Americans Explore Supermarket in Switzerland! How expensive are groceries in the Swiss Alps?
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2022
- 23 SWISS FRANC FOR CHICKEN?? This is just one example we show in this video of how groceries in Switzerland come at a high price! Watch as we explore the different food sections at the Migros in Interlaken. Not only do you get an idea of how much food costs, but you get to see some common foods. Here in Switzerland, almost everything comes with a high cost… from food to activities, you typically spend more here than most other countries. After having visited Switzerland for the first time in 2017, we knew things were expensive, but we didn't pay too much attention at the time. Now that we are visiting again, we wanted to do a supermarket tour to see what foods are available & how much they cost. We hope you enjoy!
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Coming from a swiss person, one thing you gotta keep in mind: restaurants, cafe's and small stores that are loctaed in tourist places like Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, etc, are generally more expensive than in less tourity places. Especially those small grocery stores are always more pricey than lager grocery stores like Migros. Also pro tip: Don't buy water if it's not absolutely nessecairy. Almost all fountains in Switzerland have water that you can drink unless it explicitly says it's not. You can fill up your water bottles there and it won't cost you a thing.
Thanks for the tip! We weren’t sure if it’s considered rude to bring water into a restaurant or not? That’s why we ordered water rather than bringing in our water bottle that we had filled up for free.
@@OurStorytoTell it definitely is considered rude to bring your water into the restaurant. You might get away cheaper if you ask for tap water though
No, no! Don't bring your water to a restaurant 😒. But, you can ask for hanewasser, or tap water which might be free, or at least cheaper than bottled. Haben si hanewasser bitte? If you eat at a Migros restaurant and get a warm meal, hand them your tray with with an empty glass on it. Yes do that. You will get you tray back with you meal that you ordered and a free glass of hanewasser.!
Even if it explicitly says don't drink its still pretty clean to drink btw. it ust doesn't meet the Swiss standard which is extremely high. Some old water expert told us that on a tour of the water systems.
The price of water in restaurants is just ridiculous, this is something that after 14 years in Switzerland I do not get. 14 CHF for a litre of water is really a blasphemy!
As a german who immigrated to Switzerland 25 years ago I need to say this: You can't compare prices of products between the countries. The whole systems moneywise are different. People in Switzerland earn more, pay less taxes but also pay more for rent, health insurance and groceries. For example the average income of a nurse in Germany would be 38'000 Euro/annually, in Switzerland it's 70'200 CHF/annually. But this only means we earn more in Switzerland and pay more for our stuff. Farming doesn't get as much subsidies as in Germany, therefore you pay the real price.
Also - regarding the Mexican and Asian section, what you were showing was the "promotion" tables, not the regular stuff. Migros has shelves for Asian and Mexican food with a wider selection.
I wish my salary was 70k.. I'm a nurse in Ticino, I have a cantonal contract and I earn 3.2k net at 80% per month. Working the night shifts I can reach 3.6k per month.. I'm not saying that I'm poor, but it would be nicer..
@@turriR6 Yeah - I assume in the Ticino the numbers are different again. Also, it's an average that I got from a site comparing salaries... I see the same with my salary, depending on where you work you earn more or less.
thanks buddy for this information 🎉🎉
Being Swiss (and lived in Switzerland for 53 yrs), living in Florida now for 7 yrs - unfortunately, the prices here in FL are NOT lower than in Switzerland. Especially fruits and vegetables 😞 (apples per lb (430 g) 2.99-3.99 (that would be around 7 to 8 CHF per kilo, which nobody pays in Switzerland). A small bag of grapes is at least 6 dollars. That's way more expensive than in Switzerland. A big cup of yogurt 900 g is at least 6 dollars here. A pound of apricots (not even good ones) is at least 4 dollars (that would be about 9 CHF for a kilo).
Maybe the prices in Utah are lower, but here in Florida (Orlando) we pay A LOT for groceries.
I lived in Florida 20 years and move to chicago. If you said the price compare with Florida not much different so I can handle that. I really want to visit Switzerland with small budget. Thank you
It‘s funny to see you report on shopping in my local Migros 😅 A thing I noticed is, you bought stuff that is not local or seasonal, which also makes things pricier. Bananas, grapes, Avocados etc. are always more expensive than apples, pears or other seasonal fruit and veg. Also you usually only get grade A stuff which makes it more expensive. You can go cheaper if you eat local, seasonal and make your own (e.g. hummus) fun video though!
Your own local Humus? 🤡
@@scopolamin1 make your own hummus 🤡
Bananas are not seasonal. They are available all year round.
@@scopolamin1 chick peas are grown in switzerland
@@danielaruflin1285 Just like Avocados.
Insightful video! One thing I would add regarding the high prices:
The Swiss spend on average 9.8% of household expenditure for food. This puts Switzerland at the lowest end of this statistic in Europe (e.g. Germany: 10.6%, Italy 14.2%). So food in Switzerland is among the cheapest in Europe relative to salaries. It puts in perspective how expensive food is for someone who also earns a Swiss salary. However, I do see the point for tourists and appreciate you making this video.
Thanks for your comment! Super insightful and interesting to hear how low the percentage is. 👍
It all depends on what you like to eat, so this statement is a sweeping generalisation.
@@tancreddehauteville764 Oh, absolutely. Generalisation is the whole point of "on average" statistics.
That’s a great point
If swiss people wouldn´t drive to neigbouring countrys to shop (i think they even get the taxes back, right) it would probably be more than germanys 10,6% i guess
The rules for living stock farming and importing/selling meat generally are way more strict in Switzerland which shows in the high prices. Meanwhile in German the "meat lobby" is very aggressive hence the very low prices there.
As a swiss I am totally fine with this. Meat should be something special for the weekend not be part of every meal in my opinion.
That's because there's so much cheese there.
