Should you visit Seville or Bilbao?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Seville and Bilbao. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Seville
The capital city of Andalucia, Seville is both the cultural and financial hub of southern Spain. It's also a popular tourist destination. The city has over 700,000 residents and 1.6 million in the metropolitan area, making it the fourth largest city in the country. It is cut in half by the Guadalquivir River, with the two halves referred to as Sevilla and Triana. Seville has continued to grow in popularity as a tourist destination since the 19th century when it was included as a stop on the Romantic "Grand Tour" of Europe. In 1992 Seville hosted the International Exposition which led to the construction of a new airport, train station, as well as other infrastructural improvements. Today Seville remains very popular with tourists for its many festivals, interesting attractions, great restaurants and nightlife scene.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Bilbao or Seville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Seville is €99, while the average daily cost in Bilbao is €110. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Seville and Bilbao in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Seville, €90 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Seville, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €45, such as in a hostel.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €114 for a double occupancy room in Bilbao.
Food
Food in Seville costs travelers about €30 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
On average, meal and food prices in Bilbao cost around €37 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €15.
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Food
Meals for one day
Seville €30
Bilbao €37
Typical Food prices in Seville
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Seville:
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Lunch
€9.50
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Ice Cream
€2.30
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Jamon (Dry Cured Ham)
€12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seville
For Seville, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Flamenco Show Tickets and Optional Dinner:
$39
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Paella & Tortilla Show Cooking on a Seville Rooftop:
$46
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Seville Tapas Cooking Course:
$61
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Gastronomic dinner with a chef and artist in his Seville studio:
$77
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OFFER Dinner / Lunch on exclusive yacht, GIFT Flamenco Ticket House of Memory:
$111
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Luxury gold package: Cathedral-Alcazar visit and dinner on an exclusive yacht:
$149
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Cooking Class in Traditional Andalusian House:
$169
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Traditional cooking class in an Andalusian home:
$183
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bilbao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bilbao.
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The authentic Bilbao food tour:
$96
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Seville than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €14 on transportation in Seville on average per day.
The average price of local transportation around Bilbao is €21 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seville
Also for Seville, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Arrival Private Transfer Seville Airport SVQ to Malaga Airport AGP by Luxury Van:
$705
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Arrival Private Transfer Seville Airport SVQ to Seville City by Business Car:
$36
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Arrival Private Transfer Seville Airport SVQ to Seville City by Luxury Van:
$63
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Chauffeur SEVILLE Private Transfer to ALGARVE - All Cities (1 to 4 passengers):
$435
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Chauffeur SEVILLE Private Transfer to ALGARVE - All Cities (5 to 8 passengers):
$498
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Chauffeur SEVILLE Private Transfer to LISBON (1 to 4 passengers):
$746
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Chauffeur SEVILLE Private Transfer to LISBON (5 to 8 passengers):
$871
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DUCA - Hassle-Free transfer from Sevilha to Vicentine Coast:
$637
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Departure Private Transfer: Seville City to Seville Airport SVQ by Business Car:
$38
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Departure Private Transfer: Seville City to Seville Airport SVQ by Luxury Van:
$65
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Faro Airport Private Transfer to or from Sevilla:
$89
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Granada Private Transfer from Seville with sightseeing in Cordoba and Antequera:
$634
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bilbao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bilbao:
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Madrid:
$739
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Private Transfer Tour Bilbao to San Sebastian through the Basque Coast:
$311
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Logroño Airport:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Pamplona:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Biarritz:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Logroño:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao to Laguardia:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao to Elciego town:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Biarritz Airport:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Pamplona Airport:
$287
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Private Transfer from Bilbao city to San Sebastian Airport:
$219
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Private Transfer from Bilbao to San Sebastian:
$219
Is it cheaper to fly into Seville or Bilbao?
Prices for flights to both Bilbao and Seville 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Seville, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €23 per day, per person.
Bilbao's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €23 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Seville
For Seville, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Entrance to Cathedral
€8.00
Tours and Activities in Seville
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Seville.
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Fun at home: Virtual tours of Spain:
$6.51
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Skip the Line: Museo del Baile Flamenco Admission Ticket:
$12
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Santa Cruz Jewish Quarter Guided Tour in Seville:
$12
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Skip the Line: Tablao Flamenco Pura Esencia Ticket:
$13
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Italica Roman Ruins City Tour:
$14
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1-Hour Guadalquivir River Cruise:
$18
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Seville Jewish Heritage Tour:
$18
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Santa Cruz Guided Walking Tour in Seville:
$19
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Seville Aquarium Admission Ticket:
$20
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Seville Guadalquivir 1-Hour River Cruise Ticket:
$21
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Seville Aquarium Admission Ticket:
$21
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Flamenco Evening Show at Casa de la Memoria Ticket:
$22
Tours and Activities in Bilbao
Here are a few actual costs in Bilbao for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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2-day Bilbao Pinxos Experience with Guggenheim Museum Ticket:
$261
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3 Days Walking holidays in the Basque Mountains: Nature & Gastronomy experiences:
$454
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3-day Bilbao Basic Golf Experience:
$360
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3-day Bilbao Bike Tour and Guggenheim Museum Ticket:
$256
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5 Day Tour through northern Spain:
$5,359
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5-day Basque Country Tour:
$948
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7-day Basque Country Tour with Guggenheim Museum Ticket:
$1,228
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7-day Basque Country Tour with Guggenheim Museum Ticket:
$1,019
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Accessible Guggenheim Museum Tour - Coastline Tour:
$451
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Basque Coast Tour: Vizcaya Bridge, Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo and Gernika:
$75
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Basque Country Full Day Tour from Bilbao:
$112
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Basque Towns Private Tour with Hotel or Cruise Pickup from Bilbao:
$779
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Seville, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €8.04.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Bilbao may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €17 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Seville
Also in Seville, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Ronda Day Trip: Wine Tasting, Bullfighting Ring and Optional White Villages:
$98
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Wine Tour to Sanlucar de Barrameda from Seville with Optional Horse Riding:
$275
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Private wine tour to Jerez de la Frontera:
$306
Sample the Local Flavors in Bilbao
Also in Bilbao, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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La Rioja and Vitoria Wine Tour with Winery Visit:
$87
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Cantabric Sea Experience: Food & Wine Tasting:
$199
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La Rioja Wine Tour with Two Winery Visits with Wine Tasting from Bilbao:
$243
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Architectural Rioja Wine Tour from Bilbao:
$287
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San Sebastian & The Basque Wine Region with Lunch and Wine Tasting (From Bilbao):
$305
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Essential Rioja Private Wine Tour from Bilbao:
$311
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La Rioja Wine Tour with Gourmet lunch from Bilbao:
$383
When comparing the travel costs between Seville and Bilbao, we can see that Bilbao is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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