” Ah, the euro is ruining us, huh? No, but have you seen the price of things? It multiplied by ten thousand! » You must have heard or pronounced this sentence, realizing that all the same in 2001 the prices in francs were lower than today in euros. Except it’s a bit short. Contrary to this widely held belief, prices have not changed that much since the entry into force of the euro. The decade preceding the arrival of the euro, for example, was much more unstable in terms of price inflation. The changeover to the euro would in fact only be responsible for 0.3% of inflation. So basically, for the same shopping list we paid 100 € in 2001, and 102 € the following year, and of this 2 € increase, only 30 cents are charged to the euro. Especially since purchasing power has increased, so barring exceptions, a coffee doesn’t cost much more today given the salary we have than it did ten years ago. There are still things for less than a euro that you can buy. Hooray, actually we don’t get swollen any more than before but there are still some things that have increased a lot.
1. The stamp: aie aie aie
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If the food question, the prices have not really changed, there are others who are gorging themselves. For example, the price of stamps has doubled over this 15-year period. We went from 46 to 86 cents. AND AGAIN, the tariff increased by an average of 4.7% on January 1, 2022. Fortunately, we no longer have any reason to use stamps because apart from our grandparents (who as they age , are becoming rare), letters are no longer written. After a while it’s normal, it represents too large an investment 1.43 euros for a red stamp, you thought I was Crésus or koua.
2. A pack of cigarettes: on average €3.6 in 2002 and €10.5 in 2022. OUCH
And even 10.5 euros for a package of Malbac (my benchmark in terms of cost of living). Here’s another one who didn’t bother, the cigarette. Admittedly, it is above all linked to a public health policy consisting in discouraging the consumption of cigarettes. All this for the greatest pleasure of the tobacco industry.
3. Book of 10 metro tickets: €7.30 in view
€9.60 on July 1, 2002 and €16.90 today. However, note that the booklet is slowly disappearing from the radar and that the price of ten tickets loaded on your card will cost you 2 euros less so in the end we are getting a good deal (just remember not to buy a card for each trip).
4. A coffee in the dining room: BE CAREFUL, it’s actually fine
A gentle transition from €1.23 to €1.53 (in 2015). This is at least what is shown by an INSEE study on the average change per year in the cost of living (see source at the bottom of the page), so of course it is an indicative price including the whole of France, it goes without saying that a coffee in Paris can quickly cost double. But if we stay on an overall average, the coffee only took 30 cents in sight.
5. A bottle of semi-skimmed milk: 66 to 99 cents
“Dairy products are our friends for life” and good accounts make good friends.
6. A half indoors: it stings
Like coffee, the cost of a half varies infinitely from city to city, street to street. It is therefore once again a global indicator which is nonetheless edifying since the half would have cost no less than 2.15 € in 2002 against 6 € today. Unfortunately, this gap could grow…
7. A kilo of tomatoes: a few cents more IT VAAAAAA
This is an important point because a lot of false information has circulated about the increase in the cost of living because of the euro, taking as a dismaying example the evolution of the price of a kilo of tomatoes, but in reality it is went from 2.7 € to 2.88. Anyway, we technically only have the right to eat tomatoes in July and August if we want to respect the calendar of the seasons a little, so don’t get me bored.
8. 500 g of natural yogurt (no more, no less): rock-solid stability
If we are to believe this graph, the price of yogurt seems to have changed little. For my part, only one question remains: is it moral to tolerate people who lick the lid of yogurt?
9. A bottle of olive oil (1L): it’s going to be tense tomorrow
As the following article explains, olive oil is especially likely to increase soon following a shitty harvest (3500 olives against 5000 last year). So expect the average price (around 6 euros per liter) to take a little hit.
10. One night in a 1-star hotel (but with clean sheets)
Budget hotels have become a scarcer commodity with an average cost of €31 per night in 2001 compared to around €65 in 2022. Times are changing, as IAM would say.
11. A shampoo/cut formula for men
€16 in 2002, €20 in 2015. We don’t have figures on the current price but from experience, some hairdressers have not been shy about adding a small “covid tax” to the bill. As much to tell you that it’s the party.
12. A cinema ticket: more expensive, but also more offers
Excluding subscription cards and reduced rates, a cinema ticket today costs an average of €11. It’s a lot. But if you like cinema, it’s still possible to go see all the films you want for 20 € per month with a subscription card. It’s not much. So in the end, even if the cinema ticket before the euro cost an average of 50 francs (ie 7.6 €), it was not much more profitable since the current offers did not exist. So. Other questions ?
13. A 250g baguette
This is often the reference index for globalizing the increase in the cost of living, and for good reason, a baguette cost 68 cents in 2002 and is closer to 90 cents today. The loose if you eat bread every day. You lose €6.82 in 1 month.
14. An apartment: price doubled in 20 years
No need to refer to the euro, it’s been since the 90s that inflation has doubled or even tripled the price of a Parisian rent. It has nothing to do with the euro but it still hurts the heart.
15. The hourly minimum wage (gross): €6.83 in 2002 and €11.07 in 2022
How’s it going to party the smicards? We don’t bother you too much with all the money you make. Tin but really me it scandalizes me while Bernard Arnault in 2017 he only earned 3 million euros per hour. It was fucking deserved.