Today, we are comparing the price of chicken breast in Denmark, Bulgaria, and Ireland. All prices are calculated per kilogram, with no discounts applied. To ensure accuracy, the prices were obtained from one of the largest online grocery stores in each country: Nemlig.com in Denmark, eBag.bg in Bulgaria, and Tesco Ireland in Ireland.

In Denmark, chicken breast costs 83.28 Danish Krone per kilogram, which is equivalent to €11.17. Nemlig.com, a leading online grocery store in the country, provides high-quality chicken, reflecting Denmark’s relatively high cost of living and strict food standards:

In Bulgaria, chicken breast is significantly more affordable, priced at 13.99 Bulgarian Lev per kilogram, or approximately €7.15. This price was sourced from eBag.bg, a popular online grocery platform. The lower price aligns with Bulgaria’s generally lower cost of living and food production costs:

Ireland offers chicken breast at a mid-range price of €10.99 per kilogram, sourced from Tesco Ireland, one of the country’s largest grocery retailers. This reflects Ireland’s moderate living costs compared to Denmark and its reliance on imports for certain food products:

Income and Affordability Comparison

To put the chicken breast prices into perspective relative to wages, let’s consider the average net monthly salaries in these countries in Q2 2024:

• Denmark: €3,100 after tax.
• Bulgaria: €870 after tax.
• Ireland: €2,685 after tax.

If we calculate the quantity of chicken breast one could purchase with the average monthly net salary:

• Denmark: 277 kg (€3,100 ÷ €11.17 per kg).
• Bulgaria: 121 kg (€870 ÷ €7.15 per kg).
• Ireland: 244 kg (€2,685 ÷ €10.99 per kg).

Insights

While Denmark has the highest price for chicken breast among the three, it also has the highest purchasing power, allowing residents to afford more chicken relative to their wages. In contrast, Bulgaria has the lowest price but also the lowest purchasing power, resulting in a smaller amount of chicken that can be bought with an average salary. Ireland’s position is intermediate, with a moderate price and purchasing power.