Compared to the European average, Belgium is not a hugely expensive country: food prices are 8 % above the European average (with meat 19 % more expensive), while alcohol and tobacco are respectively 8 and 3 % cheaper.
Netherlands slightly cheaper than Belgium
Belgium is rather close to the European average according to a recent Eurostat study. Dutch food is 2 % cheaper than the average, with bread and grains (- 10 %) and milk (- 7 %) as the cheapest. On the contrary, meat is 11 % more expensive in the Netherlands. Alcohol (+ 4 %) and cigarettes (+ 9 %) are more expensive than the European average.
To summarize: Dutch citizens can buy cheaper cigarettes and alcohol in Belgium, while Belgians can harvest food more cheaply in the Netherlands – transport costs not considered.
Huge price differences
The most remarkable fact is the huge difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive countries: food in Denmark is 45 % more expensive than the EU average, while Swedish food is 24 % more expensive. The cheapest countries for food are Poland and Romania, respectively 37 % and 36 % cheaper.
The price differences for alcohol and tobacco are even more astonishing: Ireland (+ 75 %) and Finland (+ 72 %) are easily the most expensive countries for alcohol, while Brits pay most for tobacco (+ 118 %). Bulgaria has the lowest rates for both tobacco and alcohol: 36 % below the European average for alcohol and even below half for tobacco. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, compared the price of a cart of products all across the European Union.
