Latest news with #OrganisationofConsumersandUsers
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Man orders iced coffee in Spain and the bill leaves him gobsmacked
Coffee is the second most popular beverage around the world, and at this time of year many of us enjoy it iced. However, some people have noticed they are being charged extra There is nothing like a good cup of coffee whether you need a boost of energy, are catching up with friends, or enjoy a cup for comfort. After water, it's the second most consumed drink in the world, and according to some scientific studies, moderate consumption could have beneficial effects on our health. And now, especially in summer, many people like to have theirs iced. Iced coffee is one of the favourite drinks of millions of Spaniards in summer. In recent months, however, there's been some controversy as some places appear to have started charging extra for ice. Iced coffees do sometimes come at a different cost to traditional coffee, but one man wasn't pleased about being charged extra for ice. The Threads user @juan_sjs indignantly posted a photo of a coffee shop (Cafe Mepiachi) receipt in Gijon, Asturias, And after seeing it, he was gobsmacked at realising there was a supplement of 80 cents for ice. The annoyed customer said: "Can someone explain to me if I need to get used to paying for ice separately from the coffee? The nearly 8 euros for 3 coffees is beside the point." On the bill, he was charged €5.30 for two Cafe con Leche, €2.45 for one normal coffee, and €0.80 for ice supplement. "Why should they give you the ice for free?" asked one user. Many have since defended the coffee shop, while just as many have sided with the customer. One other wrote: "You can say what you like, but I don't see anything wrong with it; coffee and ice are two different items, the owner of the establishment has to buy both, so both are charged for. "It's another matter if they give you ice as a courtesy when you order a soft drink that's usually served cold, for example, but if you're specifically asking for ice with a hot product then I understand them charging for it." Another said: "They should just put on the menu: iced coffee costs this much and that would end the dilemma." According to the menu on the website, there is a 25 cent supplement for ice, and a 20 cent supplement for milk. One other shared their fury and added: "I think it's outrageous to charge 40 cents for ice. Madness. I wouldn't go back. The other day, my mother was charged an extra 50 cents for asking for a bit of hot water to dilute her coffee because it was too strong. I was gobsmacked." Another critic said: "20 cents per glass with ice, which can be 1, 2, 3 or whatever the client asks for. If it has melted and the client wants more, you don't charge him. "You pay 20 euros for a hamburger, 12 euros for a drink, but you don't want to pay 20 cents for a service that I'm giving you extra?". Is it legal for bars to charge you for ice, water or cutlery? The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) clarified whether it was legal for bars and cafés to charge extra for things like ice, water or cutlery in Spain. The organisation has posted an article explaining some of the most common practices that are not allowed. One practice that is illegal is not having a physical menu or visible price list. But what about things like ice or milk for your coffee? In all these cases, it is illegal as long as it does not appear explicitly on the price list. For example, the menu should indicate the cost of a drink with or without ice if they intend to charge extra for it. In this case, Cafe Mepiachi explicitly says on its website and menu that it charges extra for ice. Cafe Mepiachi has been approached for comment.
Local Spain
16-04-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
How much should my monthly food bill in Spain be?
If you're planning on moving to Spain it's important to know how much to budget for your weekly shop, so you can have an idea of how much you have left for everything else. Or perhaps you've recently moved here and you're finding your shopping bills are high because you're buying lots of imported products and trying to eat and cook the same as you did back home. That's fine if that's the way you want to eat and you can afford it, but if you're trying to reduce your monthly food bill, it might be helpful to find out what the average Spaniard spends on their grocery shop. In Spain, the average monthly household food expenditure in 2024 was €421, according to data from Financial Food. This expenditure represents 25 percent of the total Spanish budget, a study by Barómetro Food 2024 has shown. In Spain, the average household consists of 2.5 people, so this price would be equivalent to what you should be spending per month for for two adults and one child. If you have more children, they are grown up, or you live on your own your costs would likely rise or fall accordingly. The study found that nearly four out of ten Spaniards spend between 21 and 30 percent of their monthly budget on food, while 29 percent spend between 11 and 20 percent; 17 percent spend between 31 and 40 percent; and 9 percent spend up to 40 percent on food. The cost of food in Spain has also been getting more expensive – a total of 3.7 percent more in 2024 compared to 2023, bringing annual expenditure on food shopping to €5,057. It's thought that prices will continue to fluctuate this year, but at generally moderate levels than seen in the past few years. According to Spain's Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), the price of the weekly shopping basket rose 0.55 percent in March compared with June 2024, and eggs rose 24 percent. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the few foods that has come down in price – a drop of 6.23 percent. In real terms this means that a box of six eggs currently costs an average of €2.65 and one lite of olive oil is €7.05. Other current prices include €1.73 for sliced bread, €4.84 for 100g of coffee, €2.21 for a kilo of tomatoes and €9.93 for one kilo of minced meat. Obviously the cost of your weekly or monthly shop will also depend on your preferences – do you eat meat every day? Do you eat seafood regularly? Do you buy frozen pizzas and other ready meals or do you cook from scratch? All of these can of course affect how much you pay. It's worth keeping in mind that readymade meals are not that popular in Spain and most people buy raw ingredients. Spain's National Statistics Institute showed that in 2023 (the most recent data available) meat accounted for 3.6 percent of total expenditure of the weekly shop; bread and cereals were 2.2 percent; milk, cheese, and eggs were 2.1 percent; legumes, vegetables, and potatoes were 1.8 percent; fish was also 1.8 percent; and fruit was 1.6 percent. Of course the prices also depend on where you shop and where you live as some supermarkets and even some regions are more expensive than others. Recently, YouTubers Days We Spend – a couple living in Galicia did a video on how much they spent on a weekly shop for two people in Gadis vs. Mercadona. In Mercadona they spent €86.23, while in Gadis they spent €48.22 for similar items. This shows that shopping around can really help you reduce your food bill, but of course more local or regional supermarkets may not have the same range and choice as Mercadona, which you can find across the country.
