Which place is cheaper, Bilbao or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Nairobi or Bilbao?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Bilbao can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Nairobi or Bilbao?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
Bilbao
The industrial city of Bilbao is located on a port of the Nervión River in northern Spain, an important location of Basque country. While the downtown is filled with skyscrapers and innovative architecture, it sits between a river and mountains of natural allure. A city of hard-workers to the core, Bilbao displays remnants of its industrial past, though in more recent years it has transformed into a center for art. It is now a popular location for visitors looking to experience art galleries and museums.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $61Bilbao $147
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $61, while the average daily cost in Bilbao is $147. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Nairobi and Bilbao in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $11Bilbao $78
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $22Bilbao $156
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Bilbao
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Bilbao? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Bilbao Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $10Bilbao $28
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.08
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer from Nairobi to Naivasha: $70
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $20
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $47
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $35
- Airport Transfers within Nairobi: $30
- Airport and Hotels Transfers: $40
- From 7-Day Kenya Safari Trip with Meals & Transfer: $1,800
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: Airport transfers: $50
- Kibera Slums Kenya Day Guided Tour With Transfer.: $40
- Mercedes Viano Private Transfer Luxury Comfort Nairobi : $250
- NAIROBI AIRPORT TRANSFER: $23
- Nairobi Airport One Way Private Transfer: $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bilbao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bilbao:
- Private transfer from Bilbao City Center to Bilbao Airport (BIO): $33
- Private transfer from Bilbao Airport (BIO) to Bilbao City Center: $33
- Private one way arrival OR departure transfer in Bilbao from/to airport: $67
- Private Transfer on arrival and departure in Bilbao: $72
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Logroño: $245
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Bilbao Cruise Port: $208
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Bilbao: $153
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to San Sebastian Airport: $291
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Logroño Airport : $245
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Bilbao Airport: $153
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Pamplona city: $230
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Logroño city: $245
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Bilbao?
Prices for flights to both Bilbao and Nairobi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayNairobi $7.35Bilbao $48
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$4.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
- Carnivore Restaurant Dinner Experience.: $32
- Nairobi:Carnivore Restaurant Dinner and Pub Crawling.: $47
- Local Market Tour and Traditional Meal Cooking Class: $48
- Enjoy Traditional Kenyan Food Cooking Class With a Host.: $54
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour : $55
- Nairobi Private Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class with Lunch: $55
- Nairobi Cooking and Food Tasting Activity: $60
- Private Interactive Cooking Class and Market Tour in Kinoo: $65
- Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch: $68
- Carnivore Resturant Dinner Experience : $68
- Carnivore Restaurant Lunch or Dinner Experience: $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bilbao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bilbao.
- Basque Food Tour with Guide: $86
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairings: $102
- Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao : $109
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class with Open Bar: $113
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao: $115
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairing: $115
- The High End Food Tour of Bilbao with a Local: $120
- Paella Cooking Class with Sangria in Bilbao: $135
- Private Food Tour, Food Lovers with Tastings: $135
- Paella Cooking Class (with Basque Sangria) in Bilbao: $142
- Traditional Basque Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: $156
- Guggenheim Museum Visit & Private Walking Food Tour: $198
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $45Bilbao $31
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Ebike adventure Hire Nairobi (Electric mountain bike hire): $15
- Nairobi cultural shopping experience: $18
- Nairobi City Walking and Historic Tours: $19
- Nairobi City;culture and historical guided tour: $19
- Nairobi;Downtown walking tour: $20
- vibrant kibera slum tour: $24
- Private Guided Nairobi City and Cultural Walking Tour: $25
- Kibera slums half day tour from nairobi: $25
- Memorable Daily KIBERA Slums/Toi Market Tour with Locals (2 hours): $25
- Elephant orphanage, Giraffe center, kobe beads tour: $25
- From Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center Tour: $25
- Half-Day Tour Giraffe Center and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: $25
Tours and Activities in Bilbao
Here are a few actual costs in Bilbao for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- PRIVATE San Sebastian and Basque Coast Tour from Bilbao: $290
- Pintxos Tasting in Bilbao Small Group or Private Walking Tour: $81
- Awesome Bilbao – Private Family Walking Tour: $386
- BILBAO-City Highlights Bike Tour: $36
- Basque Coast Tour: Vizcaya Bridge, Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo and Gernika: $66
- Basque Country 7-Day Guided Tour from Bilbao: $1,152
- Bike tour with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo (Scenic Bilbao Seaside): $60
- Bilbao & Guggenheim Museum Private Walking Tour with guide: $286
- Bilbao & Guggenheim Private Walking Tour from Hotel/Center: $281
- Bilbao - Private Historic walking tour: $377
- Bilbao 3-Day Package: Guggenheim, Hotel Stay and Bike Tour: $253
- Bilbao : Private Custom Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $48
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $15Bilbao $23
Sample the Local Flavors in Bilbao
Also in Bilbao, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Bilbao: $25
- Immersive Evening Spanish Wine Tasting w/ Sommelier: $53
- Spanish Wine Tasting with Sommelier (close to Guggenheim museum): $54
- Pintxos and Wine Tasting Tour with Local Guide: $80
- Txakoli, Gaztelugatxe, & Urdaibai with wine tasting: $81
- Guided tour of Txakoli wine tasting and tasting of wine and typical products: $148
- Bilbao Txakoli Wine Tour: $178
- Guided Txacoli Wine Tasting: $188
- Rioja Wine Tour: Winery & Traditional Lunch From Bilbao: $201
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Bilbao: $217
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Vitoria: $241
- From Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour: $242
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Bilbao, we can see that Bilbao is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and Bilbao is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bilbao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bilbao than you might in Nairobi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Bilbao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Bilbao?
Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Bilbao. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Bilbao, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.