Plus, the quality is really good, even if you buy normal meat from the supermarket. And with beef, you know that those animals did have quite a happy life.
That's a missguided first worlder view in my opinion. Meatstandards are fine and all but making meat a one time food for rich people?
Having something cheap is not a bad but a good thing and i doubt the meat is that bad in Germany compared to Switzerland to justify such a difference.
There should be choice's. Buy your expensive meat but don't try to dictate to others what meat should or should not be.
I have family in Zweisimmen Switzerland, it is part of the area with Gaastad. However the Coop is reasonable, same as Aldi Suisse. I agree don't eat or shop at a tourist area, no drinks or coffee at famous squares. Interlaken is pricy, my family never shop there.
@@ungeimpfterrusslandtroll7155 you can buy meat from other countries (mostly slovenia or hungary) here in switzerland as well, which is not that expensive and really affordable. everything coming from switzerland is more expensive though. as said, that‘s because of the strict rules with animals etc. i personally only buy swiss meat so i know the animals didn‘t have a lot of amtibiotics and other things. i guess with our wages, the meat is kinda affordable (still pricey).
so long story short: you CAN buy cheap meat in switzerland. it‘s just a question of where it comes from and if you support that or not.
Prices are high in Switzerland. But I think the average quality is high, too.
Cilantro should be available in German supermarkets or market garden. You also may buy them in a flowering pot, or raise it on your own.
Do you simply ignore the ecological aspect? Have you not thought about why the imported eggs are so much cheaper than the local ones? In Switzerland there is a very high ecological awareness to live in harmony with nature - not like in the US or partly also in Germany. We buy organic eggs from animals that were allowed to live their lives on a farm with maximum outdoor space. We buy vegetables and fruits that have not been sprayed with chemicals - because we want to feed ourselves and our children healthily and do not want to poison the soil. Only foreigners buy imported eggs. Yes, Switzerland is expensive, but we also earn more in our jobs than our neighbors. The bottom line is that we don't have more money left in our wallets at the end of the month, but we know that we have eaten healthier and harmed our nature less. I think that's a good deal. Enjoy your vacation with us.
Absolutely not. We are aware that there is an ecological aspect to all foods that are grown or raised. Since we are used to seeing both caged and free range or organic eggs in Germany and the US, it was more of a comparison to what the prices are for what we are used to seeing them. Not to argue whether or not the organic eggs were overpriced compared to the imported ones. We understand why they are as much as they are and appreciate that everything isn’t just mass produced to be the cheapest and easiest.
Thanks for sharing and letting us know a little about your shopping preferences and food choices! We love to hear and learn more about how every country and region is similar in some ways and different in others!
@@OurStorytoTell ignore the haters. you guys are great and how you live your lives and what you eat, etc. is NO ONES business!!!!
Dude relax!!
Pricing does *say nothing!*
Actualy, your swizz *income to cost of living* is *the same to germany!*
*Look:*
*Check: Cost of living (CoL):*
• *Consumer Prices* in Switzerland are *86.33% higher* than in Germany (without rent!)
• *Consumer Prices Including Rent* in Switzerland are *88.26% higher* than in Germany
• *Rent Prices* in Switzerland are *93.15% higher* than in Germany
• *Restaurant Prices* in Switzerland are 98.55% higher than in Germany
• *Groceries Prices* in Switzerland are *135.40% higher* than in Germany
////
>> Cost of Living does say alone *nothing!!*
>> You *need average income as well,* from BOTH sides to *THEN compare!*
*Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax):*
Germany: 2,777.17€ ~> 2,736.91Fr.
Swizz: 5,927.25€ ~> 5,841.31Fr.
>> To be relativ equal, the average Swizz worker would need 110% to 124% more income, as the average german worker.
>> While slightly under this (6.128,64€ to reach 124%), the average swizz worker DOES live equal "income 2 CoL", while slightly, just a bit under it, which means, average swizz worker has "a bit" less free money as the average german worker but does not matter *at all.*
Equal~Same
/////
ONLY income *does not care*
ONLY cost of living *does not care*
*BOTH*
are needed to compare correct.
/////
Cheers
@@mf5531 they're not really haters and unless you've been there, it's hard to understand what the food is all about. For instance, we didn't mind the food prices because other things were reasonable, like clothes and bus or tram tickets. Alot of these comments are good suggestions. The food is absolutely superb, raw AND cooked (at restaurants) Wish I'd stayed there. My son was born there and my husband is Swiss. We had alot of fun experiences. The glacier trip, Toblerone tour, skiing in the woods, sitting with strangers at their tables with permission, (it would be weird to do that here in the states) all the bars were family friendly and loved seeing kids toddle around AND served food! Totally fun experiences!
@@lia-liz2012 ok.
That's why the Swiss customers who border Germany come shopping to our supermarkets .... financially worthwhile inclusive the cost of gas for travelling.
No, i never cross the border to buy food in Germany.
You should highlight what is cheaper…I noticed a lot of parity in what I pay in LA, SF and Seattle.
The black "handle" is a holder for your self-scanning device. You scan your products as you select them off the shelves and then just pay at the end without waiting in line.
So cool! Thanks! 😊
One thing you didn’t notice because it’s separate in your country the USA. Migros has no alcohol products and no smoking materials at all because it was made for family’s. We even voted against it some weeks ago. They asked everyone who has an migros membership card to vote 🗳. 😁
Nearly near all big and some small migros is a Denner, which sells those stuff.
They are also owned by Migros Group
@@Sorbon_Husky that’s right it is a daughter firm of Migros but you don’t have to go inside.
"because it was made for familiys" yea originally. Nowadays its just for marketing reasons.
