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Side by side

Bilbao or Valencia?

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 ValenciaChange 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 · Comunitat Valenciana

Valencia

Sea, sun and a city you can cross by bike, with a river-bed park, a city beach and the home of paella.

Quality of life54average
Momentum44average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Beach cityRegional capitalUniversity townBike-friendlyPort cityWatch your pocketsFast internetInternational crowd

88th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 75)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 64)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 46)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 37)
  • Stronger on climate (67 vs 51)
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 4 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 24 a year
  • Vehicle thefts: 24 per 100k people vs 83 per 100k people

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

Why Valencia

  • Stronger on digital (88 vs 58)
  • Airport passengers: 11.8 million a year vs 7.1 million a year
  • Rainy days (≥1 mm): 70 a year vs 153 a year
  • Rent per m²: €8.2 a month vs €11.5 a month
  • Rent for a 70 m² flat: €573 a month vs €806 a month
  • A flat and bikeable city with a beach and an airport
  • Warm winters and a long spring that suit working outdoors

Watch out: Competition for flats in Ruzafa and El Carmen; Crowds around the centre and the beach in summer.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 16 and Valencia on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity75 · above average
76 · strongTransport64 · above average
74 · above averageHealthcare46 · average
70 · above averageJobs37 · below average
67 · above averageClimate51 · average
58 · averageDigital88 · strong
56 · averageConnectivity46 · average
27 · below averageSafety20 · weak
–Housing20 · weak

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoValenciaDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€8.2 a month2024Bilbao 41% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€573 a month2024Bilbao 41% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€681 a month2024Bilbao 18% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,973Q2 2026Bilbao 19% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€237,824Q2 2026Bilbao 19% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202617.0%Q2 2026Bilbao 9.0 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€16,944 a year2024Bilbao 22% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€42,374 a year2024Bilbao 12% higher
Unemployment9.0%202510.9%2025Bilbao 1.8 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202475.3 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 10% lower
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.54 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 6% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.71 per 100k people2025Bilbao 20% higher
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025248 per 100k people2025Bilbao 13% lower
Home burglaries122 per 100k people2025188 per 100k people2025Bilbao 35% lower
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20252,811 per 100k people2025Bilbao 6% higher
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202583 per 100k people2025Valencia 3.5×
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202383.3 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20255.0 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 20% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202424 a year2015–2024Valencia 236.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–202481 a year2015–2024Valencia 23.3×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–202453 a year2015–2024Valencia 2.3×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024119 a year2015–2024Bilbao 10% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024462 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.5×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202470 a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.2×
Frost days0 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Valencia Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202142 min2021Bilbao 5% lower
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202122% of commuters2021Bilbao 15.2 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202148% of commuters2021Bilbao 18.6 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km20269 km2026Valencia 2.0×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year202511.8 million a year2025Bilbao 40% lower
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%2025100%2025Bilbao 0.7 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door99%2025100%2025Bilbao 0.7 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202455%2024Bilbao 3.3 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025840,7922025Valencia 2.4×
Median age50.5 years202546.0 years2025Bilbao 10% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202521.4%2025Bilbao 3.9 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202526.5%2025Bilbao 8.9 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%202418.8%2024Bilbao 7.1 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20245.1 points2024Bilbao 3.1 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors62
66Retirees46
63Founders and self-employed59
63High earners and investors49
60Remote workers61
56Young professionals48
54Culture, food and nightlife62
51Students51
48Families with children33
33Budget-conscious movers28

Weather through the year

0°18°35°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

Valencia

  • English gets you by day to day
  • Valencian is co-official here
  • Air-conditioning is not a luxury
  • Keep an eye on your phone
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

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