One of the biggest household costs in Europe is food, making up roughly 11.9% of average spending throughout the EU, with some nations like Romania reaching up to 20%.
Food costs differ significantly throughout Europe. Eurostat’s food price level index offers a helpful way to compare these costs. If the average EU food basket is considered as €100, the index can show how much the same basket would cost in each country.
A value exceeding 100 suggests a nation is pricier than the European average, whereas a number under 100 shows it is less costly.
As per Eurostat, in 2024, North Macedonia was the most affordable country for food among 36 European countries. A typical food basket in the country was priced at €73, which is 27% less than the average in the EU.
Switzerland is the most costly, with food prices 61.1% higher than the EU average. The same selection of items costs €161.1.
North Macedonia is a country that seeks membership in the European Union — it hasn’t joined yet but maintains active trade pacts with the EU — whereas Switzerland is not part of the European Economic Area and instead depends on a series of bilateral agreements with the EU.
In the European Union, Romania (€74.6) experiences the lowest cost for food items, whereas Luxembourg (€125.7) faces the highest prices. The cost of food is 25.4% lower in Romania and 25.7% higher in Luxembourg when compared to the average within the EU.
After Switzerland, two more European Free Trade Association (EFTA) nations occupy the top three positions: Iceland (€146.3) and Norway (€130.6).
The countries belonging to EFTA are not part of the EU but work closely with the union primarily in terms of trade and access to markets, while maintaining stronger national authority over legislation, borders, and policies.
In Denmark (€119.3), Ireland (€111.9), France (€111.5), Austria (€110.9), and Malta (€110.9), food costs are at least 10% above the EU average.
Southeastern Europe and the Western Balkan region have the most affordable food prices in general.
In addition to North Macedonia and Romania, Turkey (€75.7), Bosnia and Herzegovina (€82.5), Montenegro (€82.6), and Bulgaria (€87.1) also fall significantly under the EU average.
Serbia (€95.7) and Albania (€98.7) are also more affordable than the EU.
Among the EU’s ‘Big Four’, food costs are also above the EU average in Italy (€104) and Germany (€102.9). Spain (€94.6) is 5.4% less expensive than the EU.
Many Central and several Eastern European nations are still below or near the EU average, such as Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Western Europe typically experiences higher food costs, with the Nordic nations being some of the priciest in Europe.
Price differences are significant for families
Ilaria Benedetti, an assistant professor at the University of Tuscia, highlighted that structural elements like manufacturing expenses, integration within supply chains, and vulnerability to global disruptions are crucial in explaining variations.
More compact and highly open economies — typically with currencies facing more significant fluctuations — saw a greater transmission ofrising energy “and the expenses for agricultural supplies throughout the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war,” she said to Euronews.
Benedetti highlighted that these price differences are significant because their effect relies on the proportion of household budgets dedicated to food.
In numerous countries across Eastern and Southeastern Europe, food makes up over 20% of family spending, whereas in wealthier nations, this percentage is generally less than 12%.
“Consequently, the same price hike has far greater impacts in areas with lower earnings,” she remarked.
Labour costs and wages
The main reason is variations inincomes and wages,” said Alan Matthews, a professor at Trinity College Dublin, to Euronews Business.
Nations with greater average earnings, like Denmark and Switzerland, often experience higher food costs due to the transfer of labor expenses in farming, production, and sales to customers.
“Variations in taxation, particularly the VAT applied to food items, also contribute to some of the differences,” he mentioned. Certain countries apply a reduced or zero VAT rate on food, for example Ireland, whereas in other nations like Denmark, food is taxed at the standard VAT rate.
Matthews noted that the cost of food will also be affected by what consumers prefer.
For instance, consumers in Northern and Western European nations might buy a larger share of organic or high-end items, or they could favor recognized brands over the more costly products offered by supermarkets.
Implications for food security
Jeremiás Máté Balogh, an associate professor at Corvinus University in Budapest, mentioned that these price variations affect food security, especially when combined with available income.
“While wealthy nations can handle higher price levels, lower-income families in Central and Eastern Europe bear a greater share of the load, even if actual food prices are lower,” he said to Euronews.
Eurostat’s price levels do not take into account household income, meaning these figures are not adjusted for affordability. For instance, although food costs more in Denmark, residents there have higher disposable income, allowing them to purchase more bread.
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