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Living in Bilbao

Bilbao had 351,124 residents at the start of 2025 and is a city in Spain. The city covered 41.3 km² in 2024. Population density was 8,428.3 people per km² in 2024. Gigabit broadband availability was 99.2% in 2025. The unemployment rate was 10.5% in 2024. Annual PM2.5 was 12 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The foreign population count was 40,186 at the start of 2024.

Pricier rent than 98% of Spanish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 95% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 92% of Spanish cities that publish it.

Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Bilbao?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SpainNational rates and thresholds that apply in Bilbao.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A city-level estimate placed average net cold rent at €11.5 per m² per month in 2024.

How much does it cost to rent in Bilbao?

Average net cold rent is 11.5 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 11.5 EUR/m²/month · SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Bilbao20
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Bilbao recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€411
Utilities, 85 m² flat€125
Fitness club€46
Transport pass€40
Internet, 60 Mbps€33
Mobile plan, 10 GB€18

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesBilbao highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Bilbao highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Madrid€14.00
Barcelona€13.70
Bilbao€11.50
Palma€9.80
Córdoba€6.60
Murcia€5.80
Show the other 6 cities
Málaga€9.60
Sevilla€9.20
Valencia€8.20
Zaragoza€7.70
Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.30
Alacant/Alicante€7.10
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly46.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited33.17 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly411.3 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.44 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB18.17 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Bilbao. Jun 2026. Prices in Bilbao23Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass39.81 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home124.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings165,687 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings149,460 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings16,224 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)11.5 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2024SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Bilbao20Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 690 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 11.5 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2024

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Bilbao?

The unemployment rate is about 10.5 % (2024).

  • Unemployment rate: 10.51 % · INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city7
Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Bilbao is 10.5%. Of 1,361 cities with data, 844 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Spain per band844 cities: 0% to under 5%8440–5437 cities: 5% to under 10%4375–1044 cities: 10% to under 15%4410–15Bilbao 10.5%23 cities: 15% to under 20%2315–209 cities: 20% to under 25%920–254 cities: 25% to under 30%425–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability99.18 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202521Official
People in employment137,106 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,659 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)8Official · regional context
Salary Net Avg Eur Month2,138 EUR/month30 Jun 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/bilbao/25Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate10.51 %country median 4.4%31 Dec 2024INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city7Official
Unemployment rate over time8 published observations, 2017–2024
Unemployment rate in Bilbao by year, %8.5%10.5%12.5%14.5%201720192021202410.5%%

Unemployment rate fell 25.5% between 2017 and 2024, from 14.1% to 10.5%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Bilbao. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE)

Job SearchUnemployment ClaimTraining
Search jobs
Open the Spain service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Bilbao. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k399.9 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2025Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202513Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Bilbao under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Hospital Beds Per 100k399.9 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Bilbao?

Police recorded about 6,827 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.14

Recorded crime across major citiesBilbao highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Bilbao highlighted5,338Orihuela5,289Murcia5,095Córdoba4,916Vitoria-Gasteiz4,578Cartagena4,104Castelló de la Plana/Castellón de la Plana4,023Ciudad Real3,831Molina de Segura3,706Lorca3,690Logroño3,628Burgos2,712Vila-realrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents6,827 incidents per 100,000country median 4,27631 Dec 2024MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.14Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport35 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat18Official
Nearest airportBIO13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official
Distance to nearest airport4.7 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Bilbao. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course

Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities

For adult language learners, residents.

In Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information
Open the full Spain section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Bilbao.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Bilbao?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.515

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Bilbao average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND26°5°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Bilbao average monthly precipitation, mm0459013518013110998977658525375112171125JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Bilbao average monthly sunshine, hours0459013518075891271381671681771741561217874JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Bilbao annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52512.0PM2.5154014.0PM10104020.0NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SpainAnnual PM2.5 in Bilbao is 12.0 µg/m³. Of 269 cities with data, 57 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Spain per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–46 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³64–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–628 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³286–733 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³337–857 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³578–941 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³419–1035 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3510–1130 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³3011–1214 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1412–13Bilbao 12.04 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³413–146 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³614–151 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³119–20

