Breakfast Over the Decades: How Have Prices Changed for Morning Favorites?
Cost comparison: What was the cost of breakfast in the year 2006? - Cost comparison: What was the cost of breakfast in the year 2006?
By Nele Spandick
A hot cup of coffee and a plate brimming with bread, rolls, cold cuts, and cheese - that's the classic German breakfast many still savor. But, has the price tag on these morning essentials changed since 2006?
Digging into the annals of supermarket receipts from 19 years ago, RTL reporters followed up in 2025 to paint a compelling picture of how prices have skyrocketed over the years.
What's the Score, Price-wise?
The numbers speak for themselves; many items have seen noticeable hikes, with some even surging beyond the rate of inflation. This may seem daunting, but when comparing with the rise in average wages, it becomes slightly more manageable.
In the past five years, prices have been on a steady climb. Before 2020, the increase was relatively moderate, clocking in at an average of 2% per year. However, a considerable jump occurred between 2020 and 2023. Thankfully, prices have stabilized since then, with the exception of a few items like coffee.
Curious about the specifics? Head over to RTL+ to watch the whole story unfold.
A Peek into the Image Gallery
- Breakfast Price Comparison
- Sausages: Then vs. Now
- Rolls - More Expensive, But Still Delicious?
- Cheese: How the Cost Stack Up
- Coffee: Brewing Through the Years
- Tea: The Steeping Cost
A Quick Look Back and Ahead
In 2006, Germany's economy was shaped by the introduction of the Euro and various economic trends. Fast forward to 2025, and contemporary factors, such as inflation, supply chain disruptions, and evolving consumer tastes, have brought the prices of breakfast goods to their current levels. Without specific historical and current price data, we cannot conduct a detailed analysis of the rate of price increase.
How to Calculate Rate of Increase
To understand how prices have changed over time, you can use the following formula:
[ \text{Rate of Increase} = \left( \frac{\text{New Price} - \text{Old Price}}{\text{Old Price}} \right) \times 100\% ]
For instance, if the price of a "Brötchen" (a common German breakfast roll) rose from €0.50 in 2006 to €1.00 in 2025, the rate of increase would be:
[ \text{Rate of Increase} = \left( \frac{1.00 - 0.50}{0.50} \right) \times 100\% = 100\% ]
Again, bear in mind that this calculation is based on hypothetical figures, as we don't have specific data for actual price changes among everyday breakfast items.
- In the context of personal-finance and budgeting, comparing prices of breakfast items like sausage, bread, coffee, cheese, tea from 2006 to 2025 reveals a significant increase, surpassing the rate of inflation in several cases.
- To better understand the rate of price increase for these goods, one can use the formula for calculating the rate of increase, which involves subtracting the old price from the new price, dividing the result by the old price, and then multiplying the result by 100%.
