Prices for products in Europe vary significantly, but cheaper goods do not always mean higher purchasing power of salaries. According to Numbeo, Switzerland emerged as the most expensive, while Moldova was the cheapest among the countries studied, and Romania was the cheapest among EU members. This was reported by Euronews Business.
Food Prices in Europe: Where is the Most Expensive Basket in 2026
According to Numbeo data for mid-2026, food prices in Switzerland were 89.2% higher than the average level in the EU. Following Switzerland were Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg, and Denmark as the next most expensive countries.
In Romania, food costs were 33.3% lower than the EU average. In Moldova, the difference was 42.8%. These indices were standardized by Euronews so that the EU average equaled 100.
Separately, journalists compiled October prices for 18 food items from the Numbeo database. The average cost of such a set in the EU was 69.84 euros. In selected countries, the sums were as follows:
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Switzerland: 137.90 euros;
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Norway: 116.10 euros;
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France: 87.40 euros;
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Germany: 75.20 euros;
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Spain: 63 euros;
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Poland: 49.60 euros;
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Romania: 45.90 euros;
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Moldova: 41.10 euros.
This is a conditional set: each item was counted once, without weighting for consumption volumes. It does not reflect the monthly expenses of a family. Numbeo also uses user-generated data, so the mentioned sums are a guideline for comparison.
Even within a single country, expenses depend on the store and the composition of purchases. For example, a separate study compared baskets in Polish supermarkets, also including household goods, so its sums cannot be directly compared to those of Euronews.
Cost of Food in Europe: Why a Lower Price Does Not Mean Affordability
The difference is explained not only by the costs of growing or producing food. The store price includes wages, electricity, fuel, rent, taxes, and transportation.
A telling example from the research: a 500-gram loaf of white bread in Denmark cost 3.18 euros, while in Bulgaria it cost 1.02 euros. Thus, the difference exceeded three times.
At the same time, lower prices can be associated with a greater burden on the family budget. According to Eurostat data, on average in the EU, food and non-alcoholic beverages account for 13.6% of household consumption expenditures, in Romania 23.1%, and in Bulgaria over 20%.
Experts also emphasize: slowing inflation does not mean a return to old prices. If inflation remains positive, goods continue to become more expensive, albeit at a slower rate.
Therefore, assessing the affordability of products should be done alongside income after taxes and other mandatory expenses. This difference is also reflected in price comparisons in stores: the same amount on the price tag can have different weight for the family budget.