Today, lecsó is not the same as it used to be – the classic Hungarian dish has become brutally expensive

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 27. 09:44

In four years, the price of the classic Hungarian lecsó has increased by almost one and a half times: in 2021, a portion for four people cost barely 2,700 forints, today they can be asked for 4,700 forints – if it is made with eggs and bread. According to a recent calculation by Pénzcentrum, the increase in the price of one of the most popular summer dishes has even exceeded the increase in net wages: “measured in lecsó”, the standard of living has deteriorated – the Pénzcentrum article points out.

Will lecsó be a luxury in 2025?

Peppers, tomatoes, onions, bacon – and if it is really filling, then eggs and bread are also served with it. This is the recipe that many Hungarian households know well, and that has been taken out again and again in the summer for generations. Lecsó was for a long time synonymous with modest, cheap home cooking. Today it is no longer so.

Based on the official average prices of the Central Statistical Office (KSH), the Money Center has compiled how the cost of lecsó changed between May 2021 and 2025. The results are thought-provoking: the cheapest basic version, without eggs and bread, has increased in price by 58% in four years, while the price of the egg-and-bread “turbo lecsó” has jumped by 74%. The latter cost 2,700 forints in 2021, but now we have to pay nearly 4,700 forints for the same dish.

Inflation, crisis, price increases – you can feel it on your plate

The main reason for the increase in the price of lecsó is the increase in the price of raw materials – especially peppers, tomatoes, eggs and bread. The biggest jump occurred between 2022 and 2023, when the explosion in egg prices and the increase in the price of bread made their impact particularly felt. The year 2023 was the peak of inflation, then in 2024 there was a slight price decrease, which was replaced by a moderate increase again by May 2025.

Even though the average net salary increased – by 66.7% in four years –, lecsó became even more expensive. So if we measure purchasing power through the price of food, in 2025 we will be able to buy less lecsó from our salary than in 2021. So the classic home-cooked meal has truly become a “luxury food” – at least in light of the prices of recent years.