,075 €1,777

$2,413 €2,066

-13.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.38

1.78%

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

Last update for Valencia: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Valencia and $1,071 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 16% 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 Valencia vs $69.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $284 per month, with Valencia 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

Valencia vs Bilbao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia and Bilbao differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,866 vs $1,945 including rent). Valencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bilbao earns 16% 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: $1,226 in Valencia versus $1,071 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $591 in Valencia versus $543 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,866 in Valencia versus $1,945 in Bilbao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia 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, Valencia 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.