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Side by side

Bilbao or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

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 Las Palmas de Gran CanariaChange 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 · Canarias

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

A big Atlantic port city with a city beach, an all-year spring climate and a growing remote-working crowd.

Quality of life47average
Momentum34below average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Island capitalBeach cityPort cityYear-round mild climateSurf cityPleasant weather

132nd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 58)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 56)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 5)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 11)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 19)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 23 a year vs 156 a year
  • Distance to the main airport: 5 km vs 22 km
  • Vehicle thefts: 24 per 100k people vs 81 per 100k people

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

Why Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 319 a year vs 107 a year
  • Airport passengers: 15.7 million a year vs 7.1 million a year
  • Hospital beds: 7.0 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 35 a year vs 153 a year
  • One of the steadiest climates in Europe and a city beach in town
  • A working city with a university and a port and not a resort

Watch out: A small low-paid job market and high unemployment; Distance from the mainland with flights of several hours.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 15 and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 13; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity58 · average
76 · strongTransport56 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare5 · weak
70 · above averageJobs11 · weak
67 · above averageClimate72 · above average
58 · averageDigital48 · average
56 · averageConnectivity19 · weak
27 · below averageSafety32 · below average
–Housing48 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoLas Palmas de Gran CanariaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€8.1 a month2024Bilbao 42% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€567 a month2024Bilbao 42% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€600 a month2024Bilbao 33% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,337Q2 2026Bilbao 51% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€186,992Q2 2026Bilbao 51% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202614.2%Q2 2026Bilbao 6.2 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€16,088 a year2024Bilbao 28% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€41,738 a year2024Bilbao 14% higher
Unemployment9.0%202517.4%2025Bilbao 8.4 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202451.3 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 33% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.68 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 16% lower
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20252.10 per 100k people2025Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.5×
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025130 per 100k people2025Bilbao 67% higher
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202563 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.0×
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20251,182 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.5×
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202581 per 100k people2025Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 3.4×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202381.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20257.0 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 44% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–2024156 a year2015–2024Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 6.7×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024319 a year2015–2024Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 3.0×
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024163 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 7.0×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202435 a year2015–2024Bilbao 4.3×
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202142 min2021Bilbao 5% lower
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202125% of commuters2021Bilbao 12.1 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202158% of commuters2021Bilbao 28.5 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km202622 km2026Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 4.7×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year202515.7 million a year2025Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2.2×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202597%2025Bilbao 1.7 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.2 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202442%2024Bilbao 16.0 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025381,8682025Bilbao 8% lower
Median age50.5 years202548.7 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+25.3%202520.7%2025Bilbao 4.6 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202516.6%2025Bilbao 1.0 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%20248.9%2024Bilbao 2.8 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20241.3 points2024Bilbao 0.7 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors75
66Retirees50
63Founders and self-employed48
63High earners and investors45
60Remote workers52
56Young professionals44
54Culture, food and nightlife64
51Students55
48Families with children33
33Budget-conscious movers35

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

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Easy to fly home
  • Ready for remote work

Data through Dec 2025 (Bilbao) and Jun 2026 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). 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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