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Irish food prices 12% above EU27 average

Ireland was the most expensive of 36 European countries in 2024 for non-alcoholic drinks, with prices 40% higher than the EU27 average, CSO data shows.

Food prices in Ireland were 12% above the EU27 average in 2024, making them the second most expensive in the euro zone, and third most expensive in the EU27.

Double the average

Ireland was the second most expensive country in both the euro zone and EU27 for alcoholic beverages, with prices of alcohol in Ireland just under double the EU27 average in 2024.

Tobacco prices in Ireland were the most expensive of the 36 countries surveyed in 2024, at 159% higher than the EU27 average.

Ireland was the third most expensive country in the euro zone for bread and cereals, the sixth most expensive country for fruits, vegetables, and potatoes, the eighth most expensive for both milk, cheese and eggs, and fish, the ninth most expensive for meat, and the 12th most expensive for oils and fats.

Of the 36 countries surveyed, food was the most expensive in Switzerland, at 61% above the EU27 average, and the least expensive in North Macedonia, at 27% below the EU27 average.