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How fast are café and restaurant prices rising in Ireland? CSO figures to September 2026
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) puts the price of "Restaurants, cafe and the like" in Ireland up 3.5% in the year to September 2026, against 4.1% for all items in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Since December 2023 the CSO index for restaurants and cafés has risen from 100 to 111.0, and the all-items index from 100 to 107.6. That is 11.0% against 7.6% by our arithmetic. August and September 2026 are the first months since April 2023 in which the restaurant and café rate was below the all-items rate. The CSO table gives no reasons for any of the movements, so this page gives none.
How much have café and restaurant prices gone up in Ireland?
The CSO says restaurant and café prices were 3.5% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025. The CSO series is "Restaurants, cafe and the like" (code CP1111), the CPI measure for eating and drinking out.
The CSO also publishes the index, with December 2023 set at 100. The restaurants and cafés index stood at 111.0 in September 2026, and the all-items index at 107.6. An index point above 100 is a percentage change from the base, so prices for eating out are up 11.0% since December 2023 and all prices up 7.6%. Those two percentages are ours, worked out from the CSO index.
Are restaurant prices rising faster than inflation in Ireland?
Not in the latest two months. The CSO annual rate for restaurants and cafés was 3.5% in August 2026 against 3.7% for all items, and 3.5% against 4.1% in September 2026.
In July 2026 it was 3.5% against 3.4%. Reading the CSO table month by month, from May 2023 to July 2026 the restaurant and café rate was at or above the all-items rate every month. In the span I pulled, January 2023 to September 2026, the only months below were January to April 2023 and August and September 2026. That comparison is mine, not the CSO's.
When did restaurant price inflation peak in Ireland?
In the span I pulled, January 2023 to September 2026, the CSO annual rate for restaurants and cafés peaked at 8.4% in February 2023. The lowest in the same span is 3.4%, in June 2025 and again in January 2026.
The all-items rate peaked in the span at 8.6% in February 2023, and its lowest is 0.7%, in September and October 2024. The table below has every month.
How do the last three years of café and restaurant prices compare with all prices?
Eating out rose faster. From September 2023 to September 2026 the CSO restaurants and cafés index went from 98.7 to 111.0, up 12.5%. The all-items index went from 100.0 to 107.6, up 7.6%. Both percentages are ours.
These are price changes, not what a café earns or pays. For the wages side, see our page on hospitality jobs and pay. For the VAT rate on café food and drink, see our page on the VAT rate for cafés.
Where do these numbers come from, and how often are they updated?
They come from CSO table CPM24, Consumer Price Index, a monthly series with the base December 2023 = 100. It was last updated on 8 October 2026 and runs to September 2026. The CSO announces the next release.
I read it on 17 October 2026 and pulled the index and the 12-month change for the two series, restaurants and cafés and all items, for all 45 months from January 2023 to September 2026. You can download them as a CSV. If you cite it: Cupán Studio, from CSO table CPM24, read 17 October 2026.
| Month | Restaurants and cafés, annual change | All items, annual change |
|---|---|---|
| January 2023 | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| February 2023 | 8.4% | 8.6% |
| March 2023 | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| April 2023 | 7.1% | 7.2% |
| May 2023 | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| June 2023 | 6.5% | 6.1% |
| July 2023 | 6.3% | 5.9% |
| August 2023 | 6.4% | 6.4% |
| September 2023 | 7.3% | 6.4% |
| October 2023 | 7.4% | 5% |
| November 2023 | 7.1% | 3.9% |
| December 2023 | 6.5% | 4.6% |
| January 2024 | 6.7% | 4.1% |
| February 2024 | 6% | 3.4% |
| March 2024 | 5.7% | 2.9% |
| April 2024 | 5.3% | 2.6% |
| May 2024 | 5.7% | 2.6% |
| June 2024 | 5.8% | 2.2% |
| July 2024 | 5.9% | 2.2% |
| August 2024 | 5.8% | 1.7% |
| September 2024 | 4.9% | 0.7% |
| October 2024 | 4.5% | 0.7% |
| November 2024 | 4.3% | 1% |
| December 2024 | 4.2% | 1.4% |
| January 2025 | 4.2% | 1.9% |
| February 2025 | 3.8% | 1.8% |
| March 2025 | 3.9% | 2% |
| April 2025 | 4% | 2.2% |
| May 2025 | 3.5% | 1.7% |
| June 2025 | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| July 2025 | 3.6% | 1.7% |
| August 2025 | 3.5% | 2% |
| September 2025 | 3.6% | 2.7% |
| October 2025 | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| November 2025 | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| December 2025 | 3.6% | 2.8% |
| January 2026 | 3.4% | 2.7% |
| February 2026 | 3.6% | 2.7% |
| March 2026 | 3.8% | 3.6% |
| April 2026 | 3.9% | 3.7% |
| May 2026 | 4% | 3.6% |
| June 2026 | 4% | 3.4% |
| July 2026 | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| August 2026 | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| September 2026 | 3.5% | 4.1% |
Sources
- Central Statistics Office, CPM24 Consumer Price Index, updated 8 October 2026, read 17 October 2026.
Figures from CSO table CPM24, read 17 October 2026; some percentages are ours. A summary of published statistics, not financial advice. Cupán Studio builds websites for cafés in Ireland.
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