A couple of years ago when living in Germany, I bought some gingerbread cookie things (Lebkuchen) from Rewe. They were also on sale in all the Christmas markets. When I flew home to London for Christmas itself, Waitrose was selling the *same* make of Lebkuchen for almost half the price than it was in Germany.

Two weekends ago I checked a couple of places when back in London and Lindt chocolate is cheaper in the UK than it is here, on average.

So it's not always the case that local goods are cheaper in that country.

A NZ friend of mine whom I used to work with said that NZ lamb in England is around half the price he has to pay back in NZ. However, that's not because of exchange rates but because NZ needs to export as much lamb as possible as it's one of its few exports.

I suppose it depends on what you want, if like me you are a beer swilling, motorbiking petrol-head you would find Denmark off your personal big Mac scale.
15 Franks for a beer and a bike is 220% of it's (new) value for the numberplate.
CH is paradise.

someone said it best on here. Switzerland is one big cartel. I will also add that their entire business model is how to rip their fellow neighbor off the most. Same as US in the 1980's. Heck they are probably happy that Migros is making so much money since it's a Swiss company. The Swiss are living slaves unconscious of their own thought processes. As Gothe said, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

I go by a more trusted comparison. The kebab index.

Price of the kebab / average earnings * a cleanliness constant for the particular country

Switzerland does alright

I find the cleanliness in Swiss kebab shops anything but constant.

In the Kebab comparisons switzerland comes off well
A good meal at a chinese/Thai reasturant..switzerland is off the scale
Booze is dirt cheap compared to oz, in the shops that is, in the bar is a different story
Its a good thing that
a) I like kebabs
b) I can cook my own asian food

As a general rule, if you live like a student you'll dominate in Switzerland. Booze (particularly beer) is cheap, kebabs are not toooo bad, the essentials aren't expensive (eggs, milk etc) and fruit and veg might be a little more than other European countries but not overly pricey. Students are likely not to go to expensive bars, eat out a lot or buy bulk consumables. Rent is very expensive, but if you share it can be ok.

So yeah, as a student its freaking great

If you wanna live like Julius Caesar you gonna struggle

Maybe by price . . . the kebabs in Zürich are the worst I've ever had though.

Yes what is it with that meat in those kebabs, surely its about 10% by weight msg and other salts and preservatives..
Still, cheaper than a burger from maccee dees and so much more filling

There are at least three problems . . .

1) They use pork, not lamb
2) They pre-cut the meat and store it in drawers where it becomes quite dry
3) The chilli sauce isn't properly hot

But a lot of it is in the user - it's personal. It's whether you want an ipod or not. ipod's are closer to global price parity than for example fresh food. Also, price to earnings is skewed here - the lower end of the wage spectrum is raised versus similar countries, so the Burger King worker will benefit. There are also lots of wealthier people at the upper end. But mid range workers have comparable wages to other major cities in the West, and they'll consquently be hurt most by higher prices versus their London/Paris/New York counterparts. Another factor is taken from a post you made in a different thread - that the high wages and high prices (when taken in Pounds) make you feel like a high earner in an exclusive area. But I know of no one who earns around 150k and lives in Knightsbridge who shops and dines (and buys their car) exclusively in Knightsbridge.

Does that matter? A cardboard box tastes ok to me when I'm plastered

lol Loving the kebab connoisseur comments. Seriously, ITS A KEBAB!!

It's very difficult to make a kebab that doesn't satisfy, but they manage to do it here. And charge your 8+ bucks for it too. Lose lose.

It says something that even when I'm drunk, the kebabs here aren't good.

Of course, a properly nice kebab is edible when sober.

I miss the Turkish restaurants in Stoke Newington . . . .

lol ok fellas.

Personally ive never had a worse kebab than in england

well the search function is free

Best kebabs in the world. Sure you hadn't accidentally fallen into Outback or another joint selling roadkill?

I don't think I've ever noticed a pork kebab. The places I've been to typically use Kalbsfleisch and quite a few offer a chicken or lamb shish for not much more. Ok it may not be up to Turkish standards, but the shish aren't vastly different to your average kebab joint in the uk.

Afraid not. Eaten plenty there too. Sheffield, Oxford, Bolton, Exeter, London. They're all over-rated. The swiss ones aren't particularly great either but most are of better quality the crap you get in London especially. I definitely stuck to the curry when travelling around england, which are some of the best ive ever had.

Im sorry guys but I think you are looking through rose-coloured glasses there.

But yeah if we go back on the original topic, my argument in the kebab stakes is that unless you are captain fussy pants (english ), Switzerland is a great place to be a student. Not so sure about the part-time work, unless you have really good german skillz

Kebabs actually origniated in Germany...as I remember back in the days, they used to sell lamb kebabs in Switzerland..but now everybody just does beef and chicken because it's cheaper.