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Side by side

Bilbao or Vigo?

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 VigoChange 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 · Galicia

Vigo

Galicia's biggest city: a working port and car-making town on a spectacular bay, with oysters, hills and rain.

Quality of life59average
Momentum63above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Port cityIndustrial cityGreen and rainySeafood cityHilly streets

55th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on prosperity (93 vs 63)
  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 47)
  • Stronger on healthcare (74 vs 56)
  • Stronger on jobs (70 vs 52)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 1)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 1.1 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 13% of commuters
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 0 a year

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

Why Vigo

  • Stronger on climate (79 vs 67)
  • Stronger on safety (64 vs 27)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 23 a year
  • Hospital beds: 7.6 per 1,000 people vs 4.0 per 1,000 people
  • Robberies with violence: 50 per 100k people vs 217 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 974 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • A real working city with jobs in industry and the port
  • Seafood of high quality at modest prices with beaches nearby

Watch out: Rain on well over a hundred days a year and damp homes in winter; A plain functional centre and steep streets.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 14 and Vigo on 15; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity63 · above average
76 · strongTransport47 · average
74 · above averageHealthcare56 · average
70 · above averageJobs52 · average
67 · above averageClimate79 · strong
58 · averageDigital49 · average
56 · averageConnectivity1 · weak
27 · below averageSafety64 · above average
–Housing60 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoVigoDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€7.6 a month2024Bilbao 51% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€533 a month2024Bilbao 51% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€549 a month2024Bilbao 46% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,346Q2 2026Bilbao 50% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€187,704Q2 2026Bilbao 50% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 202612.2%Q2 2026Bilbao 4.2 pts lower
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€16,256 a year2024Bilbao 27% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€40,775 a year2024Bilbao 17% higher
Unemployment9.0%202510.9%2025Bilbao 1.8 pts lower
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202441.3 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 65% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.51 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 12% higher
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.34 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.5×
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people202550 per 100k people2025Bilbao 4.3×
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202576 per 100k people2025Bilbao 61% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people2025974 per 100k people2025Bilbao 3.1×
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202545 per 100k people2025Bilbao 47% lower
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202383.5 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20257.6 per 1,000 people2025Vigo 1.9×
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Vigo 9.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–202416 a year2015–2024Vigo 4.7×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Bilbao 16.6×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–2024120 a year2015–2024Bilbao 10% lower
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–20241,288 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 11% lower
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–2024137 a year2015–2024Bilbao 12% higher
Frost days0 a year2015–20240 a year2015–2024Bilbao 100% lower
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202139 min2021about the same
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202113% of commuters2021Bilbao 23.6 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202162% of commuters2021Bilbao 32.4 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km202677 km2026Vigo 16.4×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20251.1 million a year2025Bilbao 6.3×
Internet
Homes that can get gigabit internet99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.0 pts higher
Homes with fibre to the door99%202598%2025Bilbao 1.0 pts higher
Education
Adults with a university degree58%202450%2024Bilbao 8.1 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025294,4892025Bilbao 19% higher
Median age50.5 years202550.0 years2025about the same
Residents aged 65+25.3%202524.7%2025Bilbao 0.6 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202515.0%2025Bilbao 2.6 pts higher
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%20247.3%2024Bilbao 4.4 pts higher
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20241.9 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors59
66Retirees63
63Founders and self-employed50
63High earners and investors58
60Remote workers50
56Young professionals53
54Culture, food and nightlife59
51Students55
48Families with children59
33Budget-conscious movers54

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

Vigo

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Galician is co-official here
  • Ready for remote work
  • An older, quieter population

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