Actually Migros is one of our cheaper supermarkets. I saw you took the bananas with the code 1, usually there is one more option of bananas which is cheaper. The crackers were from the Select brand, which is migros "fancy" brand that is more expensive and personally i like to buy it just when we have people over. MBudget is the budget friendliest products of migros. Also fun fact...dont know if you noticed but migros does not sell any alcohol. It was a huge discussion in recent months whether they should change that, but we all decided that we want to keep it that way.
Es goht glaub meh um Bio und Fairtrade bi de Banane.
Right? The meat prices they showed were for the super cheap meats/the budget options!
To be true, in context, it does not matter.
Since the difference is still the same vs german premium products pricing.
You need *the average cost of living.*
*Check: Cost of living (CoL):*
• *Consumer Prices* in Switzerland are *86.33% higher* than in Germany (without rent!)
• *Consumer Prices Including Rent* in Switzerland are *88.26% higher* than in Germany
• *Rent Prices* in Switzerland are *93.15% higher* than in Germany
• *Restaurant Prices* in Switzerland are 98.55% higher than in Germany
• *Groceries Prices* in Switzerland are *135.40% higher* than in Germany
////
>> Cost of Living does say alone *nothing!!*
>> You *need average income as well,* from BOTH sides to *THEN compare!*
*Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax):*
Germany: 2,777.17€ ~> 2,736.91Fr.
Swizz: 5,927.25€ ~> 5,841.31Fr.
>> To be relativ equal, the average Swizz worker would need 97% to 124% more income, as the average german worker.
>> While slightly under this (6.128,64€ to reach 124%), the average swizz worker DOES live equal "income 2 CoL", while slightly, just a bit under it, which means, average swizz worker has "a bit" less free money as the average german worker but does not matter *at all.*
Equal~Same
/////
ONLY income *does not care*
ONLY cost of living *does not care*
*BOTH*
are needed to compare correct.
/////
Cheers
“our”…..You are not Swiss.
Switzerland truly heaven on Earth but the prices shocked me when l went few years ago.. but the beauty of the country made it all worth while!
Keep your face toward the sun, and shadows will fall behind you. Meanwhile, I will like to communicate with you to share more thoughts.
You dont usually see Fleischkäse in Germany? Maybe you call it Leberkäse or Leberkäsesemmel or sth but I cant imagine you dont see it that much in southern Germany, its a classic snack here :D
We do, but didn’t know it was called Leberkäse! Lol we’ve definitely had it, but have to say… this one was a bit salter than ones we’ve had. All tasty though! 😋😋
@@OurStorytoTell Fleischkäse and Leberkäse are not the same product. Leberkäse contains liver. Fleischkäse is basically without liver. ;)
@@heisenberg8414 Leberkäse des not contain liver in bavaria. you get it at every butcher
@@hansmuller3604 True!! Same in Stuttgart!
In Stuttgart region we call it:
Leberkäs' (Brötchen/Weckle)
>> Short: *Lkw* (Truck)
L for Leber
K for Käs'
W for Weckle (Brötchen)
But also *Fleischkäs'*
>> 2 names the same "thing."
There are 3 main typs here: Fein, Grob or *Pizza* (with cheese cubes, paprika and italian Herbs in)
@@hansmuller3604 Stop!
Leberkäs' *DOES* contain *lever!*
Fleischkäs' *DOES NOT,* but instead *meat!*
>> If you sit both against each other, you will see, Leberkäs' beeing a *darker* colored meat, caused by the added *Lever.*
I guess, we never stop to learn smt new.
Did ask my mother & she said "natürlich ist Leber drin!* ;)
Along the Swiss-German border most of the German villages have gigantic shopping centers (in Relation to the village size) because many of the customers are living in Switzerland and buying often in Germany.
For Swiss people it is very cheap to go shopping near the border in Germany. The employees in Switzerland have fairly high incomes, but the price are accordingly high. För a Döner you pay between 8 and 10 Schweizer Franken (Euro and Schweizer Franken is almost 1:1 at the moment).
I was one of those people. I was shocked at how cheap diapers and formula was in Germany compared to Switzerland. When the pandemic started Migros and Coop would put diapers on sale since Swiss couldn't go to Germany. The stores still do this in Switzerland from my knowledge. Diapers ended up being cheaper in Switzerland than Germany. Formula is a different story. It was always ridiculously expensive.
We do the same here in the Netherlands. We shop for cheap groceries, alcohol and gasoline in Germany. It's like a Dutch colony right across the border, you hardly even hear anyone speak German in the stores. For some reason many things are almost half as cheap in Germany.
@@Bertuzz84 Also for Scandinavian people it is rewarding on the weekends to come down to ALDI in Flensburg or Kiel. Especially cookies, candy, chocolate and alcohol are much cheaper in Germany then in Danmark or Sweden.
@@Bertuzz84 Sometimes it is very nice to live in a border region ...
These berries are gooseberries (Stachelbeeren in German).
My grandparents grew them in their garden, and meine Oma usually made a cake or marmelade with them. 🙂
oh, flashback ! That reminds me of my grandma's home made Erdbeer-Stachelbeermarmelade on home made rolls, yummy !
yea my grandparents also used to have them in the garden, theyre sooo delicious and unique.
Oh ja... da kommen Erinnerungen hoch. Früchte aus dem Garten ernten. Mammas Rhabarberkuchen und Stachelbeerkuchen mit Baiserhaube waren soooo lecker.
Here in our region in Rheinland-Pfalz we also call them Gruscheln. 🙂
Same across the border from Germany in Denmark
When I drove thru Europe, especially around northern Italy, I would notice tiny little cafes with just a handful of people sitting outside, under a flourescent lightbulb. They looked like 'locals', and I trusted the food to be good. It was better than good, and, it was cheap. Just basic, spaghetti and a salad, but perfection in flavor and how it was made. Like 'your Mama' would have. ....as opposed to dining in the more 'touristy' sections, which, although beautiful, are also quite pricy!
lol, all of switzerland is a touristy section :-)
@Abra Xas Chasch dich ja mit dinä Faschofründe z'Alp gaa.
