Greece is not, overall, the most expensive country in Europe for supermarket shopping. That is the main conclusion of a comparative survey by the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research (IELKA), which examined the cost of a standard shopping basket across nine European countries, including VAT.
The picture, however, is uneven — and only makes full sense when prices are considered alongside household incomes. Significant differences emerge across products. Coffee remains notably expensive in Greece, with a 200-gram pack priced about 13% above the survey average and higher than in most countries surveyed, rivaled only by Germany.
Sugar prices show an even larger gap, with Greece ranking among the most expensive markets, well above nearly all comparison countries.
In other categories, Greece appears cheaper than the European average, though largely because prices in countries like France and Germany push averages upward. Fresh beef and olive oil, for example, cost less than the European mean but remain more expensive than in several Southern and Eastern European markets. A similar mixed picture appears in baby products: diaper prices in Greece fall below the average but still exceed those in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Ultimately, the issue is not only about prices — it is about purchasing power. In terms of Actual Individual Consumption adjusted for purchasing power standards, Greece stands at roughly 70–75% of the EU average. Spain reaches around 85–90%, Portugal 80–85%, and Italy nearly matches the EU average. In practical terms, Greek households have significantly less spending capacity.
Even when product prices are similar across countries, the burden on Greek incomes is heavier.
The wage structure reinforces this reality. Average annual earnings in Greece remain below those in Italy and Spain, while income inequality — measured by the Gini coefficient — remains comparatively high, leaving many households earning less than the national average.
The core issue, therefore, is not uniformly high prices but the combination of selectively expensive goods and weaker purchasing power — a reality that makes the cost-of-living pressure in Greece feel heavier than price comparisons alone suggest.
