Holiday groceries relatively cheap in Spain

France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria are the most popular summer destinations for Dutch holidaymakers. Four countries in the top five have higher food prices than the Netherlands; only Spain has lower prices. In France, price levels are over 16 percent higher than the EU average. In Austria - the fifth most popular destination – prices of food are nearly 27 percent above the EU average.

Meat prices in Austria 45 percent above EU average

Barbecue lovers pay the most in Austria, where meat is priced at 145 percent of the EU average. In France, it is 30 percent more expensive. The lowest price levels again are found in Spain, followed by Germany and Italy.

Potatoes, fruit and vegetables in France are slightly more expensive than in Austria, nearly 27 percent above the EU average. In Italy and Germany, prices are 7 and 5 percent higher than the EU average, while in Spain they are 1.1 percent lower. Dutch prices are slightly above the EU average (2.2 percent).

Beverages cheap in Spain and Germany

When looking at beverages, prices differences are more moderate. Outliers include Austria - where non-alcoholic beverages are priced at 113 percent of the EU average - and Spain and Germany. In the latter two countries, alcoholic beverages are 16 and 11 percent below the EU average respectively.

Restaurants and hotels relatively expensive in France

Aside from food, hotels and restaurants in France are also priced above the EU average, namely 18 percent. The lowest prices are found in Spain.

North Macedonia has lowest food prices in Europe

The cheapest country for food is North Macedonia, where price levels are nearly 40 percent below the EU average, followed by Romania and Poland. The most expensive country is Switzerland with prices almost 164 percent of the EU average. Norway is slightly below this percentage, followed by Iceland.