Living in Bilbao, Spain
Bilbao is a mid-sized coastal city in Basque Country, Spain (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 15°C over the year with about 1,144 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,987 a month to live centrally, and Spain sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Spain is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $2,793 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,987
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 15°C
- 1,144 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 65/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~200 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Bilbao
- Stronger healthcare than 92% of the cities we compare
- Has a residency route for remote workers
- On or near the sea
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic self-funded routes are the non-lucrative visa (passive income/sufficient means) and the digital nomad visa (remote work), alongside sponsored work permits and the EU Blue Card; the property-based golden visa was abolished in April 2025, so no capital-investment route remains. EUR converted at 1.1637 USD/EUR as of 2026-06.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
Bilateral arrangements make it easier for citizens of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Spain:
- Income: about $2,793 a month (Spain non-lucrative (non-working) residence visa, 400% of IPREM = EUR 2,400/mo (EUR 28,800/yr), single applicant; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Spain scores 79 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 92% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Spain.
Taxes
Spain sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Bilbao in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Climate
Bilbao averages 15°C across the year with about 1,144 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 29% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,987 a month to live centrally in Bilbao, 9% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 32% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Language and culture
Main languages: Spanish. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 80 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Spain runs at about 200 Mbps, faster than 62% of the cities we compare. Spain also has a residency route aimed at remote workers (see residency below).
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Spain scores 65 out of 100 on safety, safer than 58% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Spain. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Bilbao
Is Bilbao a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Bilbao scores well on healthcare, political stability and social openness. Expect a mild, wet climate (15°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Bilbao and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Bilbao?
We estimate about €2,987 a month for a couple living centrally, 9% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Bilbao?
Spain is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Bilbao in their results.
Can foreigners live in Spain long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Realistic self-funded routes are the non-lucrative visa (passive income/sufficient means) and the digital nomad visa (remote work), alongside sponsored work permits and the EU Blue Card; the property-based golden visa was abolished in April 2025, so no capital-investment route remains. EUR converted at 1.1637 USD/EUR as of 2026-06. Bilateral arrangements make it easier for citizens of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,793 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Bilbao?
Bilbao averages 15°C across the year with about 1,144 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 29% of the cities we track.
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