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Bilbao vs Madrid

Spain flagBilbaoSpain flagMadrid

Bilbao and Madrid are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Neither city has a clear all-round edge, while Bilbao has the clearest edge in public life and spaces. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Bilbao
  • Madrid
Affordability
69
68
Safety
83
76
Healthcare
68
65
Career
54
63
Culture & food
69
72
Public life & spaces
78
67
Overall
66
66

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

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Category by category

Is Bilbao or Madrid cheaper to live in?

Bilbao 69Madrid 68

Bilbao has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €978 per month, compared with €1,112 in Madrid. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Bilbao is tight alone at roughly 40%, while Madrid is tight alone at roughly 42%.

Is Bilbao or Madrid safer?

Bilbao 83Madrid 76

Bilbao's clearest win. Violent crime is rare in both, but Madrid carries the pickpocketing pressure that comes with a much bigger tourist footprint.

Does Bilbao or Madrid have better healthcare?

Bilbao 68Madrid 65

Bilbao leads modestly. Both lean on Spain's strong public system, though English in clinical settings is a challenge in either city.

Is Bilbao or Madrid better for your career?

Bilbao 54Madrid 63

Madrid's biggest advantage, and the widest gap here. As Spain's economic and corporate hub, it offers a far wider job market than Bilbao's more industrial, regional base.

Does Bilbao or Madrid have a better food and culture scene?

Bilbao 69Madrid 72

Madrid noses ahead, with a deeper, later-running nightlife and world-class museums, though Bilbao and the Basque Country counter with food that punches well above its size.

Does Bilbao or Madrid have better public spaces and street life?

Bilbao 78Madrid 67

Bilbao leads. Its regenerated riverfront is genuinely spotless, while Madrid answers with grander public spaces like the Retiro that stay remarkably cheap to enjoy.

The verdict

Neither city has the broader all-round advantage. Bilbao has the clearest category edge in public life and spaces, but rent burden, neighbourhood fit, and personal priorities should decide between them.

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