How much does the cafeteria actually cost this year?

That's true it's gone up quite a bit, but it really depends on the school and the region doesn't it? Which cafeteria are you talking about exactly, your kids' one or are you just looking for a general idea? Because I've got mates with kids and honestly the prices vary wildly depending on where you are.

I can't tell you the exact price for your area because it really varies everywhere. Where I am, school lunch costs like 5 euros per meal for kids, but I have farmer friends who tell me it's 7-8 euros where they are. It's crazy how much it changes from one place to another, even between two towns not far from each other. This year in 2026, prices have gone up a bit more because of inflation, that's for sure. Local councils try to manage it as best they can, but nobody's really happy about it.

What bugs me about school lunch is that they give you the official price and then you see there's filing fees, activity surcharges, stuff like that which adds up. My daughter has a friend whose parents pay almost double when you add everything up. Honestly, I'd advise you to check directly with the school itself, because only they can tell you exactly what you're gonna pay. They have pricing scales based on income too, so it's worth asking if there are any subsidies available.

Pricing is really case by case, but honestly I think the people talking about 5 euros are being pretty optimistic or they're in a cheap area. Where I work at the hospital, colleagues with kids easily pay double or more, especially if it's in the Paris region or a big city. What gets me is there's zero transparency on how they calculate it - feels like every town hall just does whatever they want without really justifying the price hikes.