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean20 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MAZARREDO)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean14 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MAZARREDO)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³country median 8.731 Dec 2024MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.515Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 13.5 · Feb 14.1 · Mar 16.6 · Apr 18 · May 21 · Jun 23.6 · Jul 25.5 · Aug 26.4 · Sep 24.6 · Oct 21.5 · Nov 16.5 · Dec 14.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO22Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 5.4 · Feb 5.1 · Mar 6.7 · Apr 8.1 · May 11 · Jun 13.9 · Jul 16 · Aug 16.2 · Sep 14 · Oct 11.7 · Nov 8.3 · Dec 6.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO22Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 9.4 · Feb 9.6 · Mar 11.6 · Apr 13.1 · May 16 · Jun 18.8 · Jul 20.7 · Aug 21.3 · Sep 19.3 · Oct 16.6 · Nov 12.4 · Dec 10.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO22Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 131.4 · Feb 108.7 · Mar 97.5 · Apr 96.6 · May 75.9 · Jun 58.2 · Jul 51.8 · Aug 52.7 · Sep 75 · Oct 111.6 · Nov 170.5 · Dec 124.8 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO22Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 75.4 · Feb 89.3 · Mar 126.8 · Apr 137.8 · May 166.6 · Jun 168.4 · Jul 176.8 · Aug 173.8 · Sep 156.2 · Oct 121.4 · Nov 77.7 · Dec 73.8 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO22Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Spain

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Spain cities
Alacant/Alicante366,221 residentsCórdoba323,262 residentsPalmas de Gran Canaria, Las381,868 residentsValladolid302,614 residentsVigo294,489 residentsHospitalet de Llobregat, L'289,510 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Bilbao?

The published population was 351,124 people in January 2025. Source: Bilbao - official stats1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Bilbao residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport88.6%Foreign residents11.4%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents393.3 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat5Official
City area41.3 km²2024Bilbao - official stats1Official
Foreign-resident share9.9 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat6Official
Foreign residents40,186 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.17Official
Population density8,428 people/km²1 Jan 2024Official INE 2024 municipality population divided by official INE 2024 municipality area.16Official
Population Female182,105 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)9Official
Population Male163,991 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)9Official
Population351,124 people1 Jan 2025Bilbao - official stats1Official
Population over time9 published observations, 2017–2025
Population in Bilbao by year, residents315,407488,040660,674833,30720172019202120232025351,124residents

Population fell 55.6% between 2017 and 2025, from 790,423 to 351,124.

Foreign residents over time8 published observations, 2017–2024
Foreign residents in Bilbao by year, residents37,63449,96962,30474,639201720192021202440,186residents

Foreign residents fell 16.9% between 2017 and 2024, from 48,356 to 40,186.

International community in Bilbao

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL345,749100.0%
Spain298,97286.5%
South America21,6896.3%
Africa8,7152.5%
Central America and Caribbean5,7051.7%
European Union (without Spain)4,6201.3%
Asia3,4991.0%
Rent of Europe1,6720.5%
North America8350.2%
Oceania420.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Citizenship

Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL345,749100.0%
Spanish312,26290.3%
South America11,4353.3%
Africa7,9692.3%
Central America and Caribbean4,5401.3%
European Union (without Spain)4,3931.3%
Asia3,5841.0%
Rent of Europe1,0260.3%
North America4300.1%
Statelens940.0%
Oceania160.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Is Bilbao a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker52%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 44–60%
Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on education · range 49–65%
Student53%strong on cost, weak on education · range 44–62%
Family40%strong on family, weak on education · range 32–48%
Retirement42%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 33–51%
Foreign residents40,186 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population351,124 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Bilbao - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)11.5 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2024Official source · SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Bilbao
Dwellings165,687 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability99.18 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
People in employment137,106 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-05

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households149,463 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
Labour Supply Count162,582 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain12Official
Private Clinic Presenttrue31 Dec 2025Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 20252Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Bilbao?

The published population was 351,124 people in January 2025. Source: Bilbao - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Bilbao?

Average net cold rent is 11.5 EUR/m² per month (2024), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 805 EUR a month before utilities. Source: SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Bilbao.

Is the air quality good in Bilbao?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.5.

How safe is Bilbao?

Police recorded about 6,827 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator..

What is the unemployment rate in Bilbao?

The unemployment rate is about 10.5 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.

What is the typical salary around Bilbao?

The median gross salary is 2,659 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

Is Bilbao a good place to live?

Bilbao may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Africa live in Bilbao?

The official country of birth distribution records 8,715 people (2.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Bilbao, Spain: rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/bilbao/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_bilbao-spain-rent-salary-cost-of-living_0fc922f555f9,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Bilbao, Spain: rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/bilbao/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Bilbao, Spain: rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/bilbao/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Bilbao - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
  3. EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MAZARREDO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  4. EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MAZARREDO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  7. INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
  8. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  10. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
Show 15 more sources
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  3. Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
  4. MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
  5. MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 — Table 16 PM2.5 MITECO Evaluación de la calidad del aire en España 2024 · miteco.gob.es · checked 2026-07-26
  6. Official INE 2024 municipality population divided by official INE 2024 municipality area. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  7. Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  8. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  9. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  10. SERPAVI 2026 — Tabla 2, Bilbao SERPAVI 2026 · publicaciones.transportes.gob.es · checked 2026-07-26
  11. SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
  12. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station BILBAO/AEROPUERTO WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  13. Cost of Living in Bilbao. Jun 2026. Prices in Bilbao numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  14. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  15. Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/bilbao/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.