While it is often said that you can save a pretty penny as a resident of Switzerland by shopping in Germany, it can sometimes be hard to tell in the white heat of the supermarket just how much cheaper things are. To help, one Swiss newspaper has conducted a study to see which products you should buy across the border.
In the last few months, debates over cross-border shopping or shopping tourism from Switzerland to Germany have only intensified. As a result of high Swiss salaries, the ongoing strength of the franc against the euro and the fact that purchases can be taken home without having to pay import duty or value-added tax, many residents commute across the border to get a bargain.
According to the Swiss Retail Federation, supermarkets in Switzerland are set to lose 10 billion francs in revenue in 2024 because of shopping tourism alone. The government has also started to react, with the tax-free limit on cross-border shopping set to be halved at the beginning of 2025.
However, with inflation in Germany being consistently higher than in Switzerland, some may question just how lucrative shopping tourism is in 2024. To help, 20 Minuten analysed the cost of a range of products in both Switzerland and Germany, comparing Swiss and German Aldi and Migros and Marktkauf.
In short, shopping in Germany is still well worth it for those living near the border in Switzerland. The newspaper found that in many cases, prices in the alpine nation are more than double those in Germany.
For instance, an organic egg in Aldi Suisse costs 0,78 francs, compared to just 0,31 francs in Aldi Süd. Pork schnitzel was found to cost 1,76 francs per 100 grams in Basel, compared to just 0,93 francs in Weil am Rhein, Baden-Württemberg.
Bread, milk, meat and dairy products had the greatest price differences between the two Aldis, Markkauf and Migros. This means that doing your weekly shop in Germany is still lucrative, provided transport costs remain reasonable.
However, there are some products where a trip to Germany is not worth it. For instance, the cost of cosmetics and international brands were roughly the same as in Switzerland, while rice, toilet paper and coffee were cheaper in local supermarkets than in our northern neighbour. For the latter, Swiss prices at Aldi were 17,7 percent less than at German Aldi.
Speaking to 20 Minuten, retail expert Hans-Peter Kruse explained that the main reason for the higher prices is that “Swiss agriculture is protected from imported products” through significant tariffs. This means that Swiss cheese, dairy, bread and seasonal foods are protected from foreign competition, keeping their prices high.
This is in contrast to Germany and the EU, where the “food is always priced at world market prices,” Kruse explained. The fact that EU farmers can import grains with fewer tariffs is also why meat is more expensive in Switzerland.
Another factor is the Swiss salaries themselves, as local supermarkets face higher running costs than those overseas. Other experts have argued that prices are also high because enough people can afford it.
When asked if there are any downsides to shopping tourism when it comes to consumers, Kruse noted that the quality of products in Germany can be worse than in Switzerland. For instance, the alpine nation has stricter livestock farming and bio regulations compared to Europe, thanks to the Swiss Animal Welfare Act of 2005.
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