Truffles do not have fixed prices but daily prices. These vary widely and follow the laws of supply and demand. As a rule, demand markedly exceeds supply — and so prices remain consistently high. In peak seasons, the price can halve or double within a few days, depending on weather and harvest volume.
Price ranges 2026
The overview below is a rough orientation — not a guarantee. For concrete prices, ask the trader directly or check at the seasonal truffle markets.
- White Alba (magnatum)
- CHF 3,000 – 6,000/kg
- Black Périgord (melanosporum)
- CHF 1,200 – 2,500/kg
- Burgundy (uncinatum)
- CHF 400 – 900/kg
- Summer (aestivum)
- CHF 200 – 600/kg
What drives prices
Weather
Dry summers depress yields in the following season drastically. A poor Périgord season can push prices up 30 to 50 per cent within weeks.
Freshness
A truffle is most valuable 24 to 72 hours after harvest. Older stock loses aroma and with it market value — not every trader communicates this transparently.
Size
Larger pieces (over 50 g) command 20 to 40 per cent surcharges because they shave more handsomely and look more impressive. Aromatically, a 20-gram truffle is often just as good.
The Alba market phenomenon
During the Fiera del Tartufo in Alba (October–November) prices for white truffles are traditionally higher than elsewhere — a mixture of scarcity, tourists and marketing. Anyone buying outside the fair, directly from hunters, often pays 20 to 30 per cent less.
Rules of thumb
- Fresher is more expensive — and better. Smaller quantities more often, rather than large stockpiles.
- Ask for the daily price. A "list price" is a bad sign in the truffle trade.
- Insist on the botanical name. "White truffle" can mean magnatum, borchii or worse.
- Bargains are suspicious. Anyone offering 50 per cent below market price has something to hide — usually freshness or species authenticity.
Truffles are not wine. They do not age nobly — they lose with every passing day. Buyers buy for the week.
More on concrete sources of supply under Where to buy truffles; on proper storage under Storage.