Oh und am beschtä nu fürimmr dertobe bliibä.
@Abra Xas du warst noch gar nicht in norditalien, da gibt es mehr albaner als du zählen kannst
@Abra Xas achtung, ein schweizer in freier wildbahn. aber eigentlich ist speziell norditalien sehr wohlhabend, weil sich die blaue banane genau da durchzieht. mir ist natürlich klar, dass es keine albanerviertel gibt. ich google alles, was ich sehe. außerdem habe ich noch familie in der schweiz... und siehe da, kein ergebnis und auch noch nie was davon gehört.
aber es gibt in nahezu jedem land viertel mit einer besonders großen bevölkerungsgruppe. in deutschland, österreich, frankreich, usa, australien, ... scherzeshalber kann man gut und gerne mal übertreiben und eine nette hyperbel für einen gepflogenen ausdruck verwenden. kleiner tipp: kommt immer schlecht an, wenn man aus sicht eines schweizeres komische geldvergleiche macht. vor allem, wenn der großteil dieser witze von recht ärmlichen personen kommt
@Abra Xas xddddd
The holders on the shopping cart are for the selfscanners. You need to register first, then you can use the selfscan, which is pretty nice.
You can track what you are spending while shopping and the payment at the end is so quick without having to unload the shopping cart.
This helped me realise how I filter the products I buy. For every product, there are the pricier and the cheaper ones. Gourmet vs. Budget in Migros. Or sélection vs. Prix garantie in coop. And you can always find out what is in the season by the checking if it comes from Switzerland or not. There's usually a little Swiss flag next to the name.
The berries you spotted in the beginning are gooseberries (Stachelbeeren in German - which means thornberries). They have a sweet to sour taste and are fairly common in Germany as well.
Maybe see if your local supermarket has frozen cilantro. It’s not the same as fresh one but probably cheaper :) And if you come across an Asian/Turkish supermarket get it there! They have bigger quantities for less money.
If you miss lemongrass - most German supermarkets have lemongrass paste in the international isle. You can also get more authentic and cheaper Hummus there! (In a tin - non-refrigerated)
Also Fleischkäse is very Common in Germany. You can sometimes even get it at bakeries with a bun.
Keep in mind Mexico is very far from Germany/Europe in general but very close to the U.S. A lot of food has to be imported very far and we don’t have a lot of Mexican migrants to make the Mexican cuisine more popular. This is why in German supermarkets there is way less of it. :) Instead we offer a lot of products from European countries like Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Turkey etc
Exotic shops in Switzerland are usually more expensive than regular shops.
So, are Chinese or Indian restaurants.
Mexico isn't the biggest producer, Turkey and India both make more. Turkey makes 315.0K Metric Ton of cilantro every year while Mexico makes 132.7K Metric Ton. Also I would have a bet you are closer to Turkey than how close I am to Mexico and where I live it's used a lot (Near NYC). It's just not something you guys eat in Europe and you should leave it at that.
I love the vlogs! So fun to watch
I have lived in Interlaken and the surrounding villages my whole live, love that you enjoyed your trip! As for the prices in the restaurants there are many which are not really worth the money but some are. Also here you will find some tourist traps. The Laterne is definitely one of the places I enjoy myself going to as it serves authentic and well made food, but I would not afford it daily for the evenings. For lunch time you will find set menus in many restaurants which are a lot cheaper (like 16 CHF for soup, main course and salad!) than if you order randomly from the menu (à la carte, as we say). Nowadays you will find complete menus online, sometimes just as a PDF file like they have their printed menu. There you will often also find the daily menu. This way you can circumvent some expensive surprises.
Self scanning already took a lot of jobs away, check your local IKEA for example. Or Mediamarkt.
In Germany, Migros operates an online shop and about 300 small shops (tegut), where you can find them in a small area
offer around 20,000 items of food and organic products.
Migros' attempt to conquer the German market with supermarkets has failed, as has Wal-Mart. And one of the reasons was the prices.
3:43 Stachelbeeren - I love them, but so far only fresh from the garden. Haven't much liked the store bought until now... They are very much in season or have been peak season one or two weeks ago - hereabouts in Northern Germany.
That handle thing on the shopping carts, are for these food scanners wich you can get at the entrence at Migros. Its basicaly a scanner with you scan the item you buy and then you dont have to remember what you bought. Its pretty cool! Unfortunatly, you have to pay for them. Hopefully this tipp helped you guys! Your videos are amazing btw! Keep up the great work!
This was a super insightful video! The prices seem on par with the prices I pay for groceries here in the States. Key difference being that (and having traveled longer term to several other countries to compare), American produce is not as good (too much genetic engineering) and has more exposure to oncogenic chemicals and/or contain additives banned in the EU and advanced nations in Asia.
We used to have a Migros in Ludwigshafen but closed a few years ago. The scanning thing is pretty common in Globus for example
It is more expensive in tourist locations but the Swiss people are having an higher income than the other people in the EU. If you earn in a EU country netto 2000€/month, the Swiss earn for the same job 2500 tilll 3000€/month.
Self scanning is also available in some german grocery stores. I know this from the "Globus" supermarkets.
I live in northern Germany and buy a lot of my groceries at edeka. They offer self scan 🛒 in some shops and I love it. It makes grocery shopping so much easier.
There is a Grocery Store Chain here in the US called Wegman's where you have to weigh and print out the label for products in the Fresh Produce section...
I wonder if the "Creamy White Fajita Sauce" is similar to Crema, which is... a creamy white sauce (I think its kinda like a Sour Cream with seasoning).
Had to fly to Basel for work related stuff recently. Had a box of noodles with veggies and teriyaki sauce, cost me 16€
It seems pricey to us!
