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Side by side

Bilbao or Palma?

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 PalmaChange 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 · Illes Balears

Palma

Island life in a real city: a Gothic cathedral on the sea, a year-round centre and mountains behind.

Quality of life54average
Momentum53average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Island capitalPort citySailing and yachtsMild wintersInternational communityGlobal airportInternational crowd

92nd of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 78)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 53)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 40)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 42)
  • Stronger on digital (58 vs 35)
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 10% of commuters
  • Vehicle thefts: 24 per 100k people vs 215 per 100k people
  • Nights above 20 °C: 23 a year vs 137 a year

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

Why Palma

  • Stronger on connectivity (77 vs 56)
  • Airport passengers: 33.8 million a year vs 7.1 million a year
  • Hospital beds: 6.0 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Homicides: 0.46 per 100k people vs 0.85 per 100k people
  • Home burglaries: 67 per 100k people vs 122 per 100k people
  • A real city that stays open in winter
  • Sea and cycling roads and mountain walks close by

Watch out: A housing market shared with visitors and second-home buyers; Quiet winters in the coastal resorts where many places close.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 17 and Palma on 9; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity78 · strong
76 · strongTransport53 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare40 · average
70 · above averageJobs42 · average
67 · above averageClimate68 · above average
58 · averageDigital35 · below average
56 · averageConnectivity77 · strong
27 · below averageSafety23 · weak
–Housing24 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoPalmaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€9.8 a month2024Bilbao 17% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€689 a month2024Bilbao 17% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€800 a month2024about the same
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€3,814Q2 2026Bilbao 7% lower
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€305,160Q2 2026Bilbao 7% lower
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202614.3%Q2 2026Bilbao 6.3 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€17,289 a year2024Bilbao 19% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€48,884 a year2024about the same
Unemployment9.0%202511.3%2025Bilbao 2.2 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202480.6 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 16% lower
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.79 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 28% lower
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.46 per 100k people2025Bilbao 86% higher
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025229 per 100k people2025Bilbao 5% lower
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202567 per 100k people2025Bilbao 83% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20253,660 per 100k people2025Bilbao 18% lower
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people2025215 per 100k people2025Palma 9.0×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202383.2 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20256.0 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 34% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–202418 a year2015–2024Palma 5.1×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Palma 5.9×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024Bilbao 10% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024542 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.1×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202488 a year2015–2024Bilbao 74% higher
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024about the same
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202134 min2021Bilbao 16% higher
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202110% of commuters2021Bilbao 26.8 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202164% of commuters2021Bilbao 34.8 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km20268 km2026Bilbao 41% lower
Airport passengers7.1 million a year202533.8 million a year2025Palma 4.8×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.5 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.4 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202438%2024Bilbao 19.8 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025434,7862025Bilbao 19% lower
Median age50.5 years202543.0 years2025Bilbao 18% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202517.2%2025Bilbao 8.1 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202530.3%2025Bilbao 12.7 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%202420.0%2024Bilbao 8.3 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20243.1 points2024Bilbao 1.1 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors58
66Retirees49
63Founders and self-employed60
63High earners and investors52
60Remote workers52
56Young professionals53
54Culture, food and nightlife69
51Students43
48Families with children35
33Budget-conscious movers28

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

Palma

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Catalan is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Easy to fly home
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • A younger crowd

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