
Prices for the most affordable grocery items have risen by 42% since a wave of inflation struck Austria in September 2021, according to a study released by Vienna’s Chamber of Labour on Wednesday.
Certain products have seen particularly steep price increases, with potatoes, penne pasta, flour, strained tomatoes and sunflower oil rising by 111%, 90%, 88%, 87% and 86% respectively.
The Chamber’s latest Price Monitor study also looked at the cost of 40 everyday food and cleaning products across seven Viennese supermarkets in June this year: the pricier Billa, Billa Plus, Spar and Interspar, and the more budget-friendly Hofer, Lidl and Penny.
Despite a slight price reduction of 1.9% in the cheapest grocery items compared to the previous year, prices remain high. The study found that Billa and Spar charged an average of nearly 11% more for the same shopping basket than the discounters.
The study also assessed prices for drugstore products. Online shops for Bipa, DM and Müller showed an average decrease of 15.5% compared to the previous year, whereas physical stores experienced only a marginal reduction of 1%.
Earlier this month, Statistik Austria reported the country’s lowest inflation rate since July 2021, at 3%. Read more: Austrian Inflation Hits Three-Year Low