Oh, I actually bought the creamy white Fajita sauce recently! We were a bit disappointed - it's just like mayonnaise, so not really something you would put on your Fajitas if you want to do it right. Hubby and I lived in Central America for a while, so products like pinto beans and cilantro are a must for us. Although I could buy it from Migros, I mostly grow our cilantro at home. So easy to do!
Peanut butter is also popular in the Netherlands. Jumbo and Albert Hein supermarkets offer +60 different peanut butters. Different in taste and or jar size. So take an empty container or box with you to fill it with the peanut butters (pindakaas) of your choice. Self scan is also normal in NL, at the self checkout register you can also scan the groceries at a there fixed scanner if you did not use a hand scanner.
It is quite common in the larger grocery stores in both Germany and Sweden to offer “tastes” of items during the weekend, both on stands (as you found) and through personnel. This worked on me - I often purchased the item they were offering if I liked it because I really enjoy variety in my food. What really shocked me in Germany, however, was when they would offer little cups of wine or pure alcohol for taste testing! You can believe they do NOT do this in Sweden where the sale of alcohol is strictly regulated! (73 year old American living in Europe for 35 years. I’m going to try to remember to shorten this to “73/35 USA”!)
Sweden?
Thanks for the video +1 like
What is cheaper: Migros or Lidl? Is there a cheaper supermarket than all of the others?
Good job guys! When you begin by the fruit and veg in Migros or Coop always look for products stored closer to the floor. These are usually migros's own brand called "Budget " pronounced 'boo-jay/ orange lettering with green background'. They make tons of Budget items from chips to cheese. But the cheaper items are harder to find 😕. You have to look hard. Hummus and cilantro here are not a thing. We grow our own cilantro for this reason and even freeze the extra bits for winter. But there are Asian stores in cities like bern where you can get spices and fresh veggies for a bit less. If you go later in the day/ afternoon keep your eyes out for red stickers on everything from meat to daily prepared sushi and other lunch items. You'll see these marked down 35% or more. Also chicken for example produced in Hungary is only 19 CHF a kg compared to swiss optigal chicken that's 29 CHF a kg. Always check the price per 100 grams cost on the label 🏷 😉 before you buy and compare other products nearby you'll almost Always find a cheaper product. I have not shopped in the US for yrs. But they usually had items with aspartame labeled as lite. However the Swiss use it more and don't always label it that way, so read your labels if fake sweetners are a problem for you in sodas. There is a growing trend now to not waste as well. Migros and Coop have their sections of older, marked down fruit, veg and meats. You have to know where to look. And at least in Bern there is a small shop called āssbar (trust me, the name is not offensive in German) that sells older baked goods and sandwiches at reduced prices. It's hard for tourists to make use of these however.
Haha, yes the ässbar is great to shock anglos. There is also the Poo-Alp.
In the Allgäu we have Feneberg as a supermarket chain and they have the self scanners as well.
A couple months ago i was also on vacation in Switzerland and yes almost everything is much more expensive than most of Germany. I would say we spent around twice as much for groceries or when going to the restaurant.
Fun facts:
At a Coop we went to we had a little trouble at checkout because we didn't weigh our tomatoes since in Germany you don't need to do it at most supermarkets, they weigh it at the checkout, and
it was even harder to know what was going because of the language barrier (we were in the Italian speaking pert) :)
The Migros in the St. Margarethen Shopping Center doesn't have any alcoholic beverages in it's huge store, for those you have to go to the Denner next door :D
Migros doesn’t sell alcohol at all, that’s their policy. The same is for tobacco: no cigarettes at Migros supermarket. The founder did want
it like this, for the well-being of the people ( no kidding)
We have self scanning in two home depot markets (Hornbach and Bauhaus) and at IKEA in Germany. It is pretty fast and convenient and people like it. There are about 6 scanners and one supervisor helping at problems.
Migros is a good super market. However, if you are looking for cheap groceries, you have to be careful in Migros. Buying this Migros Budget line, you are ok. But you have also very high quality choices. The prices usually go up as more of the production chain is on Swiss soil. By animal food products, the quality of life of the animal raises the price drastically. Buying cheap Migros Budget import eggs, may not fit your understanding of how chickens should be held. Migros is a super market with big variety, but also not the cheapest option to buy groceries in Switzerland.
I will say I love hiking in Switzerland, heck of a workout and gorgeous scenery.
Hi 👋 how are you doing?
@@Godwinpounds4333 good and you
@@sandrahossman2089 I’m fine, it’s nice meeting with you here. Where are you texting from?
A few opinions from a Swiss:
Greens: Pay attention if you shopped for special certifications and labels like Max Havelar (supports farmers in developing countires), Fair Trade (supports farmers in developing countires) or Bio (certified organic). Those are of course more expensive.
Müesli: Invented by the Swiss Dr. Bircher and the original is called Birchermüesli. All the muesli you see today in the world are descendants of that original idea.
Expensive Chicken: Swiss laws are more strict than EU laws for free-range as well as caged chickens. They have to have more space available than even in the EU.
OEM Products: Migros has their in-house budget brand called Migros Budget. Same quality, sometimes even same manufacturer, just cheaper packaging and less marketing costs, therefore cheaper prices, while the quality isn't affected (mostly). Same for Coop where it's called Coop Prix Garantie.
"Traditional food": Fondue, Fondue Chinoise, Rösti, Raclette, Alpine Macaroni (Mac and Cheese) or Berner/Zürcher Platte etc. is not a common diet option for every day life anymore. I'd argue the modern Swiss diet is much healthier, we have the lowest obesity rate in the OECD after Japan.
Horse meat: Once a common option around the world, it has lost it's appeal in most countries due to superficial reasons. Horse meat is healthier (and pricier) than red meat and if you go to a horse butcher you get tons of delicious options. It contains half the amount of fat, double the amount of iron and triple the amount of calcium compared to red meats.
