Informed Move
Menu
Updated Contains AI-generated informationMore information

Side by side

Bilbao or Murcia?

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 MurciaChange 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 · Región de Murcia

Murcia

A warm, flat university city in the middle of an orchard, with low prices and long, hot summers.

Quality of life44average
Momentum47average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalUniversity townOrchard cityHot summersMild wintersScorching summers

147th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 34)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 33)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 36)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 33)
  • Stronger on climate (67 vs 48)
  • Stronger on digital (58 vs 16)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 4)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 0.9 million a year

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

Why Murcia

  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 45 a year vs 153 a year
  • Thefts without violence: 1,303 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • Buying price per m²: €1,580 vs €3,529
  • Price of an 80 m² flat: €126,368 vs €282,344
  • Prices low enough to live comfortably on a modest income
  • A warm bright winter and a young sociable student population

Watch out: Very hot summers and weak summer evenings without air conditioning; A thin job market and low local wages.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 18 and Murcia on 11; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity34 · below average
76 · strongTransport33 · below average
74 · above averageHealthcare36 · below average
70 · above averageJobs33 · below average
67 · above averageClimate48 · average
58 · averageDigital16 · weak
56 · averageConnectivity4 · weak
27 · below averageSafety29 · below average
–Housing52 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoMurciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€6.5 a month2024Bilbao 76% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€457 a month2024Bilbao 76% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€525 a month2024Bilbao 52% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€1,580Q2 2026Bilbao 2.2×
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€126,368Q2 2026Bilbao 2.2×
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202613.8%Q2 2026Bilbao 5.8 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€14,716 a year2024Bilbao 40% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€40,763 a year2024Bilbao 17% higher
Unemployment9.0%202512.8%2025Bilbao 3.8 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202453.4 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 27% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.52 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 10% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20251.04 per 100k people2025Bilbao 18% lower
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025257 per 100k people2025Bilbao 16% lower
Home burglaries122 per 100k people2025219 per 100k people2025Bilbao 44% lower
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20251,303 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.3×
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Murcia 3.2×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202383.0 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20254.8 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 18% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202440 a year2015–2024Murcia 402.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–2024107 a year2015–2024Murcia 30.7×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–202463 a year2015–2024Murcia 2.7×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024131 a year2015–2024Bilbao 18% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024317 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 3.6×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202445 a year2015–2024Bilbao 3.4×
Frost days0 a year2015–20243 a year2015–2024Murcia Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202140 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202110% of commuters2021Bilbao 26.7 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202168% of commuters2021Bilbao 38.0 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km202621 km2026Murcia 4.5×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20250.9 million a year2025Bilbao 7.5×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202595%2025Bilbao 4.4 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.6 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202443%2024Bilbao 14.6 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025479,4052025Bilbao 27% lower
Median age50.5 years202543.8 years2025Bilbao 15% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202517.2%2025Bilbao 8.1 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202517.2%2025about the same
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%202412.8%2024Bilbao 1.1 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20240.2 points2024Bilbao 1.8 pts higher

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors50
66Retirees43
63Founders and self-employed43
63High earners and investors49
60Remote workers42
56Young professionals46
54Culture, food and nightlife58
51Students56
48Families with children40
33Budget-conscious movers50

Weather through the year

0°20°40°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

Murcia

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • You will probably want a car
  • Line up work before you come
  • A younger crowd

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

Need certainty before you act?

For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.

Consult with a human specialist

For decisions that depend on your own circumstances, a qualified human professional should look at your case. Tell us what you need help with and we will reply by email.

Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.

What matters to me

Tell us who you are and what you care about. Fit scores and rankings across the site follow your answers.