Exposed espresso in Gmunden: a Linzer raises the alarm!

Exposed espresso in Gmunden: a Linzer raises the alarm!

in Gmunden, a picturesque tourist location in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut, recently caused a particularly juicy invoice. A Linz paid a whopping 3.50 euros for an espresso, which was perceived as outrageously expensive for him. In a direct comparison to Italy, where you have to pay for just 1 euro for an espresso, this price is a real excitement. Merkur reports that …

The prices for coffee, and especially for espresso, have sometimes reached astronomical heights in recent years. According to a survey in 2022, Austria was already seventh of the most expensive espresso prices in Europe with an average of EUR 2.75 per cup. The leader is Denmark, where an espresso costs around 4 euros. For comparison: In Berlin, the price was around 1.85 euros on average. The pricing also looks friendly in other cities such as Bozen, where you pay for an espresso.

causes of the high prices

But what drives prices up? In addition to the obvious price tag in the cafés, it is above all the rising raw coffee prices that have increased by a whopping 247 percent since 2020. This drastic increase is closely linked to the effects of climate change. Dürren and floods have a direct influence on the harvest yields - a fact that affects more than 100 million people who live from coffee cultivation.

The two main types of the coffee plant, Arabica and Robusta have their origins in Ethiopia and are heavily dependent on climatic conditions due to their growing areas. Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia are currently the largest coffee producers worldwide. Another factor that drifts the prices upwards are the constantly increasing energy and personnel costs, which can also be felt in the catering trade.

market development and outlook

The development of coffee prices clearly shows that it also has a direct impact on prices in the coffee shops. In Germany, espresso prices fluctuate between 2 and 3.50 euros, depending on the region. The high demand for coffee in the EU, especially in Germany and Switzerland, is unchanged. Providers are required to adapt their prices to the circumstances and to find the balance between cost recovery and customer friendliness in the coffee cultures.

It looks like, the espresso remains a little more expensive in the Austrian cafés, even if prices in other European countries often turn out to be significantly cheaper. The coffee lovers should therefore think carefully about where they want to treat themselves to their daily caffeine kick-maybe prefer to plan the next trip to Italy in order not only to experience the enjoyment cheaply, but also authentically.