Tag Archives: Expensive Switzerland

Swiss farmers are heavily supported by taxpayers. In addition to higher taxes, Swiss consumers must also dig deep to cover the import tariffs built into some food prices. Tariffs on meat are well known. But they are also significant on some vegetables, reports SRF. Photo by Dmitry Demidov on Pexels.comDuring Switzerland’s cherry tomato harvest season, which runs from May to October, the import tariff on tomatoes is CHF 731 per 100 kilograms. This means a 500g box of cherry tomatoes comes...

Switzerland might not lead Europe on average income (GDP), but it wins on cost, according to recent Eurostat data. © Daniele Mezzadri | Dreamstime.comThe nations leading on per capita income in 2020 were Luxembourg and Ireland. Average GDP per resident was 2.63 times the EU average in Luxembourg and 2.09 times in Ireland. Average residents of Switzerland, came in third with GDP per head of 1.60 times the EU average. However, on costs, Switzerland takes the lead with prices 1.59 times...

Switzerland is expensive. The prices of certain items, such as some meats and dairy products are kept especially high by a combination of trade tariffs and import restrictions. A lack of retail competition further adds to prices generally. © Typhoonski | Dreamstime.comFor some, shopping across the border is the preferred way to avoid high Swiss prices. Around CHF 10 billion is spent annually on cross-border shopping, according to one estimate. The current tax free limit of CHF 300 per...

There are many theories on why the prices of certain goods and services are so high in Switzerland. A well-known economic phenomenon can be added to them. © David Taljat | Dreamstime.comTheories that help to explain Switzerland’s high prices include, import restrictions and tariffs on products in protected industries like agriculture, high Swiss operating costs, anticompetitive deals struck by international companies that impose higher prices on Swiss retailers and prevent local retailers...

This article was first published on 365 club.ch Residents of Switzerland have long grumbled about the nation’s high prices compared to neighbouring countries.  On 19 March 2021, the government moved a step closer to removing two of the competitive barriers inflating Swiss prices. © Ocskay Mark | Dreamstime.comThere are many factors behind Switzerland’s high prices. Chief among them are exclusive import arrangements that allow foreign brand owners to force higher prices on to...

Anyone who has done a weekly shop in Germany, France, Italy or Austria and compared prices to Switzerland, knows how much more it costs on the Swiss side of the border. The cost difference is sometimes pinned on the higher take-home pay paid to Swiss supermarket workers. Right? Wrong. Kaufland Germany much cheaper than Switzerland – © Rene Van Den Berg | Dreamstime.com The website barometre des prix allows the public to easily compare the prices of goods at Switzerland’s main retailers with...

© Julija Sapic | Dreamstime.com Recently published data shows how prices compare across Europe. The data, collected by Eurostat, compares prices across a number of categories of spending in 2018. Average prices across the EU-28 are used as a base. Overall, residents of Switzerland spent 59% more on the same items than an average resident of the EU-28. Switzerland was 57% more expensive than Italy, 54% more expensive than Germany, 49% more expensive than France, 41%...

Recently published data shows how prices compare across Europe. © Julija Sapic | Dreamstime.comThe data, collected by Eurostat, compares prices across a number of categories of spending in 2018. Average prices across the EU-28 are used as a base. Overall, residents of Switzerland spent 59% more on the same items than an average resident of the EU-28. Switzerland was 57% more expensive than Italy, 54% more expensive than Germany, 49% more expensive than France, 41% more expensive...

© Tatsiana Hendzel | Dreamstime.com Swiss import duties on a number of industrial products might disappear if a plan put forward by Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s economic’s minister, is approved by the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament. The changes are expected to benefit businesses and consumers by around CHF 860 million a year. On the other hand, the government will miss out on collecting roughly CHF 500 million a year of revenue from import duties. Products...

Swiss import duties on a number of industrial products might disappear if a plan put forward by Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s economic’s minister, is approved by the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament, according to RTS. © Tatsiana Hendzel | Dreamstime.comThe changes are expected to benefit businesses and consumers by around CHF 860 million a year. On the other hand, the government will miss out on collecting roughly CHF 500 million a year of revenue from import duties. Products...