Bars are speculating on water, selling it at the same or more expensive than coffee, the increase is 30%

2026-02-02 07:15:00, Ekonomi CNA

Bars are speculating on water, selling it at the same or more expensive than

The prices of basic bar products, coffee and water, have been rising rapidly recently, by 20-30% each. A 0.5 liter bottle of water is now on par with coffee or in some cases even more expensive.

Market data shows that a bottle of water in large coffee chains in the capital has gone up to 120 lek from around 70-90 lek until a month ago.

Meanwhile, in ordinary bars in Tirana, a 0.5 liter package costs no less than 90 lek, up from 70 lek at the end of 2025. The increase in the price of coffee and water has further increased the bill for both together from 170 lek to an average of 220-240 lek.

Enri Jahaj from the Association of Bars and Restaurants said that it is neither logical nor ethical to increase the price of water, especially in some cases by more than coffee.

"We are going through the same logic that Greece went through when they started abusing the price of water and the government there set a ceiling price of more than 0.5 cents," he said.

Greece is a unique case in Europe where it passed a law that set a ceiling price for plain packaged water (usually 500 ml), around 0.50 euros VAT, mandatory for bars and restaurants.

The law obliges Greek bars to list the price of water on the menu, with the reasoning that water is treated as a basic living product, even when sold in a service environment.

In France, the law requires restaurants to offer free tap water to customers. This creates indirect pressure on the price of bottled water, but the restaurant is free to set whatever price it wants for bottled water.

The profit margin for a 0.5 liter bottle of water from the market or bulk suppliers is high. From 35-40 lek in the market, water now costs no less than 100 lek on a floor.

Water production companies in the country claimed that they have not changed the wholesale supply price of the 0.5 liter bottle, transferring the reasons for the price increase entirely to bars and restaurants.

As the bar administrators themselves explain, the water was applied to mask the price of coffee, which has increased significantly in international markets and, on the other hand, demand for consumption in the country is increasing increasingly from tourists.

To keep the price of coffee under control, the price of water is being raised beyond logic and ethics. Some bars, for example, carry small glass containers that often cost more than coffee, forcing consumers to make a forced choice.

Mr. Jahja called for an intervention similar to Greece, where water is often provided for free or at a very low price compared to a cup of coffee that costs 2.5-4 euros. However, in Albania, tap water is not drinkable, despite numerous investments, making government intervention difficult.

In Albania, consumers are facing a heavy burden of bottled water prices, as the water that comes from the tap, at least in Tirana and the main cities, is not consumable. Packages of 1.5 liters or more are currently sold in markets at prices even higher than in Europe./ Monitor