Independent guides to living and studying in Europe
City Cards · Biscay, Basque Country · Bilbao
City Card No. 16 · SPAIN
Bilbao
Safe, green, well run and full of good food, with rain instead of sun.
GUIDE FOR MOVING TO SPAIN
Population
351,000
Airport
Bilbao (BIO)
Rain
About 1,160 mm a year
Ferries
To Portsmouth and Rosslare
The short version
Northern Spain at its most livable, if you can trade sunshine for green hills.
Bilbao rebuilt itself around the Guggenheim and a clean riverfront, and is now one of Spain’s best-run cities. The food culture, from pintxos to Michelin, is famous.
The Bizkaia Bridge is a UNESCO site, the beaches at Getxo and Sopelana are a metro ride away, and ferries sail to the UK and Ireland.
Bilbao suits you if
- You want a safe, well-organised city with excellent services
- You prefer mild summers to Andalusian heat
- You value food, culture and green space
Look elsewhere if
- Sunshine is the reason you are moving
- You want low rents (Bilbao is mid to high for Spain)
- You want schooling only in Spanish without thinking about it
Money
What living here costs
| Item | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Flat of 60 m² | €940 a month |
| Family flat of 90 m² | €1,410 a month |
| Utilities and internet | €110–170 a month |
Flat sizes use asking rents on idealista for September 2026 (Bilbao €15.7 per m²; Spain average €15.1). Signed rents are often a little lower, and furnished, sea-view or new-build homes cost more. Other figures are indicative ranges for planning, not quotes.
On Basque: it is co-official. State schools offer models A (mainly Spanish), B (both) and D (mainly Basque). Ask which model a school teaches before you enrol.
Where people live
Where newcomers usually look.
Abando and Indautxu
The central, elegant grid. Walk to everything.
Casco Viejo
The old town: pintxo bars, markets and narrow streets.
Deusto
Across the river, with the university.
Getxo
On the coast by metro, popular with international families.
The trade-off
Rain, and no high-speed train yet.
It rains a lot, all year. Madrid is about five hours by train for now; the Basque high-speed line has no confirmed opening date.
Guides for this area
Spain Move Kit €12.99
Weighing Bilbao?
Bilbao, or somewhere sunnier?
Start with a free discovery call. We tell you honestly whether it is worth going further.
Coaching and guidance only, not legal advice. Not an immigration lawyer or agent.