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Bilbao vs Madrid

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Bilbao edges it, 73 to 72, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Bilbao is stronger on nothing outright; Madrid on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 3.3 of 73 points (scores 29/100)Safety: 8.4 of 73 points (scores 76/100)Healthcare: 9.7 of 73 points (scores 88/100)Internet: 9.1 of 73 points (scores 82/100)Visa ease: 8.9 of 73 points (scores 80/100)Getting there & around: 9.2 of 73 points (scores 83/100)Climate: 5.6 of 73 points (scores 50/100)Air quality: 10.3 of 73 points (scores 93/100)Quality of life: 8.9 of 73 points (scores 80/100)73
Bilbao
out of 100

Basque food and design in a compact city

Full Bilbao profile →Where to stay in Bilbao →
Cost of living: 2.6 of 72 points (scores 23/100)Safety: 8.4 of 72 points (scores 76/100)Healthcare: 9.7 of 72 points (scores 88/100)Internet: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)Visa ease: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)Getting there & around: 10.5 of 72 points (scores 94/100)Climate: 4.6 of 72 points (scores 42/100)Air quality: 9.8 of 72 points (scores 88/100)Quality of life: 8.9 of 72 points (scores 80/100)72
Madrid
out of 100

High-energy capital with Spain's best transport

Full Madrid profile →Where to stay in Madrid →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Cost of living29 ✓23
Safety7676
Healthcare8888
Internet82 ✓80
Visa ease8080
Getting there & around8394 ✓
Climate50 ✓42
Air quality93 ✓88
Quality of life8080

Cost

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$2,200 ✓$2,579
Central one-bedroom rentno data$1,605

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Homicides per 100k0.730.73
Political stability (0–100)68.768.7
UHC service coverage (0–100)8484
Life expectancy82.7 yrs82.7 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Download62.5 Mbps ✓59 Mbps
Upload48.2 Mbps ✓41.9 Mbps

Visa

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Nomad visaInternational teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa)
Minimum income for the visa$2,741/mo$2,741/mo
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passportunlimitedunlimited
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Non-stop airport destinations73233 ✓
Walkability (1–5, editorial)55
Transit (1–5, editorial)55

Climate and air

MetricBilbaoMadrid
Comfortable months per year6 ✓5
Annual mean PM2.58.3 µg/m³ ✓10.3 µg/m³

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Bilbao or Madrid?
Bilbao is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,579 for one person.
Is Bilbao or Madrid safer?
Bilbao scores higher on safety (76 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Bilbao or Madrid?
Bilbao: a measured median of 62.5 Mbps versus 59 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More comparisons

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.