Climate
Bilbao logs 172 sunny days a year to Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 330 — Santa Cruz de Tenerife wins by 158. Santa Cruz de Tenerife also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 2.
Bilbao
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Feels-like °C
Dinner outside
Cost of Living
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is $254/mo cheaperBilbao runs about $2,185/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Santa Cruz de Tenerife's $1,931/mo — Santa Cruz de Tenerife comes in $254 cheaper each month, roughly 13% less.
Bilbao
$2,185monthly · balanced
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
$1,931monthly · balanced
Mobility
On mobility, Bilbao scores 3.6 vs Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability. Santa Cruz de Tenerife still holds an edge on motorbike/scooter efficiency.
Culture
Bilbao's culture score of 3.8 sits well above Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 3.5, with the biggest gap on arts & culture. Santa Cruz de Tenerife still holds an edge on nightlife.
Nature & Outdoors
Santa Cruz de Tenerife's nature & outdoors score of 4.8 sits well above Bilbao's 4.2, with the biggest gap on scuba & snorkeling. Bilbao still holds an edge on skiing & snowboarding.
Safety
Bilbao's safety score is ~1.6× Santa Cruz de Tenerife's — in the upper band, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on wildfire safety.
Career
Bilbao's career score of 3.6 sits well above Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 2.0, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.
Social & Community
Santa Cruz de Tenerife's social & community score is ~1.2× Bilbao's — in the middle of the scale, while Bilbao lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on street atmosphere.
Food & Dining
On food & dining, Bilbao scores 3.4 vs Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 2.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.
Family
On family, Bilbao scores 3.3 vs Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools. Santa Cruz de Tenerife still holds an edge on wellness/spa.
Healthcare
Bilbao and Santa Cruz de Tenerife score neck-and-neck on healthcare (3.7 vs 3.7, 0–5 scale).
Air Quality
Bilbao averages 8.7 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Santa Cruz de Tenerife's 9.8 µg/m³ (good) — Bilbao breathes ~11% cleaner air (1.0 µg/m³ lower).
Bilbao
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
PM2.5 annual average
WHO classification
City Scale
Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.
Bilbao (729K) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (365K) are 2.0x in population — Bilbao is the larger metro, Santa Cruz de Tenerife the smaller; on land area Bilbao spans roughly 1.8x more ground.
Bilbao is roughly 1.9x the scale of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Combined population & area comparison
BilbaoSanta Cruz de TenerifeCity Scale Rankings
Bilbao729K2.0xSanta Cruz de Tenerife365K1xBilbao106 km²1.8xSanta Cruz de Tenerife59 km²1xBilbao
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Who Thrives Here
Bilbao favours the arts & intellectual, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife suits the sunshine lover. Both cities work well for the outdoor enthusiast.
Also compared
Frequently asked about Bilbao vs Santa Cruz de Tenerife
▶Which is cheaper, Bilbao or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
▶How does the climate compare between Bilbao and Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
▶Is Bilbao or Santa Cruz de Tenerife safer?
▶Should I move to Bilbao or Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
The best city depends on what matters to you
This comparison shows how Bilbao and Santa Cruz de Tenerife stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.
Take the free diagnostic10 minutes, no account needed