For your next trip, seems it looks like you love the cheese products, I would recommend going to the area of Gruyeré (west of Lauterbrunnen). I personally think the best Swiss cheeses come from there and you can also bring your son to the Cailler chocolate factory in the area (both educational and enjoyable with a chocolate taste testing at the end!).
We lived in Bern and toured the Toblerone factory. At the end of each different chocolate you could taste as much as you wanted. Needless to say..I got quite ill eating TOO much!
Appenzeller Käse is even better. Just sayin.
I find food in Swiss grocery stores like Migros costs a little more than what you find in a Whole Foods in a big American cities, but groceries are the least expensive thing you will pay for in Switzerland. Restaurants, bars, gas, hotels, clothing, ski passes...that's the stuff that is shockingly expensive. You can go to a simple, medium priced restaurant in Zurich and easily spend $100 per person. At nice bars/clubs you are going to spend more than $20 a drink. Wine? Through the roof. But the food is great, air is clean and the country is beautiful.
Yes super expensive but we agree that it has so much to offer!
If you love cilandro and have difficulties getting it - just plant it yourself. It grows without difficulties here in Germany. What shops have available often has to do what their customers use or want. If they e.g. have a lot of cilandro and nobody buys it they will not order in again. If you have a small market in town you often shop at just ask them for it and they might order it the next weeks.
The garages are so clean! Such a difference.
They are!
I don't know why, but hearing the Risa getting excited about 'rayunch!' always puts a smile on my face. I wish you all the rayunch your heart desires (in a healthy dosis please).
'rayunch' dressing is awesome !
Hahaha 😂😂 I think I’m improving & speaking less with an accent but UA-cam always keeps me grounded! Lol thanks for the laugh!
Hahah 😂🤦♀️ I’m truly trying to work on the accent lol better luck next time!
@@OurStorytoTell No, please don't! It's charming.
The thing on your shopping car is for a small device where you can selfscan your food :)
When I was young (think half a century) the Swiss Franken was at 1.10 DM ( Deutsche Mark). Now it is the same but in Euro. And the Euro is about twice the good old DM. Its's like the USA (Switzerland) compared to Mexico (Germany). But the last time Mexico won at soccer.
Next time buy a Halbtax Abonnement. It makes public transport way cheaper.
3:45 You can get them in every Rewe/Edeka or other grocery in Germany. My wife loves it.
The main reason why meat and especially chicken is way more expensive than in other countries is because the animals live usually in a free farm style.
Our chicken live on a farm and can roam free during the day (unless there's a storm) and we are not allowed by law to bundle them up in huge chicken "factories".
In my experience the swiss chicken tastes much better than cheap german one. (i have only tasted cheap german chicken)
Try out butcher shops in switzerland. They're not that much more expensive and the meat is way better than from supermarkets.
Our local butcher (probst in stettlen) sells god-like steaks (so called butcher steaks) for around 6 CHF, which are just delicuous. if you can spare 1-2 CHF more, definitely go to a butcher shop!
That’s good to know! Honestly, we wish that practice was more of a thing in the US. It would help reduce the amount of meat that people eat in general, plus would give animals a better life.
We will have to try the butcher next time we see in Switzerland! Those steaks sound great!
To use the handscanners at for example Migros in Switzerland or Albert Heijn in the Netherlands you must be a registered user and scan your free membership card at the terminal. You then get a scanner assigned to you via a blinking light below it. You just scan what you buy and at the end you place the scanner back into an empty cradle, pay for your shopping - usually by card or direct debit -, take your receipt and leave through a gate were you often have to scan the barcode of your receipt. Simple
this is (for so many reasons I won’t get into) a video that swiss people in particular would love. this is their “top gun: maverick”. well done
There are some stores that offer self scanning in Germany but I don’t use this option because I want that the cashiers keep their jobs.
Regarding the prices in Switzerland, you have to take into consideration that the wages in Switzerland are about at least twice that high than in Germany.
My best friend lives in the Kanton Basel-Landschaft. She and her husband are going shopping in Weil am Rhein quite often.
Regarding Basel, you need to go to the Basler Fasnacht. Tuesdays is children’s Fasnacht.
And you might need to revisit your favorite travel destinations in a couple of years so that Willa actually remembers being there with you later in life. Maybe she will be old enough then to do the things for which she still is too young for.
I highly recommend travelling to Sylt and stay for at least a week. Wenningstedt is nice for kids. Already book an apartment now for the next summer so that it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Please stay in Germany as long as possible or maybe even forever!
Globus has the same scanning system in Germany. The closest one to Grafenwoehr is in Schwandorf. It takes 5 minutes to register online and you get a card for your virtual wallet on your phone.
Thanks for sharing James!
If you like your peanut butters you should visit a Dutch grocery store! They love their ‘Pindakaas’ (which, fun fact, literally translates to peanut cheese) and have much more variety
Supermarkets in Switzerland, like most stores, adapt to their catchment area which means that depending on where you are you will not have the same choice. Compare the shelves of a supermarket in the center of Geneva, another in the Fribourg countryside or even in a town in the canton of Appenzell and you will notice the difference. As far as prices are concerned, the comparison is never favorable for Switzerland, on the other hand the quality is often superior. Honestly meat and poultry are never top in supermarkets it is better to go to a store specializing in the food you are looking for (at a cost, of course!).
glad there is also a Aldi Suisse. We were in Berner Oberland 3 weeks ago, the prices are crazy, a bar of choclate is CHF4, Raspberries for CHF9...... I think the Swiss will have big salary or the go to Austria, Germany, Italy or France for there shoppings.
Great video guys!
ohh i really wanna go to Switzerland. the food there looks so good
It is!! 😋😋 we rave about it still!
