Romania is one of the countries with the lowest prices in food and non-alcoholic drinks in comparison with the EU average. Lower prices are recorded in Macedonia and in Poland, according to a Eurostat statistic looking into 2009. In Romania, tobacco is priced 50% less than the European average.

The price for food and non-alcoholic drinks are 34% lower in Romania than the European average, while in Macedonia, they are 48% lower, in Poland - 36% and in Bulgaria - 32%. The lowest prices are recorded in meat (-42% than the European average). Bread and cereals are 39% cheaper.

Milk, cheese and eggs are very close to the European Union's average price: only 7% lower.

Tobacco is also cheaper in Romania: 52% less than the European average. But in Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania and Bulgaria, the prices are cheaper than in Romania.

In regards to alcoholic drinks, they sell for 30% less.

At the other pole, the highest prices for food (in contrast with the European average) are recorded in Norway, Switzerland and Denmark.

According to Eurostat, Romania and Bulgaria are the EU members with the lowest gross GDP per capita. Bulgaria ranks last, with a GDP of 41% of the EU average, while Romania ranks just before Bulgaria, with 45% gross GDP per capita in comparison with the EU average.