Cost of Living: Bilbao vs Tenerife (2026)
Spain vs Spain — relocation comparison
TL;DRTenerife has milder winters (15°C vs 6°C lows). Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.
Bilbao and Tenerife are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.
💰
Cost of Living
Tenerife
$42/mo cheaper on rent alone
Bilbao
Metric
Tenerife
$1259/mo
🏠
Rent (1BR centre)
$1217/mo
$578/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
$575/mo
—
🧳
Cost to land
$5,941
✓0.7 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
0.9 / 100k
25°C
☀️
Summer high
27°C
6°C
❄️
Winter low
15°C
10.1 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
8.1 μg/m³✓
8.1 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
8.1 / 10
37/100
🗣️
Street English
37/100
$58k
💼
GDP per capita
$58k
2.8%
📈
Inflation
2.8%
69 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
68 / 100
Settler Essentials
—
Democracy trend
stable →
Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals
The Short Version
- •Rent is 3% cheaper in Tenerife ($1217/mo vs $1259/mo for a 1BR city centre).
- •Summers are slightly warmer in Tenerife (27°C vs 25°C).
Bilbao vs Tenerife — Common Questions
Is Bilbao cheaper than Tenerife?▾
Tenerife is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1217/month in Tenerife vs $1259/month in the other city (Numbeo data).
Which is safer, Bilbao or Tenerife?▾
Bilbao is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Bilbao has a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 and Tenerife has 0.95 per 100,000.
Should I move to Bilbao or Tenerife?▾
Bilbao and Tenerife 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.
Don't agree? Take the quiz and see what fits you.
Factor in your salary, family size, weather preferences, and deal-breakers.
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