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Side by side

Bilbao or Vitoria-Gasteiz?

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 Vitoria-GasteizChange 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 · País Vasco

Vitoria-Gasteiz

The calm, green, well-planned capital of the Basque Country, with a medieval centre and a ring of woods and wetlands.

Quality of life66above average
Momentum67above average
Outlook–Spain-wide only
Regional capitalInland cityGreen cityCycle-friendlyCool summersFast internetStrong job market

6th of 153 Spanish cities above 50,000

Why Bilbao

  • Stronger on transport (76 vs 62)
  • Stronger on connectivity (56 vs 0)
  • Airport passengers: 7.1 million a year vs 0.3 million a year
  • Commute by public transport: 37% of commuters vs 14% of commuters
  • Frost days: 0 a year vs 13 a year
  • Days above 35 °C: 0 a year vs 1 a year
  • A mid-sized city with a metro and tram and a strong Basque identity
  • A serious food culture and a bar life built around the pintxo

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

Why Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Stronger on healthcare (92 vs 74)
  • Stronger on safety (47 vs 27)
  • Nights above 20 °C: 1 a year vs 23 a year
  • Robberies with violence: 105 per 100k people vs 217 per 100k people
  • Thefts without violence: 1,789 per 100k people vs 2,993 per 100k people
  • House prices, change in a year: 5.8% vs 8.0%
  • Clean and orderly and green with flat streets and cycle lanes
  • Strong public services and a stable industrial economy

Watch out: Cold and damp winters with fog and frost; Rents high for an inland northern city and few flats to choose from.

Of 39 figures both publish in the same unit, Bilbao is better on 12 and Vitoria-Gasteiz on 14; the rest are close or have no better direction.

Life domains

93 · strongProsperity89 · strong
76 · strongTransport62 · above average
74 · above averageHealthcare92 · strong
70 · above averageJobs81 · strong
67 · above averageClimate70 · above average
58 · averageDigital56 · average
56 · averageConnectivity0 · weak
27 · below averageSafety47 · average

Side by side, figure by figure

FigureBilbaoVitoria-GasteizDifference
Housing
Rent per m²€11.5 a month2024€9.2 a month2024Bilbao 25% higher
Rent for a 70 m² flat€806 a month2024€645 a month2024Bilbao 25% higher
Typical rent, existing lease€800 a month2024€721 a month2024Bilbao 11% higher
Buying price per m²€3,529Q2 2026€2,681Q2 2026Bilbao 32% higher
Price of an 80 m² flat€282,344Q2 2026€214,472Q2 2026Bilbao 32% higher
House prices, change in a year8.0%Q2 20265.8%Q2 2026Bilbao 2.2 pts higher
Money & work
Household income per person€20,598 a year2024€18,920 a year2024Bilbao 9% higher
Net income per household€47,550 a year2024€44,228 a year2024Bilbao 8% higher
Unemployment9.0%20257.2%2025Bilbao 1.8 pts higher
Safety
Recorded crime68.1 per 1,000 people202449.5 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 37% higher
Sexual offences0.57 per 1,000 people20240.61 per 1,000 people2024Bilbao 7% lower
Homicides0.85 per 100k people20250.00 per 100k people2025about the same
Robberies with violence217 per 100k people2025105 per 100k people2025Bilbao 2.1×
Home burglaries122 per 100k people202598 per 100k people2025Bilbao 24% higher
Thefts without violence2,993 per 100k people20251,789 per 100k people2025Bilbao 67% higher
Vehicle thefts24 per 100k people202530 per 100k people2025Bilbao 20% lower
Health
Life expectancy83.9 years202384.8 years2023about the same
Hospital beds4.0 per 1,000 people20254.1 per 1,000 people2025Bilbao 4% lower
Climate
Days above 35 °C0 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 13.0×
Days above 30 °C4 a year2015–202414 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz 4.1×
Nights above 20 °C23 a year2015–20241 a year2015–2024Bilbao 25.8×
Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry)107 a year2015–202498 a year2015–2024Bilbao 9% higher
Rainfall1,146 mm a year2015–2024950 mm a year2015–2024Bilbao 21% higher
Rainy days (≥1 mm)153 a year2015–2024150 a year2015–2024about the same
Frost days0 a year2015–202413 a year2015–2024Vitoria-Gasteiz Infinity×
Getting around
Average commute (one way)40 min202138 min2021Bilbao 5% higher
Commute by public transport37% of commuters202114% of commuters2021Bilbao 23.0 pts higher
Commute by car30% of commuters202153% of commuters2021Bilbao 23.6 pts lower
Distance to the main airport5 km202654 km2026Vitoria-Gasteiz 11.5×
Airport passengers7.1 million a year20250.3 million a year2025Bilbao 23.2×
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%202454%2024Bilbao 3.7 pts higher
People
Population351,1242025260,6992025Bilbao 35% higher
Median age50.5 years202548.1 years2025Bilbao 5% higher
Residents aged 65+25.3%202522.9%2025Bilbao 2.4 pts higher
Who lives here
Residents born abroad17.6%202518.1%2025Bilbao 0.5 pts lower
Residents with a foreign nationality11.7%202412.2%2024Bilbao 0.5 pts lower
Foreign residents, change in 5 years2.0 points20241.7 points2024about the same

Who each suits, 0–100

69Beach, mountains and the outdoors45
66Retirees62
63Founders and self-employed58
63High earners and investors64
60Remote workers46
56Young professionals71
54Culture, food and nightlife69
51Students55
48Families with children60
33Budget-conscious movers54

Weather through the year

0°15°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

Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Plan on Spanish from day one
  • Basque is co-official here
  • Line up work before you come
  • Ready for remote work

Data through Dec 2025 (Bilbao) and Dec 2025 (Vitoria-Gasteiz). 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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