Prices go up for heating, electricity and food - "The costs eat us up"

Food, energy and housing: the price spiral seems to be turning incessantly.

Where is this supposed to end?

An overview.

Munich - The prices for heating oil, food, electricity & Co. are exploding - but the big increase in income has not yet materialized.

Consumer advocates and unions are therefore sounding the alarm, calling for price brakes on energy costs and “clearly noticeable” wage increases.

Are we really earning too little?

Food:

In August, the prices for agricultural food were 13.3 percent above the prices of the same month last year, as the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced on Thursday.

Plant products in particular were significantly more expensive with a plus of 23.4 percent - mainly due to higher prices for grain.

The price increase of 34.4 percent was the highest since January 2013. Vegetables were 8.5 percent more expensive than in the previous year, and the price increase for lettuce was particularly strong at 61.7 percent.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the reason is the currently low supply on the market.

Beer, bratwurst and bread rolls are also not immune to the inflation rate.

Inflation in the energy sector - heating oil rose 87 percent compared to the previous year

Energy:

Above all, a high energy demand after the lockdown and high demand from Asia have an impact on prices. According to the comparison portal Verivox, heating oil is 87 percent more expensive than last year! In the case of natural gas, it is “only” around 28 percent. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations warns that a further ten percent increase is possible over the course of the year. The German tenants' association and consumer advocates warn: This year, heating costs would rise by 13 percent, or an average of 90 euros. Electricity is also expensive because of the high raw material prices: Customers had to lay down 4.7 percent more in 2021 than in 2020, according to the Federal Statistical Office. According to the authority, consumer prices rose by 4.1 percent in September compared to the same month last year.

Rising prices in Munich: wages have risen faster than prices

Rents:

Rents are the long-term hammer prices.

Between 2009 and 2020, those in Munich rose by 61 percent.

According to an Immowelt study, this is due to the high demand for living space and not to speculators.

Against this, however, is the fact that the risk of a real estate bubble in cities like Munich or Frankfurt is still high.

The long-term development gives at least one small cause for hope: Since 2011 prices have risen by 14.3 percent - but wages by 23.5 percent.

How do citizens in Munich perceive the expensive cost of living?

We asked around:

Münchner on price development - "Almost impossible to live in the city"

Christian P. (26), PhD student:

Yes, Munich is expensive.

But you also have to see it in an international comparison.

Even so, prices for life are slowly reaching a limit.

My wages are pretty much in line with the German average.

I'm happy with that, but it's difficult to afford a lot.

You get less and less for your income.

Sabine M. (40), project assistant:

The cost of living in Munich is too expensive.

That is no longer in relation to the earnings.

I've lived here for 18 years and everything has actually increased.

Above all, of course, the rent, which eats up almost half of our income.

At the same time, salaries have not adjusted enough.

Despite everything, the city is still worth it, you pay more for Munich.

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Salaries at a glance: average earnings in various industries.

© Source: Salary.de

Gregor Grutscha (41), construction worker:

Munich is my home, I've lived here for a long time.

I currently live in Erding.

It has become almost impossible to live in the city.

Everything is getting more and more expensive, rent, heating costs, fuel and so on.

Outside of Munich, too, it is no longer cheap.

If I lived alone, half of my salary would go on rent.

With my wife it's a third.

Fuel is also becoming more and more expensive.

Diesel and Super E10 hit nine-year highs.

And that is probably not the end either.