NoIn recent years, the way in which Italians experience consumption outside the home has changed radically. Eating out is no longer a simple necessity or a moment of leisure, but a habit that reflects new priorities, lifestyles and, in part, also a social status. In a period of generalized price increases and economic uncertainties, the surprising fact is that more and more people are choosing to allocate a significant part of their budget to catering.
According to the data Circana of January 2025, spending on consumption away from home reached 70.9 billion eurosrecording an increase of 10.9% compared to the pre-Covid period. A growth that was not only driven by the frequency of visits, but above all by the increase in the average price per single purchase, which marks a +15% compared to 2019.
In recent years, the opportunities for eating out have multiplied: aperitifs with friends, dinners at restaurants, but also breakfasts at the bar or in the pastry shop have become increasingly frequent habits. Street food is also conquering more and more Italians: 46.6% declare that they consume it at least once a month (with a prevalence among men, young people and residents of North-West and South Italy). Furthermore, 30.6% participate in brunches monthly, in particular men, Gen Z and Millennials from Southern Italy.
How much do Europeans spend at restaurants?
The biggest spenders when eating out are Irish and the Spanishwhich shelled out 14.4% and 13% of their total restaurant expenses in 2018, respectively. In third place is Maltawhich spent 12.6%, followed by Greece 12.4%, Austria 10.8%, Portugal 9.2%, Cyprus 9.1%, and finally Italy 7.8%. The English spend slightly less than us on eating in restaurants: around 7.7% of their total consumption. The biggest savers are Lithuanians 3.4%, Poles 3% and Romanians 1.9%. Germans also spend little in restaurants, catering, bars and wineries: 4.3%. The European average is 7%.
Restaurant with a view at the Golf Hotel Madonna di Campiglio. (Press Office)
Italian cities, on the other hand, despite not being among the cheapest destinations for gastronomy, offer a high-level culinary experience without going up to the prices of the Nordic capitals. With an average of around 70 euros for a dinner for two people in a mid-range restaurantcities such as Rome, Milan, Florence or Venice allow you to savor the local cuisine between traditional dishes and gastronomic innovations.
Where is it cheaper to eat out?
On the opposite side of the European map we find countries where the cost of a meal out is surprisingly low. Kosovo leads the ranking with an average of just 20 euros for a complete dinner for two. Immediately after we find North Macedonia (24.38 euros), Moldova (30.32 euros), Bosnia and Herzegovina (30.75 euros) and Serbia (38.34 euros).
If we also consider the urban context, some cities offer considerable convenience for those who want to experience local gastronomy without excessive expenses. Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, offers a meal for two for around 29.25 euros, while Sarajevo stands at 33.31 euros. In Poland, cities like Krakow and Gdansk are around 47 euros.
To conclude, in Italy, in the south, the average cost of lunch at a restaurant drops considerably: in Palermo, Catanzaro, Messina, on average 30-40 euros are spent; in Naples, Bari, Cagliari 30-45 euros.
