Food Prices in Europe: Latvia's Basket Below EU Average, Estonia Pricier
According to Euronews Business and Numbeo data, a basket of 18 basic food items costs €59.60 in Latvia, below the EU average of €69.84. Estonia is the priciest of the Baltic states, while Switzerland is the most expensive in Europe.
Food prices differ sharply across European countries. Based on data from the Numbeo price database, used by Euronews Business, the same basket of 18 basic food products cost just over €40 in one country and nearly €140 in another in mid-2026. The comparison shows how unevenly everyday grocery costs fall on residents, and the gap is currently being widened by high fuel prices and geopolitical instability.
Comparing the Baltic states
The average price of this basket in the European Union (EU) is €69.84. In Latvia it costs €59.60, which is below the EU average. In Lithuania the same products cost €58.70, while in Estonia the basket comes to €70.40, making food most expensive there among the three Baltic states.
The most and least expensive countries
Switzerland is the most expensive country in Europe for buying food, with the basket costing €137.90. The top five most expensive countries also include Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg and Denmark; in Norway the basket costs €116.10. Among Europe's five largest economies, food prices are highest in France and lowest in Spain. Spending is lowest in Eastern European and Balkan countries, and in Moldova the basket costs €41.10.
Low prices do not mean prosperity
Experts note that cheap goods in shops do not guarantee well-being. In Romania and Bulgaria, food is cheap in nominal terms, but because of low purchasing power, families spend more than 20% of their budget on it, compared with an EU average of 13.6%.
What affects prices
Economists explain that shop prices are shaped not only by production costs but also by labour costs, taxes, rent and logistics, which are higher in wealthier countries. Recently, the main driver of rising prices has been energy, especially diesel fuel, which raises costs across the entire food production and supply chain.
