How Much Have Oktoberfest Prices Gone Up?

Key Takeaways

• Most Oktoberfest dishes rose faster in price than a Maß of beer from 2018 to 2025 because the food itself got more expensive. In 2022, food prices in Germany rose 13.4%, while prices in general rose 6.9%.
• The yearly rise in the Maß price at Oktoberfest fell from 6.5% in 2023 to 1.8% in 2026. Price rises across Germany also slowed from 2023 to 2025.
• All 23 Oktoberfest tent items rose faster than German consumer prices, which rose 24.3% from 2018 to 2025. Tent owners set these prices, and they say higher costs for staff, energy, and building the tents pushed them up.

Rising Food and Drink Prices in Oktoberfest Tents

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Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

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Learn something new about Germany every week and make informed decisions with confidence.

Most Oktoberfest Dishes Rose Faster in Price Than the Maß of Beer

Oktoberfest prices rose for every food and drink item sold in the festival tents between 2018 and 2025. However, 17 of the 20 dishes on the Oktoberfest tent price list rose faster in price than the Maß.

The half roast chicken (Brathendl) rose 58.8%. It cost €11.67 in 2018 and €18.53 in 2025.

By comparison, the price of a Maß rose 35.7%, from €11.30 to €15.33. A Maß is the one-litre beer mug served in every Oktoberfest tent.

Two factors help explain why food prices rose faster than drink prices:

• Ingredients for Oktoberfest dishes got more expensive. After the war in Ukraine began, food prices in Germany rose 13.4% in 2022, while prices in general rose 6.9%.
• Drink prices, including the Maß, get a yearly review by the city of Munich. The city does not set or cap these prices. It only checks that they are reasonable compared with prices at large restaurants in Munich.

Every Oktoberfest Tent Price Rose Faster Than German Consumer Prices

Consumer prices track what households pay for a typical basket of everyday goods and services. In Germany, consumer prices rose 24.3% from 2018 to 2025.

All 23 items on the Oktoberfest tent price list rose faster than German consumer prices. Water had the smallest price rise on the list, but it still rose 25.9%.

Oktoberfest beer prices have risen faster than consumer prices for decades. The average Maß cost €3.20 in 1985 and €15.33 in 2025.

Germany-wide consumer price data starts in 1991. Since then, consumer prices rose 97%, while the average Maß rose 264%.

Tent owners and breweries set Oktoberfest prices. The tent owners say their own costs rose sharply:

• Staff costs, up 15% between the 2019 and 2022 festivals
• Energy, which cost 29.7% more across Germany in 2022
• Building and taking down the tents for a two-week festival

In recent years, however, the Maß price has risen more slowly. The yearly rise in the average Maß price has slowed each year since 2023:

• 2023: +6.5%
• 2024: +4.0%
• 2025: +2.9%
• 2026: +1.8%, to €15.61 at the 2026 festival

The yearly rise in German consumer prices also slowed. It fell from 5.9% in 2023 to 2.2% in 2024, then held steady in 2025.

An Oktoberfest visit costs much more today than it did in 1985. Price rises are slowing now, but Oktoberfest prices have still risen faster than consumer prices in Germany. When you plan your Oktoberfest budget, count the food as well as the beer.