This year's findings reveal a significant shake-up in the rankings. French households, who faced the heftiest Christmas dinner bill last year, are now expected to see a dramatic price reduction, with the cost of the traditional French meal of stuffed turkey falling to €58.60, a 28% drop since 2023. German households also enjoy a significant price reduction of 17% compared to last year.

The findings about the Romanian Christmas traditional dish are in line with the 5.11%, November yearly food inflation figure.  We considered regular products in supermarkets, that were not part of heavy discounts or promotions.  Most likely, by chasing different promotions during the Holiday Season, Romanian families will be able to enjoy a slightly less expensive “sarmale” (cabbage rolls) with a polenta meal.

Meanwhile, UK families are facing a surprising surge in costs, with the price of a turkey and the trimmings skyrocketing by 36% to €44.61, up from €32.80 in 2023. This marks the largest increase in the study as the UK becomes one of the most expensive countries for Christmas dinner this year, with rising turkey prices, attributed to increased production costs and inflationary pressures impacting British farmers. 

Australians will also experience higher prices this year, with the cost of a traditional Christmas barbecue 30% higher, at €50.35, as prices for certain staple foods including bread continue to rise and demand for Australian beef grows internationally. Falling wholesale prices for prawns have not resulted in lower prices for consumers this Christmas - with prawn skewers priced $2.79 higher than last year at the supermarket.

Commenting on the data, eToro Analyst Bogdan Maioreanu said: “This year, families across the world are experiencing different inflationary realities as they stock up their fridges and pantries for Christmas. Many markets are still seeing price hikes, some of which are dramatic, as in the UK and Australia, while others such as France and Germany are seeing sizable reductions in consumer prices for Christmas food staples. Romania is somewhere in the middle, with a lower increase in prices than Poland but far from the decrease Czechia is experiencing. 

“The data shows that inflationary pressures are often strikingly local, with even countries which share land borders and free trade agreements nonetheless experiencing significant price divergence in supermarket prices this Christmas.”

Table: Christmas Traditional Dish Costs Across 12 Countries (2024)

Food price inflation has continued to rise globally this year, with the latest EU food inflation figure at 2.4%, whilst the corresponding figure for the UK is 1.9%, and the US far lower at 0.1%.