In 2026, we need €800 more to buy the same goods and services we bought in 2025, according to a report by dnews.
Housing is cited as the biggest problem. In the Municipality of Athens, the average asking rent in 2026 stands at €9.8/sq. m., bringing the monthly rent for an 80 sq. m. home to around €785. Even in cheaper areas, a similar home rents for approximately €600 per month in Patissia and €608 in Vyronas, according to the report.
Households living in rented accommodation spend around 23.4% of their total monthly budget on housing.
As for transport, average monthly spending reached €247.93 in 2025, up 7.9% from 2024. Meanwhile, the average price of unleaded petrol on September 24, 2026, stood at €2.199 per litre, compared with €1.751 in September 2024 (+25.6%). The increase was even greater for diesel, which rose from €1.525 to €2.224 per litre (+45.8%).
In practical terms, filling a 50-litre tank with unleaded petrol now costs around €110, compared with €87.55 previously—an increase of €22.40. For diesel, the cost of the same fill-up has risen from €76.25 to €111.20, an increase of almost €35.
Prices of basic goods also remain high in 2026. In 2025, spending on meat had increased by 9.9%, fish by 8%, fruit by 5.4%, and coffee, tea and cocoa by 11.9%. At the same time, households bought smaller quantities of several basic goods: fish purchases fell by 2.6%, bread and bakery products by 2.4%, vegetables by 1.6%, and fruit and milk by 1.2%. This year, prices in all these categories are higher.
Source:dnews