Swiss Cities Lead the Grocery Price Rankings
A weekly food shop is an essential part of life for everyone, but the cost of groceries can vary widely depending on where you live. According to the ‘Grocery Index’ by Deutsche Bank Research Institute, which evaluates grocery prices across European cities in 2025, some cities are significantly more expensive than others. This index, based on data from Numbeo, compares the costs of everyday items such as milk, bread, eggs, fruits, and meat. Each city is assigned a score with New York set at 100, serving as the baseline for comparison.
Swiss cities dominate the top of the list, with Geneva ranking as the most expensive city globally. Its index score is 106, indicating that grocery prices are 6% higher than in New York. For example, a basket that costs €100 in New York would cost €106 in Geneva. Zurich follows closely behind with a score of 103, making it the second most expensive city in Europe. These two Swiss cities are the only European cities that exceed the price level of New York, which is used as the base for the index.
In contrast, all five U.S. cities included in the Grocery Index—San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles—are more expensive than every European city except for Geneva and Zurich. San Francisco tops the list among U.S. cities with a score of 104, slightly higher than New York itself.
Top Five Most Expensive European Cities
The next three most expensive cities in Europe are Oslo (78), Paris (71), and Luxembourg (66). While these cities are much cheaper than New York and the Swiss cities, they still rank among the priciest in Europe. These figures highlight the stark differences in grocery costs between various European cities.
Mid-Priced Cities Across Europe
Many European cities fall into the mid-priced category, with scores ranging from 58 to 63. This group includes cities like Helsinki, Vienna, Copenhagen, Milan, London, Brussels, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Dublin, Amsterdam, Munich, and Stockholm. These cities offer a more balanced approach to grocery shopping, neither too expensive nor too cheap.
The Cheapest Grocery Prices in Europe
At the lower end of the scale, cities with index scores of 55 or below are considered the cheapest for groceries. Budapest and Warsaw lead this group with a score of 37, meaning a €100 basket in New York would cost just €37 in these cities. That’s a 63% reduction compared to the New York baseline. Other cities with low grocery prices include Istanbul (39), Prague (42), Lisbon (44), Athens (46), Madrid (46), Barcelona (49), Rome (51), Birmingham (51), and Berlin (55).
It's also worth noting that there are significant price differences within the same country. For instance, London has a score of 62, while Birmingham has a score of 51. This shows how local factors can influence grocery costs even within a single nation.
Paris vs. Madrid: A Case Study in Cost Differences
Among the capital cities of Europe's top five economies, France is the most expensive, while Spain is the cheapest. The index scores for these cities are as follows: Paris (71), London (62), Berlin (55), Rome (51), and Madrid (46). This means a grocery basket that costs €71 in Paris would only cost €46 in Madrid—a difference of 54%. Paris is also significantly more expensive than Rome (by 39%) and Berlin (by 29%). Compared to London, the gap is smaller, with Paris being 15% more expensive.
Global Perspective: Cairo as the Cheapest
Globally, Cairo holds the lowest score at just 20 points, meaning that a grocery basket in New York would cost five times more than in Cairo. This highlights the vast disparities in living costs around the world.
Grocery Prices in Euros: What You’ll Pay
The grocery prices listed on Numbeo, the source of data for the index, are in euros. However, it's important to note that these figures are not directly comparable to the index because the specific items and quantities used in the calculation are not disclosed.
According to Numbeo’s July 2025 data, the total cost of 19 common grocery items in the markets section reveals that Paris remains the most expensive city among Europe’s top economies. The total cost is €107.20 in Paris, followed by €89.54 in London, €82.10 in Berlin, and €79.60 in Rome. Madrid continues to offer the cheapest prices at €72.70.