Loved the video! As a swiss person who lived abroad, I'd like to add my 2 cents: 1) the quality of almost everything in swiss supermarkets is pretty high in my opinion (hence the price) 2) let's keep in mind that the average salary is a lot (A LOT) higher in CH than I Germany, for instance (like...6000 CHF vs 2000 E). ;)
So cool you’ve had the chance to live abroad! Also thanks for your added input! If helps us make better sense of the prices.
you‘re right about the cilantro. most people here in switzerland or i‘d say most of europe don‘t like the taste of it since it‘s very strong and can be overpowering. our dishes are not made with it, so maybe it‘s just a culture thing.
it‘s cool that you can buy so many herbs in migros but i think most swiss have pots with fresh basil, rosemary, parsley, chives etc. on their balcony or in the garden. that may be the reason you don‘t find many herbs in germany, since it’s the same there (at least basing off of the germans i know).
Müsli and Yoghurt is pretty nice with some fruits and maybe a few nuts. perfect and healthy breakfast even in Germany ;)
1.08 She is just such a clever little girl, and it good that you let her to do as such as she can under your supervision and help. Such a little European 'style of a relaxed &independed well balanced little girl.
Good work !
We love cilantro!! We have heard Switzerland is expensive and I guess it is true. Thank you so much for taking us grocery shopping in Switzerland 😊
It's expensive for tourists, but people working in Switzerland earn at least twice as much as Germans, and renting an apartment costs almost the same. As a Swiss myself, I go on vacation to other countries to save money. Germany is probably one of the most convenient places and there's so much to see.
@@alexandrorocca7142 Well, on average Swiss people do not earn more than double the German average. It's closer about 65% more than Germans make (just looked up gross incomes).
l am a Canadian, and I just returned from a 2-week stint in Alameda CA. The prices I encountered in the local Safeway were more expensive than what you encountered in Switzerland. Particularly noteworthy: the very same brand of raspberries (Driscoll) in the identical package that would cost me CAD$3 (USD$ 2.30) in Toronto was sold in Alameda for USD5.50 (Origin: Watsonville CA!!). That makes the CHF 5.80 in Interlaken somewhat of a bargain, as 250g is more than 1/2 lb. A 2lb bag of Argentinian shrimp set me back USD32, while I get the identical package in Toronto for CAD$ 19.99, which is not even USD15.40. I imagine, though, that Migros would charge the US price, rather than the Canadian one... By the way, I found my receipt for the Cilantro from Safeway in Alameda: it was USD$1.69, quite a bit more than the USD$0.75 you think they charge in UT. I am not sure what that would cost in Toronto, but my guess is "one buck". I do agree, though, that Germany has the lowest grocery prices in central Europe, sometimes even lower than Canadian prices, but the Swiss food quality is higher than the one in Germany.
Wow! We didn’t know the prices were like that. It’s been a while since we have shopped in the US and even outside of Utah before that with COVID. Maybe that’s how it’s been for a long time though?
Living in San Francisco, i agree with the feedback that the prices in the safeway seem higher than migros. like everywhere, prices depend heavily on location.
I live in Southern California and am relieved!! Our prices are so much higher than Switzerland!!! Right now the US Dollar is trading even with the Swiss Franc and the prices you're showing are so.much less expensive than here. I watched another video where the person showed the cost of Milk at 1.60 CHF for a liter and the price for the same size is close to $3 here. A Half Gallon (2 liters) of Milk costs about $6 with better organic milk costs about $7. I noticed that the only items that seem more expensive are the American branded items such as Crest or Kellogg's products.
@@OurStorytoTell Utah is a less expensive State to live in. The cost of our groceries in Southern California seem a lot more expensive than what you're showing in Switzerland. In a separate post I gave an example of purchasing Milk, which is literally twice as expensive here than in Switzerland! As long as you don't try to replicate eating American food (Hamburgers, Pork Ribs, etc.) in Switzerland, then the cost is not any higher than what we experience in Southern California and may even be less!
There are diferent product lines in migros. Mbudget line have lower prizes. Selection line is verry expensive. And you have a lot of options in between this prizes.
They have those scanners at Globus. You need to be registered to use them. There is a lot of Fleischkäse (Leberkäs) in Germany. In England you also need to eat a curry and a full englisch Breakfast!
It's funny how much I like watching this (coming from a swiss person myself)
Haha happy to hear you enjoy it! 😊 We love hearing from locals so thanks!
oh wow, youre travelling a lot. seems as if youre never being actually in your house anymore :D. looking forward to UK content. always fun watch you guys discover europe. :D
im buying 30 eggs for 12 SFR, and they are breakfast eggs (70 gr + ) . also I do buy my Corriander in a turkisch market, you wil get for 2 SFR the tribble amount of what you get in Migros or Coop
You also have to remember that some products have to be imported which affects the price. In Switzerland we have over 450 varieties of cheese.
Some Edekas and Marktkauf allow self scanning with your mobile phone. You don't need an extra scanner, you use your mobile phone camera to scan the barcode and pay everything directly. Then you can leave the shop without an extra step at the end - just walk away with your filled bags.
You don't have to pay for the scanner, you just need to sign up for the cumulus program where you also get points and cash back. With the app logged in you can scan the QR code from your phone to unlock the scanner.
Wait, you've never seen gooseberries before?
And with the scanners, you usually need to be registered in an app and login to use them, at least that's how the easyshoopers work at Marktkauf.
horse meat is normal in germany too, when you order sauerbraten in rheinandpfalz area you get horsemeat and in bavaria its beef but in bavaria you get horse sausages on a lot of festivals and markets...and fleischkäse ist in germany leberkäse you get it everywhere....its an traditional bavarian food...
