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Side by side

Bilbao or Málaga?

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 MálagaChange 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 · Andalucía

Málaga

Winter sun, a beach in the city and a growing scene of museums and tech offices on the Costa del Sol.

Quality of life49average
Momentum41average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityPort cityMild wintersTourist-heavy centreMuseum cityPleasant weatherGlobal airport

124th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 35)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 55)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 18)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 29)
  • Stronger on digital (58 vs 46)
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 17% of commuters
  • Vehicle thefts: 24 per 100k people vs 136 per 100k people
  • Nights above 20 °C: 23 a year vs 95 a year

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

Why Málaga

  • Stronger on connectivity (70 vs 56)
  • Airport passengers: 26.7 million a year vs 7.1 million a year
  • Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry): 189 a year vs 107 a year
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 58 a year vs 153 a year
  • Hospital beds: 5.4 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Mild winters with sea and mountains within an hour
  • An airport on the city edge and a high-speed rail link to Madrid

Watch out: A crowded housing market with tourist-flat rules still changing; Tourist and cruise-ship crowds in the historic centre.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 13 and Málaga on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity35 · below average
76 · strongTransport55 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare18 · weak
70 · above averageJobs29 · below average
67 · above averageClimate72 · above average
58 · averageDigital46 · average
56 · averageConnectivity70 · above average
27 · below averageSafety29 · below average
–Housing18 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoMálagaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€9.6 a month2024Bilbao 20% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€669 a month2024Bilbao 20% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€718 a month2024Bilbao 11% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€3,320Q2 2026Bilbao 6% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€265,640Q2 2026Bilbao 6% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202614.8%Q2 2026Bilbao 6.8 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€14,753 a year2024Bilbao 40% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€38,950 a year2024Bilbao 22% higher
Unemployment9.0%202512.4%2025Bilbao 3.3 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202463.1 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 8% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.52 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 10% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20251.17 per 100k people2025Bilbao 27% lower
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025149 per 100k people2025Bilbao 46% higher
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202582 per 100k people2025Bilbao 49% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20252,144 per 100k people2025Bilbao 40% higher
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people2025136 per 100k people2025Málaga 5.7×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202382.1 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20255.4 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 27% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–20249 a year2015–2024Málaga 2.5×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–202495 a year2015–2024Málaga 4.1×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024189 a year2015–2024Bilbao 43% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024434 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.6×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202458 a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.6×
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 commuters202117% of commuters2021Bilbao 20.0 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202156% of commuters2021Bilbao 26.3 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km20268 km2026Bilbao 45% lower
Airport passengers7.1 million a year202526.7 million a year2025Málaga 3.8×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202598%2025Bilbao 0.8 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 0.7 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202442%2024Bilbao 16.2 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025599,0632025Bilbao 41% lower
Median age50.5 years202545.1 years2025Bilbao 12% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202519.5%2025Bilbao 5.8 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202516.8%2025Bilbao 0.8 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%202411.0%2024Bilbao 0.7 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20242.3 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors84
66Retirees53
63Founders and self-employed46
63High earners and investors43
60Remote workers55
56Young professionals33
54Culture, food and nightlife36
51Students35
48Families with children26
33Budget-conscious movers20

Weather through the year

5°18°30°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

Málaga

  • Some English, but learn Spanish early
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Ready for remote work
  • Public waiting lists are long

Data through Dec 2025 (Bilbao) and Jun 2026 (Málaga). 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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