Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Bilbao

For one person, living is cheaper in Valencia: $2,092 a month against $2,166 in Bilbao, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. The total is higher in Bilbao despite lower rent and utilities.

100

Cost of Living Index in Valencia
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Valencia Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bilbao
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Bilbao Living Index

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Valencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,092

/mo nomad

Bilbao

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valencia and in Bilbao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Valencia and in Bilbao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,092 in Valencia versus $2,166 in Bilbao.

Valencia $2,092
Bilbao $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,017 in Valencia versus $3,118 in Bilbao.

Valencia $3,017
Bilbao $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,942 in Valencia versus $4,069 in Bilbao.

Valencia $3,942
Bilbao $4,069

Living in Valencia costs roughly 3% less than in Bilbao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 54% above, Bilbao 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.72 €16.77

$22.64 €20.27

-17.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €59.1

$73.0 €65.4

-9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 €10.84

$12.47 €11.17

-2.89%

Cappuccino

$2.72 €2.43

$2.67 €2.39

1.87%

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

$2.49 €2.23

$3.12 €2.79

-20.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.91 €1.71

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.97

$3.30 €2.96

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.10

$3.30 €2.96

38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.31 €1.17

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.65 €1.48

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.54 €1.38

15.58%

Eggs

$3.40 €3.04

$3.31 €2.97

2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 €9.60

$15.55 €13.93

-31.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 €6.95

$7.97 €7.14

-2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.88 €14.22

$14.56 €13.04

9.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.76 €2.47

-10.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.09 €1.87

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.54 €2.28

-27.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$2.65 €2.38

0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.64 €1.47

3.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.43 €2.18

-23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.28 €1.14

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$0.93 €0.83

-13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 €5.99

$6.57 €5.89

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.05

$7.59 €6.80

-25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.51 €1.35

-11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.59 €2.32

-36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.95 €1.75

11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.70 €34.66

$50.7 €45.41

-23.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 €4.02

$5.37 €4.81

-16.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.03 €0.92

24.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 €21.03

$32.32 €28.94

-27.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.83 €1.64

-1.64%

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

$33.8K €30.3K

$33.3K €29.8K

1.52%

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

$31.3K €28.1K

$32.3K €28.9K

-2.91%

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

$155 €139

$145 €130

6.78%

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

$15.96 €14.30

$19.91 €17.83

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.43 €29.94

$29.47 €26.40

13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.25 €36.05

$50.8 €45.51

-20.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.70 €7.79

$15.21 €13.62

-42.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 €9.67

$10.18 €9.11

6.09%

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

$573 €513

$534 €478

7.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,639 €8,633

$11.7K €10.5K

-17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.5

$105 €93.7

-10.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 €37.98

$36.56 €32.74

16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 €85.8

$76.0 €68.1

26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €104

$143 €128

-19.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,468 €1,315

$1,366 €1,224

7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 €981

$1,093 €979

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 €2,088

$2,008 €1,798

16.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,481

$1,559 €1,397

6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,549 €4,969

$5,880 €5,266

-5.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,319 €2,972

$3,707 €3,320

-10.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,854 €1,660

$2,346 €2,101

-20.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.41

2.98

14.43%

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

Last update for Valencia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Valencia

$1.1K 52.4%

Bilbao

$1.1K 50.4% 0.2% $2.4

Eating Out

Valencia

$263 12.6%

Bilbao

$294 13.6% 11.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Valencia

$253 12.1%

Bilbao

$283 13.1% 11.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valencia

$204 9.8%

Bilbao

$194 9% 4.8% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Valencia

$156 7.5%

Bilbao

$162 7.5% 3.8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Valencia

$62 3%

Bilbao

$71 3.3% 15.1% $9.3

Getting Around

Valencia

$58 2.8%

Bilbao

$69 3.2% 18.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Valencia and $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Valencia vs $73 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $283 per month, with Valencia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Valencia

🇪🇸 Bilbao

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Valencia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

807,693

346,096

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,092 in Valencia and $2,166 in Bilbao, so Valencia is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Valencia. 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: $1,468 in Valencia versus $1,366 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $573 in Valencia versus $534 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Valencia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Valencia wins on affordability, Bilbao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.