Electricity and natural gas prices for households in 2025 have diverged significantly across Europe. New data from Eurostat shows that bills in some countries are several times higher than in others. The differences arise from the energy mix, regulations, and subsidy policies, as well as differences in the purchasing power of the population.
Electricity is most expensive in Germany
In the first half of 2025, electricity prices for households ranged from €6.2 per 100 kWh in Turkey to €38.4 in Germany. The average for 38 European countries, including EU member states, candidates, and EFTA countries, was €28.7 per 100 kWh.
Western Europe had the highest nominal prices. Alongside Germany, Belgium (€35.7) and Denmark (€34.9) were also at the top, with prices exceeding €30 per 100 kWh in Italy, Ireland, and the Czech Republic.
On the other hand, most Eastern European countries and candidate countries recorded significantly lower bills.
Electricity costs less than €10 per 100 kWh in Turkey, Georgia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Among EU members, Hungary had the lowest electricity price for households at €10.4 per 100 kWh, while in Croatia, the price was around €15 per 100 kWh.
Experts from the consulting firm VaasaETT explain that differences in nominal prices reflect a range of specific factors. From the production structure (the share of gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy), procurement strategies, and supplier pricing to various subsidy models and tariff system designs.
Purchasing power changes the picture
When prices are adjusted for purchasing power standards (PPS), which take into account local incomes and living costs, the differences among countries become smaller, as ‘one euro does not have the same weight in every economy’. For example, a thousand euros can cover one month of rent in Germany, and two or three in Bulgaria. Therefore, although nominal wages in wealthier countries are higher, the adjustment for purchasing power narrows the gap.
When viewed through PPS, total electricity and gas prices range from 12.8 PPS in Iceland to 39.2 PPS in the Czech Republic, followed by Poland (35 PPS) and both Italy and Germany, both above 34 PPS. At the lower end of the scale are Malta (13.7 PPS), Turkey (14 PPS), and Hungary (15 PPS). The Nordic countries, particularly Norway (16 PPS) and Finland (18.7 PPS), have relatively favorable prices when adjusted for purchasing power, while Sweden is also below the EU average of 28.6 PPS.
Price increases
Electricity prices in many countries remained relatively stable, with changes of less than 10 percent between the first half of 2024 and 2025. However, in some countries, there were sharp increases, with Moldova and Turkey recording increases of over 50 percent on their bills.
