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: $2,120 in Valencia versus $2,098 in Bilbao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,069 in Valencia versus $3,199 in Bilbao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,018 in Valencia versus $4,300 in Bilbao.

Living in Valencia is roughly 1% more expensive than in Bilbao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 55% above, Bilbao 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 €16.21

$21.11 €18.28

-11.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €59.6

$72.4 €62.7

-4.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 €11.03

$12.87 €11.14

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$2.84 €2.46

$2.51 €2.18

13.15%

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

$2.59 €2.24

$2.98 €2.58

-13.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.78 €1.54

15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.94

$3.38 €2.93

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.97

$3.31 €2.86

38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.40 €1.21

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.58 €1.37

-13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.63 €1.41

7.98%

Eggs

$3.66 €3.17

$3.28 €2.84

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 €9.63

$15.05 €13.03

-26.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €6.87

$8.16 €7.06

-2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.53 €14.31

$13.63 €11.80

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.85 €2.47

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.11 €1.83

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.65

$2.60 €2.25

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.42 €2.09

6.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 €1.45

$1.51 €1.31

10.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.54 €2.20

-28.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.28 €1.11

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.87 €0.75

-8.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.94

$7.11 €6.16

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €4.87

$8.02 €6.95

-29.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.60 €1.38

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.58 €2.23

-31.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.84 €1.59

23.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.18 €35.65

$52.1 €45.08

-20.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.92

$5.63 €4.88

-19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.06 €0.92

32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.63 €21.32

$33.37 €28.89

-26.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.79 €1.55

-3.91%

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

$36.8K €31.8K

$36.5K €31.6K

0.88%

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

$30.3K €26.2K

$31.9K €27.6K

-5.04%

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

$163 €141

$146 €126

11.97%

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

$16.52 €14.30

$20.91 €18.10

-20.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.40 €30.65

$30.41 €26.32

16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 €37.96

$56.6 €49.00

-22.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.34 €7.22

$15.73 €13.61

-46.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 €9.40

$10.26 €8.88

5.85%

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

$605 €524

$541 €469

11.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,821

$11.7K €10.2K

-13.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 €80.9

$92.5 €80.1

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 €37.24

$35.80 €30.99

20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €84.7

$72.6 €62.8

34.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$130 €113

-7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 €1,240

$1,291 €1,118

10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €913

$1,076 €931

-1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 €2,032

$2,463 €2,132

-4.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,464

$1,745 €1,510

-3.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,697 €4,932

$6,058 €5,244

-5.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 €2,888

$3,812 €3,300

-12.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,709

$2,502 €2,166

-21.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

2.98

13.42%

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

Last update for Valencia: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bilbao: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,433 in Valencia and $1,291 in Bilbao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Valencia vs $72.0 in Bilbao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $280 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,120 vs $2,098 including rent). Bilbao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Bilbao. 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: $1,433 in Valencia versus $1,291 in Bilbao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $605 in Valencia versus $541 in Bilbao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Valencia pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,098 in Bilbao versus $2,120 in Valencia, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bilbao but tight or insufficient in Valencia. 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, 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 Bilbao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.