A meal by the sea, a hotel room or a glass of wine can cost completely different amounts depending on where you spend your summer vacation.
To compare prices to seven of Europe's most popular holiday destinations, Euronews Business analysed Eurostat dataI would like to thank the rapporteur for his excellent report.
These figures do not accurately indicate the cost of holidays, but reflect national averages. Prices at popular tourist destinations can be significantly higher.
A hotel room in Athens and one in Kos, for example, will have a different price, but both contribute to the national average of Greece.
The comparison covers seven countries.
Overall price levels
Various price level indicators compare the costs of various goods and services, such as food, drinks, clothes and hotels. The price level index of final household consumption expenditure (HFCE) reflects the overall price level of consumer goods and services.
In simple terms, if the same basket of goods and services costs an average of 100 euros across the EU, how much would it cost in each country?
Turkey is the cheapest country in total, based on more than 2,000 goods and services. A basket costing the EU 100 euros costs only 59.6 euros in Turkey, which means it is 40.4% cheaper than the EU average.
France is the most expensive among the seven countries with 100.3 €, just above the EU average.
All five other countries are under him: Italy (97.1 €), Spain (91.6 €), Greece (87.4 €), Portugal (88.6 €) and Croatia (78.4 €).
Source: Eurostat • If the same basket of goods and services costs an average of EUR 100 in the EU, how much would it cost in each country? *Final consumption expenditure of households (HFCE)
Where are the hotels and restaurants cheaper?
The price category «restaurants and hotels» Eurostat compares the cost of food outside the home and accommodation. This is one of the most important sizes for travelers.
France is the most expensive among the seven countries, with an index of 116, followed by Italy with 111.8. In other words, if the EU average for this category is set at 100 €, the corresponding basket of catering and accommodation services would cost 116 € in France and 110,8 € in Italy.
Portugal is the cheapest, with the basket cost 73.6 €. This means that prices are 26.4% lower than the EU average. Turkey is also under 80, with a price index of 78.3.
Croatia (89.6) is slightly more expensive than Greece (86.1) and Spain (85.4).
Food prices are quite similar in the seven countries, with one clear exception: Turkey.
France is the most expensive, although prices are only 7.9% above the EU average. A food basket that costs 100 € throughout the EU would cost 107.9 € in France.
In Turkey, the same basket would cost only 75.6 €. Spain is the only other country below the EU average at 94.6 €, while prices in other countries are slightly higher.
Alcohol costs more than twice the EU average in Turkey
Alcohol presents one of the most pronounced price differences in comparison.
Turkey stands out as the far most expensive destination: alcoholic beverages cost more than twice the EU average, with a price index of 210.2. Greece is at a long distance in second place with 154, followed by Croatia with 133.9.
At the opposite end of the scale, Italy is the cheapest with an index of 81.9, while Spain also remains below the EU average with an index of 90.1. Prices in France and Portugal are much closer to the European benchmark, at 100.9 and 107.1 respectively.
The picture is less extreme for non-alcoholic beverages, although differences remain. Prices range from 81.8 in Italy to 133.5 in Croatia.
What about the smoke?
Tobacco prices vary enormously, ranging from 25.4 € in Turkey up to 191.1 € in France. All other countries are also below the EU average, but none approach Turkey. The second lowest is Croatia with 64.6 €, which is still much more expensive than Turkey.
For those travelling by public transport, Turkey is the cheapest with 68.3 €, compared to the EU average of 100 €. Only France exceeds the EU average with 112.8 €.
Portugal, Spain and Croatia range around 80 €, while Greece is just below the EU average.
Prices of seafood
For seafood lovers travelling to southern Europe, price differences are relatively small, ranging from 95.4 € in Portugal to 112.7 € in Greece.
Individual or family income is not included in these comparisons.
As a result, for persons from countries with higher incomes, price differences may not seem as important as for travellers from countries with lower incomes.
