Bilbao vs Sitges
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Sitges edges it, 75 to 73, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Bilbao is stronger on nothing outright; Sitges on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Basque food and design in a compact city
Full Bilbao profile →Where to stay in Bilbao →Barcelona's beach town: LGBTQ+ friendly, pretty and pricey
Full Sitges profile →Hotels in Spain →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 29 | 29 |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 88 | 88 |
| Internet | 82 | 86 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 80 | 80 |
| Getting there & around | 83 | 84 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 93 ✓ | 91 |
| Quality of life | 80 | 80 |
Cost
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.7 | 68.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 |
| Life expectancy | 82.7 yrs | 82.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 62.5 Mbps | 74.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 48.2 Mbps | 75.3 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,741/mo | $2,741/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 73 | 232 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Bilbao | Sitges |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 8.9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Bilbao or Sitges?
- Sitges is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,200 for one person.
- Is Bilbao or Sitges 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 Sitges?
- Sitges: a measured median of 74.3 Mbps versus 62.5 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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.