Pizza prices surge across Italy

Pizza and a soft drink, long one of the most familiar and affordable meals for Italian families, is becoming noticeably more expensive across the country, according to a new analysis of prices in 30 cities that shows how the cost of eating in a pizzeria is rising faster than inflation.

The study, based on data from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy’s price and tariff observatory and reported by Altroconsumo, found that the average price of a pizza with a drink rose 4.4% from 2025 and 26% from 2021. The increase reflects a broader shift in the restaurant market, where higher energy costs, more expensive ingredients and a growing number of gourmet offerings are changing what used to be a simple neighborhood meal.

Bolzano is now the most expensive city in the survey, with an average price of 15 euros for a pizza and drink. Palermo and Sassari follow, both above 14.50 euros. Trento and Florence also remain in the upper range. Rome, by contrast, still stands out as relatively affordable among major cities, with an average of 11.45 euros. A few places remain below 10 euros, including Reggio Calabria and Livorno.

Behind those averages, however, are wide gaps within individual cities. Palermo shows the sharpest divide, with prices ranging from 9 euros to 28 euros, a spread that points to a highly uneven market. Milan ranges from 8 euros to 22.50 euros, while Florence runs from 8.50 euros to 20 euros. Reggio Calabria is not only the least expensive city in the sample at 9.50 euros, but also one of the most stable, with just a 2-euro difference between its lowest and highest prices. Bari, Perugia and Terni each show a spread of 2.5 euros.

The latest increases also show how quickly prices have moved in some cities over the past year. Compared with 2025, the bill for pizza and a drink is up nearly 13% in Udine and more than 10% in Bari and Pescara. Rome and Brescia are close to that threshold as well. Naples, often seen as the symbolic home of pizza, recorded a rise of 7.8%. A few cities moved in the opposite direction: Venice fell 3.2%, while Parma dropped 9.3%. Over five years, Parma is the only city in the survey to show an overall decline, down 4%.

Elsewhere, the long-term increases are much steeper. Palermo leads with a rise of 60% since 2021, followed by Naples at 51%. Sassari, Bolzano and Udine posted gains between 38% and 43%. The pattern is striking because some of Italy’s most iconic pizza cities are now among those where the traditional family meal has become less accessible.

The same pressure is visible in another common bar food: the sandwich. Its average price has risen more than 5% since 2025 and 23.5% over five years, reaching about 4 euros nationwide. The cheapest sandwiches in the survey were found in Terni at 2.30 euros, while Trento, Milan and Verona were close to 6 euros. In some cities, prices varied sharply from one venue to another, reaching as much as four times higher in Venice, Bolzano and Udine.

Annual increases for sandwiches were especially strong in Verona at 24.1%, followed by other cities at 18.5% and Bari at 17.6%. Over five years, Verona again stood out with an increase of 88%, ahead of Perugia at 49%, Terni at 37.7% and Naples at 35.6%.

For many households, the result is that two of the most ordinary meals outside the home are no longer as predictable or inexpensive as they once were.