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It's not just about the temperature you set, but how you use it throughout the day. If you keep the air conditioning at 26-27°C all day long, you're still spending a ton, because the system never gets a break. Much more effective is to schedule it: at night you can go down to 24-25°C when you're sleeping (your body needs it cool to sleep well), but during the day when you're out of the house or just less active anyway, keep it at 27-28°C or turn it off completely if you can. The difference in consumption between keeping a fixed temperature for 8 hours and managing it in time slots is pretty significant.
Another thing people underestimate is the differential. It's not so much the absolute temperature that makes the difference in consumption, but how big the "gap" is between inside and outside. If it's 35°C outside and you set it to 22°C inside, the air conditioner has to work like crazy to close that gap. But if you keep it at 28-29°C, the load is much lighter. Obviously you can't live at 35 degrees, but that's why that 26-28°C range is actually a solid compromise: it's comfortable enough without sending your energy consumption through the roof.
In summer, it's all about finding a balance between comfort and energy use. Most experts say 26-27°C is the sweet spot: cool enough to feel comfortable, but not so low that your air conditioning bill goes through the roof. If you're only home during the day, you can even push it to 28°C without it becoming unbearable.
What really makes a difference is not turning on the AC when you don't need it. Ceiling or floor fans use a fraction of what an air conditioner does, especially if temperatures drop in the evening. If you have a reversible unit, use it properly: set it once and let it maintain the temperature instead of constantly turning it off and back on (those power-ups cost more than just keeping it running).
Another simple but effective trick: close your blinds or curtains, especially on south-facing windows, and open them at night when it's cooler outside. If you can keep your apartment from overheating during the day, your AC works less and uses less energy. Even dropping 1-2 degrees below your comfort limit saves you quite a bit on your bill.
It's not so much about finding the "right" temperature as understanding how your behavior makes it work effectively or not. What really matters is using the air conditioner smartly: turn it on only when you need it, maybe during the hottest hours, and take advantage of natural ventilation when the sun sets. At 26-27°C you'll be comfortable without overdoing it, but if you keep it running twenty-four seven obviously your consumption goes up anyway. The most effective solution is still to turn off the system when you're not home or at night, instead of hunting for some magic number on the thermostat.
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