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Side by side

Bilbao or Sevilla?

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 SevillaChange 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

Sevilla

Orange-tree squares, flamenco and long warm evenings in the grand old capital of Andalucía.

Quality of life51average
Momentum53average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalHistoric centreUniversity townHot summersMild wintersWatch your pocketsFast internetScorching summers

108th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 53)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 56)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 24)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 43)
  • Stronger on climate (67 vs 47)
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 18% of commuters
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 3 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 74 a year

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

Why Sevilla

  • Stronger on digital (71 vs 58)
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 57 a year vs 153 a year
  • Hospital beds: 5.8 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Airport passengers: 9.7 million a year vs 7.1 million a year
  • Thefts without violence: 2,068 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • A vast historic centre that is still lived in
  • A flat city that is easy to cross by bike

Watch out: Long hot summers that move daily life indoors in the afternoon; Festival weeks that fill the city and the hotels.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 17 and Sevilla on 10; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity53 · average
76 · strongTransport56 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare24 · weak
70 · above averageJobs43 · average
67 · above averageClimate47 · average
58 · averageDigital71 · above average
56 · averageConnectivity46 · average
27 · below averageSafety20 · weak
–Housing40 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoSevillaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€9.2 a month2024Bilbao 25% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€642 a month2024Bilbao 25% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€668 a month2024Bilbao 20% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,652Q2 2026Bilbao 33% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€212,184Q2 2026Bilbao 33% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202614.7%Q2 2026Bilbao 6.7 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€15,925 a year2024Bilbao 29% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€40,115 a year2024Bilbao 19% higher
Unemployment9.0%202511.2%2025Bilbao 2.2 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202474.4 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 8% lower
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.46 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 24% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20251.31 per 100k people2025Bilbao 35% lower
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025253 per 100k people2025Bilbao 14% lower
Home burglaries122 per 100k people2025143 per 100k people2025Bilbao 15% lower
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20252,068 per 100k people2025Bilbao 45% higher
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people2025206 per 100k people2025Sevilla 8.6×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202382.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20255.8 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 31% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202474 a year2015–2024Sevilla 738.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–2024132 a year2015–2024Sevilla 37.8×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–202453 a year2015–2024Sevilla 2.3×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024109 a year2015–2024about the same
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024427 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.7×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202457 a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.7×
Frost days0 a year2015–20243 a year2015–2024Sevilla Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202143 min2021Bilbao 8% lower
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202118% of commuters2021Bilbao 18.5 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202153% of commuters2021Bilbao 23.6 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km20269 km2026Bilbao 46% lower
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20259.7 million a year2025Bilbao 27% lower
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202599%2025about the same
Homes with fibre to the door99%202599%2025about the same
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202448%2024Bilbao 9.8 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025689,4232025Sevilla 2.0×
Median age50.5 years202546.9 years2025Bilbao 8% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202520.9%2025Bilbao 4.4 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202511.7%2025Bilbao 5.9 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%20248.0%2024Bilbao 3.7 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20242.2 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors61
66Retirees42
63Founders and self-employed52
63High earners and investors46
60Remote workers54
56Young professionals41
54Culture, food and nightlife40
51Students44
48Families with children31
33Budget-conscious movers32

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

Sevilla

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

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