For two decades, the euro became the reference of consumers in Spain and much of Europe. Expressions such as “This costs only one euro” or “everything to euro” became common, especially associated with basic consumption products. From a coffee at the bar to a bread bar, a bottle of water or even a transport ticket on the bus. Today that phrase has been practically banished.
When the single currency went into circulation in 2002, many people identified the euro as an affordable price synonym. A golden currency reached to buy coffee or chocolate without tickets and this happened for many years. It is important to remember that 1 euro equals exactly 166 pesetas with 386 cents.
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From there the adjustments arrived, and where the price increase was most noticed it was in articles as everyday as the menu in restaurants, cinema or transport. For example, coffee in a bar could cost us about 100 pesetas at that time, which would be 60 euro cents. Today it is around 1.40 euros, more than double. The bread bar cost about 50 pesetas, that is, 30 euro cents. At present the average is located in the 70 cents. All this due in large part to inflation, which has not stopped growing in recent times, as indicated by the most recent IPC data.
However, after 20 years of sustained inflation but accelerated by successive crises (the financial of 2008, the Pandemia for the COVID, the energy increase after the war in Ukraine …) have eroded that psychological reference.
One of the repercussions of so much change has to do with the cost of life, because in these two decades prices have not stopped uploading. In addition, the last months, with the shooting price of many basic products, make more dent in our pockets.
In 20 years, more money is spent on less
In Spain, the only European country in which frescoes exceed 30% of the purchase basket, the family budget to these products is around 40 euros and, annually, reaches 2,098 euros per household, that is; Of everything that is spent on food, four out of ten euros are destined for fresh. You spend more money in less. This is certified by the Observatory of Fresh Products, made by the Aldi commercial chain in Spain.
In fact, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), life in middle cities such as Granada has increased in almost 50%, even more related to the food purchase invoice, which today is 65% more expensive than 20 years ago.
The accumulated inflation in the Eurozone between 2005 and 2025 exceeds 50%, with peaks of up to 10% per year in 2022. Although in recent years the central banks have managed to contain the increases, the footprint of those years of rapid increes is evident in the pocket of many of us.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), the average salary in Spain has grown around 35% in two decades, well below the prices of the basic basket, where food and energy have been the main engines of the climb.
What cost 1 euro before … and what it costs today
- Coffee in a bar → from 1 euro in 2005 to 1.80-2.20 euros in 2025.
- Bread bar → from 0.80 euros in 2005 to 1.20-1.50 euros in 2025.
- Water bottle (500 ml) → from 1 euro to 1.50 euros.
- Simple Urban bus ticket → from 1 euro to 1.60-2 euros.
- Paper newspaper → from 1 euro in 2005 to 2 euros in 2025.
- Cheeseburger hamburger of ‘1 euro’ of McDonald’s → from 1 euro to 1.45 euros in 2025.
- 1 dozen eggs → from 1 euro in 2005 to 2.15-2.30 euros.
The disappearance of 1 euro products is not only an economic data, but also a cultural phenomenon. For many, it symbolizes the loss of purchasing power and a reminder of how life has changed every day in just two decades. The euro remains the common currency, but the symbolic value of that golden piece that bought everything is already history.