In these holiday countries, grocery shopping is much cheaper than in the Netherlands
A holiday in your own country gets more expensive every year. You have to pay a pretty penny for simply sitting on a terrace, and accommodation has also become much pricier because of the VAT increase. And guess what? Groceries are also much more expensive here in the Netherlands than in nearby holiday countries.
This is shown by research from the Consumers’ Association. They compared 200 products in Dutch supermarkets with grocery prices in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria and Spain. Both basic groceries and leading brands were checked.
Cheap leading brands
When it comes to leading brands, the Netherlands scores worst in terms of price level. In Germany and France, leading brands are no less than 29% cheaper than here. Germany is no surprise: we already knew that even Picnic gets its leading brands there because they are so cheap. Italy and Spain are just below them: there, you can get your leading-brand groceries 27% and 26% cheaper than in the Netherlands, respectively. In Luxembourg, leading brands are 22% cheaper, and in Austria 20%. If you buy leading brands in Belgium, you will spend 12% less than here.
Affordable basic products
Dutch basic groceries are also far from attractive in terms of price when compared with prices in the aforementioned countries. Think of products such as rice, pasta, coffee and tea. Things you use on a daily basis. Our southern neighbours offer the cheapest basic groceries: they cost 18% less than here in the Netherlands. In Spain, basic groceries are 16% cheaper, and in France 13%. Going shopping in Italy or Luxembourg? Then you benefit from a price difference of 11%. Austria is only slightly cheaper: basic groceries there cost 3% less than here.
There is only one country where basic groceries are more expensive. That is Germany. You pay 3% more there for everyday products such as pasta and coffee. Well, at least we’re not doing the absolute worst at something.
Discount heaven
What are we definitely the very best at here in the Netherlands? Great deals. Buy one, get one free, 35% off, 3 for the price of 2: we all too often grab these offers in the supermarket. But precisely because the Netherlands is such a discount country, regular prices are so high. Supermarkets do have to recoup those discounts. Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers’ Association, also says via the Consumers’ Association website that the “higher VAT, higher wage costs and higher energy costs” play a role. “As do manufacturers who charge supermarkets different selling prices in each member state.”
Time to shop
So you really do not need to haul bags full of groceries from Dutch supermarkets to France, Italy or Spain. The other way around is definitely recommended. My mother recently brought back a bag full of Brets crisps, Amora Dijon mayo and Lu Petit Beurre biscuits from France: the best gift of the year. Here are more things we love bringing home from foreign supermarkets. And now that we know it really costs next to nothing…
Also read:
- Why visiting supermarkets abroad is the most fun
- Are fruit and vegetables really cheaper at the market than in the supermarket?
- Lidl is the cheapest supermarket for organic products
Source: Consumers’ Association
