A recent report by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reveals a significant price gap in restaurant and hotel services between Germany and several European holiday destinations.
In the March 2025 data, the lowest price levels were found in Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, where the cost of restaurant and hotel services was roughly half that of Germany. Other popular holiday destinations with lower prices for German tourists include Montenegro, Portugal, Turkey and Malta, with price differences ranging from a 31 to 42 percent discount.
In other southern European holiday destinations, such as Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia, the cost of restaurant and hotel services was lower, with prices ranging from 14 to 25 percent less than in Germany. Italy, however, had a higher price level, with a 6 percent discount compared to Germany.
For those seeking a more affordable holiday, neighboring countries to Germany also offer attractive options. The price level for restaurant and hotel services in the Czech Republic was 33 percent lower, in Poland, 15 percent and in France, 3 percent, lower than in Germany. In contrast, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium were more expensive, with price increases of 7, 9 and 11 percent, respectively. Denmark and Switzerland, on the other hand, had significantly higher price levels, with increases of 28 and 52 percent, respectively.
Scandinavian countries, such as Iceland, Norway and Sweden, also proved to be more expensive, with price increases of 49, 25 and 8 percent, respectively, compared to Germany.