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Grocery prices in Ireland: the official number

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Eurostat's 2025 price levels put Ireland's food and non-alcoholic beverages at 115.5, where the EU average is 100. That is a clear premium, but a far smaller one than Ireland's overall consumer price level of 139.6. In Ireland the supermarket is relatively the cheaper part of life: the big gaps are elsewhere, with alcohol and tobacco at 202.7.

Two official numbers

Eurostat's price level indices compare what the same basket costs across countries, with the EU average set at 100. For Ireland in 2025:

Overall household consumption: 139.6
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 115.5
Food alone: 113.3
Non-alcoholic beverages: 137.1
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: 202.7
Restaurants and accommodation: 118.1

For comparison, the same series puts food and non-alcoholic beverages at 102.4 in Germany, 106.8 in France and 95.3 in Spain.

Source: Eurostat: price level indices (prc_ppp_ind_1), 2025 values, dataset updated 9 July 2026, read 16 October 2026.

Aisle by aisle

The food index breaks down by category, and Ireland's premium is not even across the shop:

Meat: 102.2, close to the EU average
Fruit and nuts: 103.5
Fish and seafood: 105.3
Vegetables: 112.3
Milk, dairy and eggs: 113.0
Oils and fats: 114.7
Bread and cereals: 118.7
Sugar, confectionery and desserts: 128.7

Read together, meat, fruit and fish sit nearest the EU average, while sweets and soft drinks carry the steepest premiums.

Source: Eurostat: price level indices (prc_ppp_ind_1), 2025 values, dataset updated 9 July 2026, read 16 October 2026.

Steady, not spiking

The same index for Irish food and non-alcoholic beverages read 116.6 in 2022, 114.3 in 2023, 114.4 in 2024 and 115.5 in 2025. These are levels relative to the EU, not inflation rates, so they say Ireland's grocery premium has held in a narrow band rather than that prices have stood still.

This guide is general information from official statistics, not financial advice.

Source: Eurostat: price level indices (prc_ppp_ind_1), 2025 values, dataset updated 9 July 2026, read 16 October 2026.

Common questions

Are groceries expensive in Ireland?

Above the EU average, but less than most other things. Eurostat puts Irish food and non-alcoholic beverages at 115.5 against an EU average of 100 in 2025, while Ireland's overall consumer price level is 139.6.

How do Irish grocery prices compare with Germany or Spain?

On Eurostat's 2025 price level indices, food and non-alcoholic beverages stand at 115.5 in Ireland, 102.4 in Germany, 106.8 in France and 95.3 in Spain, with the EU average at 100.

Which groceries cost most in Ireland?

Relative to the EU, sugar, confectionery and desserts at 128.7 and non-alcoholic beverages at 137.1 carry the biggest premiums in Eurostat's 2025 data. Meat, at 102.2, sits close to the EU average.

Is alcohol expensive in Ireland?

Yes. Eurostat's 2025 price level index for alcoholic beverages and tobacco is 202.7 for Ireland, more than twice the EU average of 100 and the highest category in its Irish figures read for this guide.