Slovakia
How much will we pay for lunch today? The answer depends on where we sit at the table. Although prices have finally stabilized somewhat after months of price increases at the end of the first half of the year, there are still significant differences between the individual regions of Slovakia. While in some places the average cost is approaching ten euros, in others we can still spend well under eight euros for lunch.
We looked at the latest data from the Edenred TRC index, which tracks real payments by employees for food, snacks and coffee paid for with a meal card. The average spending in Slovakia stabilized at 9,10 euros at the end of June. After the spring growth, this is the first indication that price growth has stabilized for a while.
Where do we pay the most for lunch?
The Nitra region is at the top of the list this time. The average spending here reached 9,87 euros, with people in the Košice region paying only a few cents less. The Prešov, Bratislava, Banská Bystrica and Žilina regions also spend above the nine-euro mark.
The Trenčín region offers a completely different picture. The average cost of lunch here is 7,16 euros, which is 2,5 euros less than in the most expensive region of Slovakia.
At first glance, it may seem like it's only a few dozen cents. However, if we buy lunch every workday, the differences between regions become significant not only over the course of the year, but also over the course of the month.
Summer is traditionally more expensive
Stabilization of prices does not mean that we are over with the price increases. Experience from previous years shows that the summer months are specific for gastronomy. We travel more, we dine more often on vacation or in tourist locations, and establishments respond to higher demand.
"Although lunch payments stabilized at the end of the first half of the year, we traditionally expect them to grow slightly during the summer months. During the holidays, people are more willing to indulge in higher-quality food, and establishments also respond to seasonal demand by adjusting prices. Therefore, summer is often the time when average spending on dining increases again," says Lívia Bachratá, Director of Public Affairs at Edenred.
Prices did not rise at the same pace everywhere.
When we compared the data with the same period last year, it turned out that price increases had different dynamics in individual regions.
The most significant year-on-year increase was recorded in the Bratislava region, where the average spending increased by 85 cents. The Nitra region followed with an increase of 60 cents. On the contrary, the Košice and Trnava regions were among the regions where prices changed only minimally.
These figures also show that when looking at lunch prices, it is not enough to just follow the national average. Each region has its own development, which is influenced by competition between establishments, local demand, and the economic situation.
The lunch allowance is increasingly not enough
From the employees' perspective, however, one thing is important: Although the pace of price increases has slowed, average lunch prices have been moving away from the legal minimum meal allowance for a long time. In practice, this means that people are increasingly paying for lunch out of their own pockets on a regular basis.
"Although the rate of growth in lunch prices is not as dynamic as in previous years, average spending has been moving away from the legal minimum meal allowance in the long term. For most employees, this means that they have to regularly pay for lunch out of their own money. If we want to promote healthy eating and people's satisfaction at work, the amount of the allowance should reflect the real prices of lunches in individual regions as much as possible," adds L. Bachratá.
While price growth has slowed for a while, lunch remains an item that we feel the impact of inflation on every workday. So it will be interesting to see whether the calmer trend continues through the summer or if average spending shoots up again.
