Survey reveals what restaurant budget is across different groups

What are you willing to spend at a restaurant? Well, a relative majority say €30 but it also depends on age, a MaltaToday survey shows. 

The overall results show that 31.1% say their restaurant budget is €30, followed by 18.7% who indicate they are willing to spend €50. 

But the numbers are also indicative of how spending power changes over a person’s lifetime. 

A breakdown of results by age group shows that among the young, a significant relative majority of 44.4% are willing to spend €30. This trend is also reflected among pensioners, where a relative majority of 35.3% indicate €30 as their restaurant budget. 

While the former age group are in the process of climbing the job ladder and very likely taking on new family commitments, the latter are living on reduced income in the form of a pension. 

The second highest spending bracket among the young is €40 with 19.1%, while the second highest for pensioners is €50 with 15.7%. 

The prevalence of higher spending power is evident among those aged between 36 and 50, where a relative majority of 29.5% are willing to spend €70 when dining out. The second highest spending bracket within this cohort is €30 with 21.7%. 

Spending power wanes slightly in the next age cohort (51-65), where a relative majority of 23.6% are willing to spend €50 at a restaurant, followed by 22.8% who are willing to spend €30. 

But not everyone goes out to dine. The survey shows that 11.8% never go to a restaurant with pensioners the most likely to shun this form of activity. In fact, 27.8% of those aged 65 and over say they do not eat out, which contrasts with the 1.5% of young people and 2.5% of those aged between 36 and 50, who likewise shun restaurants.