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Side by side

Bilbao or Gijón?

Each place uses its own local data. National rules (economy, geopolitical stability, governance, tax & finance) are the same for both, so they cannot separate them. Neither wins everywhere; the tradeoffs below are what matter.

All about BilbaoAll about GijónChange a place

Data as of

City · País Vasco

Bilbao

A food city that reinvented itself around the Guggenheim, with green hills, cool summers and serious pintxos.

Quality of life66above average
Momentum68above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalFormer industrial portGreen and rainyFood cityCo-official BasqueFast internetPricey rentLive without a car

5th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

City · Principado de Asturias

Gijón

Asturias's biggest city: a surf-and-cider seaside town with a steel past, low crime and a lot of rain.

Quality of life60above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityPort cityGreen and rainyCool summersCider culture

39th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 76)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 55)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 29)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 3)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 2.0 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 18% of commuters
  • Distance to the main airport: 5 km vs 30 km
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 0 a year

Watch out: Rain on many days of the year; Hills that shape where and how the city can grow.

Why Gijón

  • Stronger on climate (80 vs 67)
  • Stronger on safety (74 vs 27)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 2 a year vs 23 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 69 per 100k people vs 217 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 1,117 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • Homicides: 0.37 per 100k people vs 0.85 per 100k people
  • A city beach and a surf scene with green hills behind
  • Low crime and moderate rents with a relaxed pace

Watch out: Grey and wet weather for much of the year; A small job market with modest pay and young people leaving.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 12 and Gijón on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity76 · strong
76 · strongTransport55 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare29 · below average
70 · above averageJobs66 · above average
67 · above averageClimate80 · strong
58 · averageDigital47 · average
56 · averageConnectivity3 · weak
27 · below averageSafety74 · above average
–Housing70 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoGijónDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€7.2 a month2024Bilbao 60% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€505 a month2024Bilbao 60% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€509 a month2024Bilbao 57% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,343Q2 2026Bilbao 51% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€187,464Q2 2026Bilbao 51% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202612.5%Q2 2026Bilbao 4.5 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€17,103 a year2024Bilbao 20% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€37,943 a year2024Bilbao 25% higher
Unemployment9.0%20259.4%2025about the same
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202436.5 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 87% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.31 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 84% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.37 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.3×
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people202569 per 100k people2025Bilbao 3.2×
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202589 per 100k people2025Bilbao 38% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20251,117 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.7×
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202521 per 100k people2025Bilbao 11% higher
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202382.7 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20253.7 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 7% higher
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Gijón 4.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–20246 a year2015–2024Bilbao 42% lower
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–20242 a year2015–2024Bilbao 12.9×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024116 a year2015–2024Bilbao 7% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–20241,054 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 9% higher
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–2024153 a year2015–2024about the same
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202141 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202118% of commuters2021Bilbao 19.2 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202157% of commuters2021Bilbao 27.4 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km202630 km2026Gijón 6.4×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20252.0 million a year2025Bilbao 3.5×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202598%2025Bilbao 0.7 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 0.8 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202450%2024Bilbao 7.7 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025269,8942025Bilbao 30% higher
Median age50.5 years202552.9 years2025Bilbao 4% lower
Residents aged 65+25.3%202528.3%2025Bilbao 3.0 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202513.5%2025Bilbao 4.1 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%20247.5%2024Bilbao 4.2 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20242.2 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
66Retirees61
63Founders and self-employed54
63High earners and investors59
60Remote workers52
56Young professionals63
54Culture, food and nightlife61
51Students61
48Families with children62
33Budget-conscious movers65

Weather through the year

5°15°25°JFMAMJJASOND
Solid: average daily high · dashed: average nightly low, °C.

Our read of each

Bilbao

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • You can live without a car
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Gijón

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

Data through Dec 2025 (Bilbao) and Jun 2026 (Gijón). Figures are compared only when both places publish them in the same unit; a dot marks the better value where better is clear.

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