The price difference between Austria and Germany exceeds double in some products.
Shopping prices in Austria remain strikingly high, as a new report from "Arbeiterkammer" shows that consumers in Austria pay on average about 27% more for the same food brands compared to Germany. Even more shocking is that some products are up to 107% more expensive in Austria!
This report included a comparison of prices for 70 identical food products collected between May 20 and 21 from online stores in both Austria (Billa and Interspar) and Germany (Rewe and Globus). Prices were taken inclusive of value-added tax (10 or 20% in Austria, compared to 7 or 19% in Germany). A separate comparison was also made based on net prices without taxes, which showed that prices in Austria are still about 23% higher.
In detail, 59 out of 70 products were more expensive in Austria, while 6 products were cheaper, and 5 products had the same price in both countries.
Gabrielle Zgoubik, head of consumer policy at "Arbeiterkammer", confirmed that this "Austrian additional charge" must stop, pointing out that the institution has been fighting for years to end it, including at the European level. She welcomed the commitment in the Austrian government program and the internal European market strategy to eliminate this price difference and ensure fairness for consumers in Austria.
It is worth noting that this increase in prices is not limited to food items only, as prices of other goods and services are expected to rise starting from July 1.