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Side by side

Bilbao or Valladolid?

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 ValladolidChange 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 · Castilla y León

Valladolid

A solid, flat, well-run industrial city on the Castilian plateau, with good schools, cold winters and few tourists.

Quality of life64above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalUniversity townIndustrial cityCold and foggy wintersVery safeSafety firstFast internet

13th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 79)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 54)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 57)
  • Stronger on climate (67 vs 53)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 0)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 0.1 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 15% of commuters
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 45 a year

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

Why Valladolid

  • Stronger on safety (80 vs 27)
  • Stronger on digital (76 vs 58)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 4 a year vs 23 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 44 per 100k people vs 217 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 898 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • Hospital beds: 6.4 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Among the safest cities in Spain with large parks and good schools
  • Low rents and prices with a real job market in industry and health

Watch out: Cold foggy winters with a long run of frost; An old population and a quiet nightlife and international scene.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 13 and Valladolid on 15; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity79 · strong
76 · strongTransport54 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare78 · strong
70 · above averageJobs57 · average
67 · above averageClimate53 · average
58 · averageDigital76 · strong
56 · averageConnectivity0 · weak
27 · below averageSafety80 · strong
–Housing62 · above average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoValladolidDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€6.8 a month2024Bilbao 70% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€473 a month2024Bilbao 70% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€531 a month2024Bilbao 51% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€1,946Q2 2026Bilbao 81% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€155,720Q2 2026Bilbao 81% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202617.3%Q2 2026Bilbao 9.3 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€17,380 a year2024Bilbao 19% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€39,685 a year2024Bilbao 20% higher
Unemployment9.0%202510.6%2025Bilbao 1.5 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202437.1 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 83% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.34 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 68% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.00 per 100k people2025about the same
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people202544 per 100k people2025Bilbao 5.0×
Home burglaries122 per 100k people2025102 per 100k people2025Bilbao 19% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people2025898 per 100k people2025Bilbao 3.3×
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202523 per 100k people2025about the same
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202384.1 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20256.4 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 38% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–202414 a year2015–2024Valladolid 140.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–202458 a year2015–2024Valladolid 16.7×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–20244 a year2015–2024Bilbao 6.4×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–202493 a year2015–2024Bilbao 16% higher
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024443 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 2.6×
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–202485 a year2015–2024Bilbao 79% higher
Frost days0 a year2015–202445 a year2015–2024Valladolid Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202143 min2021Bilbao 7% lower
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202115% of commuters2021Bilbao 22.0 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202152% of commuters2021Bilbao 22.4 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km2026161 km2026Valladolid 34.3×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20250.1 million a year2025Bilbao 80.9×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%2025100%2025Bilbao 0.6 pts lower
Homes with fibre to the door99%2025100%2025Bilbao 0.5 pts lower
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202452%2024Bilbao 5.8 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025302,6142025Bilbao 16% higher
Median age50.5 years202553.1 years2025Bilbao 5% lower
Residents aged 65+25.3%202528.3%2025Bilbao 3.0 pts lower
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202512.2%2025Bilbao 5.4 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%20247.9%2024Bilbao 3.8 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20242.7 points2024Bilbao 0.7 pts lower

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors38
66Retirees59
63Founders and self-employed55
63High earners and investors64
60Remote workers52
56Young professionals59
54Culture, food and nightlife60
51Students60
48Families with children69
33Budget-conscious movers62

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

Valladolid

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Winters need real heating
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

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