Complaining about the price of things – food, coffee, a pint of beer – is something of a national pastime among Brits.We love to moan about how pricey things have become, only to stare in awe when our holiday meals and drinks set us back so much less.But why is this the case? How is it that a cocktail in Spain seems so much cheaper than in England – and croissants in France are half the cost they are here?One holidaymaker shared a shocking experience that shed light on the real gap between UK and overseas food.Ruben Chorlton-Owen told the Daily Mail: ‘During a trip to Tenerife in May 2026, I ate at Savoy restaurant in Playa de las Americas and found a three-course meal deal for just €13.95 (£12.02) and we even stretched it to four courses with their Chinese menu options.’The set menu included fillet steak options, plus starters, desserts and additional Chinese dishes. Ruben Chorlton-Owen said that during a trip to Tenerife in May 2026, he found a three-course meal for just £12 He enjoyed a starter (Caesar salad, pictured) with a main and dessert for far less than in the UK Where’s the cheapest place in Europe for a three-course meal? According to the Post Office City Costs Barometer 2026, the UK is not in the top 10 destinations for cheap city breaks – or food.In the winning spot, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the average cost of a three-course evening meal for two including house wine was just £62.82.In second place Bucharest, that was £65.53 and in bronze winner Tirana, just £63.94.Meanwhile, in London that figure jumps to £98.30 and Edinburgh £118. <!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/travel/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->
‘For comparison, here are some UK restaurant prices: £23 chicken chorizo linguine at The Warren, Abersoch, a £22 cheeseburger, a £12 chicken burger (takeaway) and £12–£14 penne pasta.’The standout difference was that a single £23 pasta dish in the UK cost almost double a full multi-course meal in Tenerife.’How is the difference in price explained? Mark McShane, a chef, food nutritionist and food safety expert, told the Daily Mail: ‘The UK grocery market was one of the least expensive in all of Western Europe, however a near-40 per cent rise in grocery prices from 2020 has dramatically shifted this landscape. ‘The largest factor contributing to the significant spike in grocery prices is the UK’s heavy reliance on imports with approximately 40 per cent of the UK’s total food being imported. ‘As such, the UK is extremely susceptible to global supply shock, severe weather conditions affecting global commodity prices, and foreign exchange rate volatility. ‘A perfect example of the direct relationship between global commodity prices and an increased cost to the average British shopper is the current and past crop failure in South America and Africa resulting in a large increase in the global cost for cocoa and coffee.’That’s not the only contributing factor. Mark McShane, a chef, food nutritionist and food safety expert, said there are multiple factors to blame for the high cost of eating in the UKMark added: ‘Another major driving force behind increasing costs throughout the entire food supply chain are operational costs associated with doing business within the UK. ‘Increasing operational costs are primarily due to two factors: first, the continued increase in the National Living Wage and secondly, increases in employer National Insurance contributions. ‘These two factors combine to make it increasingly difficult for farmers, manufacturers and supermarkets to operate profitably. ‘There may be differing opinions regarding whether or not importing goods is less expensive than producing domestically due to various global labour rates. ‘Regardless of importation versus local production costs, the UK is clearly a high-cost location to both grow and sell food due to excessive commercial rent and rigid wage standards.’Plus, the cost of dining out is high, too. Dining out is often considered a luxury in the UK, in comparison with other countriesMark explains: ‘As far as eating away from home is concerned, the United Kingdom is much more costly than most other countries. ‘The primary reason for this is the high fixed costs incurred by those who own and/or operate restaurants/hotels etc. (including premium commercial property rent, variable energy costs and high employee salary/benefit packages). ‘Due to employees working in the restaurant/hotel industry receiving minimum wage laws as part of their employment contract, rather than relying upon tipping for income, employee salaries become a non-variable component of each meal served.’As such, it’s often much cheaper to eat overseas. What foods are cheaper overseas than in the UK? Aside from Ruben’s Tenerife deal, there are plenty of others to enjoy.One Portugal resident said she could get a full menu – with a starter, main, dessert and wine – for just £11.30.And in Thailand, you can get a roadside pad thai from as little as 22p, according to Yahoo! Finance – whereas in the UK you could easily pay £11 to £16 for the same dish.Vietnam offers meals from 74p such as bánh mì sandwiches – which sit around the £10 mark in the UK.Meanwhile, in Paris a decent croissant costs between €1.10 and €2.00 (95p to £1.70) – in comparison to more than double the price in the UK.For instance, a Tesco all-butter croissant costs £1.20 – while one from Pret goes for £2.70 and Gail’s for £2.90.