The souvlaki, Greece's unofficial national dish and long a symbol of affordable street food, has become a casualty of rising global costs — and Middle East conflict is now threatening to push prices even higher.
By Michalis Kassis
The average price of a wrapped souvlaki, known as a tylichto, currently ranges between 4 and 4.50 euros nationwide, with prices in central Athens and Piraeus topping 5 euros.
Industry insiders warn of further increases after Easter if the Middle East conflict continues through May, driving up fuel and supply chain costs.
The price trajectory tells a stark story.
In 2015, a wrap cost 2.20 euros.
By 2019, it had fallen slightly to around 2 euros. It crossed 3 euros in 2022 and today ranges from 4 to 6 euros depending on location. The individual skewer, once priced at 1 euro in 2019, now costs close to 3 euros.
Crete commands the highest prices, with wraps exceeding 6 euros, while Thessaloniki sits at around 5.50 euros. In tourist destinations such as Santorini and other Aegean islands, a souvlaki wrap can cost more than 6.50 euros.
Athens, Volos and Patras are broadly in line at around 4 euros.
Grill shop owners say meat costs have tripled, rising from roughly 5 euros per kilogram to 15 euros. Rents and energy bills have compounded the pressure, squeezing margins across the sector.
A 2025 survey of average wrap prices found Thessaloniki the most expensive mainland city at 4.90 euros, followed by Volos at 4.05 euros, Athens and Patras at 4 euros, and Larissa at 3.99 euros, with Crete highest overall at 5.30 euros.
What was once Greece's most democratic meal — fast, filling, and within everyone's reach — is fast becoming a modest luxury.