Briefing
Consumer organisation Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU) published its annual supermarket comparison on 25 September 2026. It found that the average household in Spain spends around €6,600 a year on food and household goods, an increase of about 5.18 per cent on the previous year. According to OCU, the study is based on 101,520 individual prices from 690 stores and calculates price indices for 189 cities using a standardised “cesta de la compra” containing 244 products across around 80 categories.
OCU highlights that where people shop can have a noticeable effect on household budgets: the average potential annual saving between the most and least expensive retailer nationwide is around €1,310. Regional differences vary; according to OCU, the annual gap can reach €4,381 in Madrid, compared with just around €381 in Mieres (Asturias).
The data identify the hypermarkets of Alcampo in the Centro Comercial Bonaire in Valencia as well as a store in the district of Coia in Vigo. At the top end of the list are stores belonging to the Sánchez Romerochain, which rank among the most expensive. OCU stresses that fresh produce has risen in price particularly sharply, making a significant contribution to the overall increase.
The organisation presents its comparison as a tool for consumer transparency and an empirical basis for policy debates on relief measures, such as municipal or publicly supported retail models. OCU itself makes no forecasts about future price trends and notes that the study is a snapshot of prices collected as at 25 September 2026. According to OCU, consumer behaviour, regional store networks and product availability limit the potential savings for individual households.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).