In 2009, the price level of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was more than twice as high in the most expensive EU27 member state than in the cheapest one, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, said on Monday in a report which also covers Croatia.

Denmark had the highest prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages in EU27, nearly 40% above average, whereas price levels in Croatia were 94% of the EU average.

Price levels in Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Germany and France ranged from 10 to 30% of the EU average, while Italy, Cyprus, Sweden and Greece had price levels up to 10% above average.

Price levels in the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, Slovenia, Malta and Portugal were up to 10% below the European average. Croatia is part of this group, with price levels at 94% of the EU average.

In Latvia, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, price levels for food and non-alcoholic beverages were 10-30% below the EU average, while in Bulgaria, Romania and Poland they ranged 30-40% below the EU average.

Broken down by category, price levels for bread and cereal were 52% of the EU average in Bulgaria, 58% in Poland, 146% in Denmark, and 132% in Ireland. In Croatia they were nearly within the European average.

Meat prices were 56% of the average in Poland, 58% in Romania, 131% in Denmark and 128% in Austria. In Croatia they were 87% of the average.

Milk, cheese and eggs prices ranged from 63% of the European average in Poland to 137% in Ireland and Cyprus, while in Croatia they were 96% of the average.

Price levels for alcoholic beverages ranged from 170% of the EU average in Finland, 167% in Ireland, 138% in Sweden and 135% in Denmark, to 70% in Romania, 77% in Bulgaria, and 84% in Spain and Hungary. In Croatia they were 10% above the EU average, close to price levels in Italy and Switzerland - 13% above the average.

Tobacco prices ranged from 217% of the EU27 average in Denmark, 166% in Great Britain, 133% in France and 130% in Sweden, to 46% in Bulgaria, 47% in Romania, and 51% in Lithuania and Hungary. In Croatia they were 67% of the EU27 average.

Eurostat compared the prices of some 500 food, beverage and tobacco products in 37 countries.