Townleap

Cost of Living: Bilbao vs Seville (2026)

Spain vs Spain — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Bilbao
Seville
$1259/mo
Rent
$980/mo
72/100
Livability
71/100
89/100
Safety
89/100
87/100
Healthcare
88/100
5 yr
PR path
5 yr
Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)
Freelance setup
Autónomo
  • No VAT exemption
  • €1800/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Autónomo
  • No VAT exemption
  • €1800/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRSeville is 22% cheaper on rent ($980/mo vs $1259/mo). Seville summers average 34°C vs 25°C. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.
Bilbao and Seville are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.
Household
Bilbao
Metric
Seville
$1259/mo
🏠
Rent (1BR centre)
$980/mo
$578/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
$491/mo
$6,395
🧳
Cost to land
$4,952
0.7 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
0.6 / 100k
25°C
☀️
Summer high
34°C
6°C
❄️
Winter low
7°C
10.1 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
9.4 μg/m³
8.1 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
8.1 / 10
38/100
🗣️
Street English
38/100
$58k
💼
GDP per capita
$58k
2.8% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
2.8% · Boringly steady
72 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
71 / 100
5 years
📋
Time to PR
5 years
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Seville
$279/mo cheaper on rent alone
☀️
Weather
25°C vs 34°C summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

34% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
67% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
9.0h
Shortest day
Dec
9.6h
15.3h
Longest day
Jun
14.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend
stable
improving
Inflation trend
improving
5 yrs
Time to PR
5 yrs
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Easy
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Complex
Moderate
UA visa
Moderate
Conditional (1+ yr)
pareja de hecho
Partner pathway
Conditional (1+ yr)
pareja de hecho
Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)
Tax breaks
Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
14 wk
Gestational limit
14 wk

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory waiting period.

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

76/100
Rainbow Index
76/100
Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Source: Rainbow Europe (ILGA-Europe)

The Short Version

  • Rent is 22% cheaper in Seville ($980/mo vs $1259/mo for a 1BR city centre).
  • Summers are dramatically warmer in Seville (34°C vs 25°C).

Bilbao vs Seville — Common Questions

Is Bilbao cheaper than Seville?

Seville is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $980/month in Seville vs $1259/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Bilbao or Seville?

Seville is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bilbao has a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 and Seville has 0.61 per 100,000.

Should I move to Bilbao or Seville?

Bilbao and Seville are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Bilbao or Seville?

Seville is warmer in summer (34°C vs 25°C). Bilbao has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Bilbao vs Seville?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $980/month in Seville, $1259/month in Bilbao (Numbeo). That's 22% cheaper rent in Seville.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

Quiz →