Andalucía saw decline in eating out in 2025 due to higher housing and car expenses

Andalusian households spent an average of 30,826.97 euros in 2025, 2.26% more than in 2024. This reveals that households in Andalucía have less spending power than those in other regions.

In fact, only one region, Extremadura, had a lower figure (28,938.63 euros, on average). Furthermore, the Spanish average last year stood at 35,100.71 euros, after rising 3.10% year-on-year (also a larger increase than in Andalucía).

This data comes from the household budget survey the national institute of statistics published on Thursday. It reveals not only how much households spend, but also what they spend it on.

In Andalucía, the increased cost of housing and utilities, as well as other goods and services such as car repairs, has led to budget cuts in eating and drinking out.

Among the most significant household expenses in Andalucía, the one that increased the most was rent: 8.8% to 6,854.40 euros. The average amount housholds in the region allocate to housing and utilities increased by 8.5%, reaching 9,775.17 euros.

This is because, among other things, households had to set aside just over 1,000 euros of their budget for electricity, gas and other fuels, 10% more than in 2024. Meanwhile, water costs rose by just over 2.5%, approaching 800 euros.

Overall, only households in Extremadura spend less than those in Andalucía. However, when it comes to housing costs as a share of household spending, Andalucía ranks behind three regions: Extremadura, Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha.

In other words, housing accounts for a relatively large share of Andalusian household budgets. On average, households in Andalucía spent 31.71% of their total budget on housing-related costs last year, although this remained below the national average of 33.23% (11,664.65 euros).

Car-related expenses also saw a substantial increase in Andalucía last year: 6.3% to 2,238.31 euros. This was not due to higher fuel prices, as Andalusian households spent 3.75% less on fuel than in 2024, down to 1,271 euros.

The culprit was car maintenance and repairs, which increased by nearly 25% year-on-year in 2025, reaching 690 euros. This is possibly a sign of the aging of Andalucía's vehicle fleet, which therefore requires more frequent visits to the garage.

However, overall transportation costs for Andalusian households remained unchanged year-on-year at 3,584.24 euros.

After housing, the most significant component of household budgets is groceries. Here, Andalusian households found some relief, as food inflation provided a respite after the sharp increases of previous years.

It's also possible that households opted to mitigate the impact of rising prices by choosing less expensive products, although the budget for meat increased by 2.7%, to an average of 1,225 euros per household, making it the largest expense.

Households in the region spent an average of 5,432.36 euros on food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2025, 1.5% more than the previous year. In contrast, across Spain as a whole, this expenditure rose by approximately 4.5% year-on-year, to 5,626.32 euros.

Meanwhile, Andalusian households' spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco remained stable at 473 euros, slightly above the Spanish average (431).

Spending on recreational, sporting and cultural activities rose considerably, exceeding 1,400 euros, an increase of over 9% compared to the previous year. The Spanish average per household was 1,771 euros.

Average household spending on healthcare reached 1,242 euros (compared to 1,413 euros in Spain), representing a 2.24% year-on-year increase. Spending on personal care and social protection rose even more sharply (11% year-on-year, to 1,150 euros).

According to the data, households cut back on restaurants and accommodation services the most. Andalusian households spent 2,991.19 euros in 2025, 7.3% less than in 2024, when the figure exceeded 3,200 euros.

Andalusians fell further behind the Spanish average they were approaching in 2024, which last year stood at nearly 3,300 euros, after a year-on-year decrease of 2.73%.

Average spending in bars, restaurants and cafés fell by nearly 9% in Andalucía last year, to 2,636 euros, while spending on accommodation services increased by 9.4%, to just over 300 euros, on average, per household.

Exactly 12 months ago, restaurants in Malaga province were complaining that the average bill was decreasing because customers were spending less than in previous years, opting for cheaper dishes and portions to share.

Andalusian households spent an average of 1,242.64 euros on clothing and footwear last year, 1% less than in 2024. However, it's important to distinguish between different categories, because while the budget for clothing rose by more than 3% year-on-year to 954.33 euros, spending on footwear fell by more than 13% to 270 euros.

Spending on furniture and household goods also decreased (1,139 euros, down 3.51%), as it did on education services (335 euros, down 13%, compared to the Spanish average of 570).

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