I was in norway for the past few weeks and the coop shop near us has the self scanners! I was so excited when I saw them and had a blast scanning my own groceries and not interacting with anyone hahah
quite funny, when you're saying how many fridges are full of cheese, there's a sign just behind your head in german saying "we love every kind of cheese"
The self-scanning shopping is common in Czechia (Tesco, Kaufland, Globus…) - Kaufland and Globus are German, so I suppose it would be available in Germany as well…. You just have to have their customer card. I saw self- scanning in Sweden all the way back in 2008, so I guess it’s quite common all over Europe by now.
Sadly, Kaufland doesn't have self-scanning in Konstanz.
Switzerland is a fantastic country but as you said incredibly expensive. I can't believe you can't get any Cilantro in Grafenwöhr. Apparently, there are 3 Asian food stores in Grafenwöhr. I'm sure at least one of them has fresh Cilantro (Koriander). Next time you're in Bayreuth or Nürnberg, check there. You will get it there 100%. Supermarket chains like Edeka or REWE sell fresh Cilantro. Good luck!!
We’ll have to check out those Asian stores you said you could find. It’s not a huge deal, but it would be nice to find some sometime.
i live in Switzerland for 10 years now and those scanner are only to those with CUMULUS members card and i regularly use because i have this card. For me i am a regular customer in both stores MIGROS and COOP but COOP is more expensive. Switzerland is a expensive country specially now Euro has cheaper value than CHF...i live in Basel just near the border of France and Germany. Sometimes i go shopping in Germany and it is so cheap. Swiss grocery stores have a lot of cheese and chocolate varieties you can choose and it ia all Swiss porducts. Meat products are expensive specially beef because Swiss or Europeans in general they do not eat a lot of meat for good health, they care about the environment and Switzerland has very strict meat production in Europe. They have smaller american section because in my opinion they are not lovers of american products. Thanks for traveling to our country and showing this video how expensive this country is.
Keep your face toward the sun, and shadows will fall behind you. Meanwhile, I will like to communicate with you to share more thoughts.
Switzerland is not part of the EU, where food is traded across the EU. In addition, Switzerland plans to be able to provide for itself in an emergency. German grocery stores on the border have large parking spaces for Swiss cars. Private imports are duty-free.
In WW2 Switzerland was isolated. As a result, all the flower beds were dug up to plant potatoes and vegetables. In addition, there was almost no coal delivery from Germany. This is also a reason why Switzerland was the first country in Europe to convert the entire railway to electricity because there is hydroelectric power.
railway ! You have to plan a journey with the Swiss railways once.
"Glacier Express", the slowest and most beautiful express there is !!!
Selfscanners are „unlockable“ if you have an account with the Migros rebate program called „cumulus“ and doesn‘t cost money. It‘s aggregating data about you and gives you „money back“ in return. You scan your card or code at the mobile scanners and one will light up at it unlocks. Finally you scan at a selfscanner cashier, it‘ll show the cost of your groceries and you pay by card or cash.
The are some Migros-Stores in Germany. I now of one in Ludwigshafen in the „Rhein-Galerie“ mall.
When you come to London you’ll be happy to see we have Aldi and Lidl, we also have Asda so there is plenty of cheap shopping.
Love u guys from Switzerland
When you talk how many refrigerators there are for cheese the large sign behind you read "We love all kinds of cheese", so yeah, checks out.
The „Handel“ is a for a device That kann Scan fings while your Shopping and you pay it at the end
Living expenses are really high in Switzerland, salaries are high, too but it depends a bit on where in Switzerland you are and the industry one is in. I used to go grocery shopping in France every two weeks or so to make ends meet.
3:40 Mirgros and Coop Had some Stores in the german Border area but afaik they are pulling Back.
Great job but can’t believe you skipped over the chocolate aisle! Migros & COOP are the best places to get your chocolate.
Right!! We forgot and so we actually went back another time to experience the chocolate in Migros… but… didn’t add it in here. Swiss chocolate mmmm 😋😋
Nope. Best Place is in Läderach - much better! Lindt ect. isn't very high quality...
@@naitomea14 Agree that Laderach is superior and delicious, but quite pricey. The basic store brands are what I can afford on a daily basis and if you live in the US they're far superior to what we produce :) I prefer Cailler to Lindt.
Regarding your sore knees. To prevent that hikers are using teleskop-sticks when walking downhill - it´s a great relief for your legs.
the thing on the shopping cart is to hold a self scanning device, so that you can scan your groceries on the fly and not at checkout. they are available with a member card on the entrance. that way you see how much you spend and can already pack your groceries before checkout. you don't have to transfer everything from cart to bags
ah I should have watched on for 1min. no, it's free, just needs registration, so no-one is stealing the scanning devices
At Rewe Center you can scan the things in the market
We also have these in these Netherlands. Great fun 😉
The self scanning thing ist not that usual in Germany. I live in berlin and in a few Rewe Markets you can scan the groceries
The difference to the US is that here in Switzerland nothing is GMO and compared to Germany do we make a lot more money for the same Job so the prices are mostly justified!
Yeah makes sense! It helps to understand why they are high prices so thanks! 😊
For someone living in Switzerland, we learn where to shop, the cents here and there add up if you are shopping in Kiosk(news agents)they are convenient as you find them in almost every railway station and every small corner but they should be avoided.
Try shopping in Coop,migros etc.
Keep your face toward the sun, and shadows will fall behind you. Meanwhile, I will like to communicate with you to share more thoughts.
I live in New York City and those prices in Switzerland seem perfectly fine for me lol I'm actually happy because I'll be there for 3 days in two weeks and after watching this video I'm not scared of the prices there anymore 😅
Keep your face toward the sun, and shadows will fall behind you. Meanwhile, I will like to communicate with you to share more thoughts.
Cilantro is very popular in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula, like Andalucia, Alentejo and Algarve