---
title: "Bilbao vs Nice for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/bilbao-vs-nice
description: "Under balanced weights Bilbao edges it, 71 to 68, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Bilbao is stronger on nothing outright; Nice on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Bilbao vs Nice for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Bilbao edges it, 71 to 68, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Bilbao is stronger on nothing outright; Nice on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 33 | 28 | Bilbao |
| Safety | 77 | 69 | Bilbao |
| Healthcare | 87 | 85 | Bilbao |
| Internet | 78 | 78 | Bilbao |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | Bilbao |
| Getting there & around | 50 | 44 | Bilbao |
| Climate | 50 | 50 | tie |
| Air quality | 93 | 91 | Bilbao |
| Quality of life | 80 | 80 | Nice |

## Cost

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,200 | $2,450 | Bilbao |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.5 | 1 | Bilbao |
| Political stability (0–100) | 65.8 | 61.8 | Bilbao |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 82 | Bilbao |
| Life expectancy | 82.7 yrs | 81.9 yrs | Bilbao |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 62.5 Mbps | 61.6 Mbps | Bilbao |
| Upload | 48.2 Mbps | 47.8 Mbps | Bilbao |

## Visa

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | International Telework Visa (Digital Nomad, Ley 14/2013 amended Dec 2022) | none listed | Bilbao |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,714/mo | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 73 | 133 | Nice |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Bilbao |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 3 | Bilbao |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Bilbao | Nice | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.3 µg/m³ | 9.2 µg/m³ | Bilbao |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Bilbao or Nice?

Bilbao is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,450 for one person.

### Is Bilbao or Nice safer?

Bilbao scores higher on safety (77 vs 69), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Bilbao or Nice?

Bilbao: a measured median of 62.5 Mbps versus 61.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Bilbao](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/bilbao) · [Nice](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nice). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/bilbao-vs-nice