Germans work 7.4 minutes for one scoop of ice cream; Greeks 20.9 minutes

An analysis covering ten European countries shows large differences in how long an average worker must work to buy a single scoop of ice cream: Germany comes out cheapest at 7.4 minutes of work per scoop, while Greece is the most expensive at 20.9 minutes — nearly three times more.

After Germany, the ranking lists the United Kingdom at 9.3 minutes, Belgium at 11.4, Italy at 13.2 and France at 14.5 minutes of work for one scoop. Turkey, Poland and Spain each require around 15 minutes, and Portugal about 16.6 minutes.

The average price per scoop across the surveyed countries ranges from €1.15 to €4.10. The highest prices were recorded in the United Kingdom and the lowest in Turkey, though actual charges vary widely by city, tourist location, portion size and the type of shop.

Tourist spots amplify the gap

In popular Greek islands a single scoop can cost between €4 and €6, while tourist resorts in Turkey report prices of €1.85 to €2.20 — levels that are higher than in Istanbul itself.

Producers say the cost of ice cream rose notably in recent years because of higher energy, raw material and commercial-rent costs. In Greece, manufacturers report prices have increased by about 20% since 2020, but note that production-cost growth stabilised during 2026.

According to Eurostat, prices for ice cream, frozen desserts and sorbets across the European Union in June 2026 were on average 0.4 percent lower than in the same month a year earlier. The largest decline was registered in Portugal, while Lithuania and Romania posted the biggest increases. Analysts caution this is not a return to pre‑crisis price levels but a modest reduction compared with last year.

Photo: press material from the event