25% price difference

Food is more expensive here than in Germany

According to the Chamber of Labor test, shopping is cheaper in Germany than in Austria.(Bild: eldarnurkovic)

Upper Austrians living in the border region in particular are likely to look enviously at the price list of our neighbors. A test by consumer advocates shows which foods in Germany's online supermarkets are how much cheaper than the same product in our stores.

"The AK price monitor regularly shows an Austrian mark-up on branded products - this has also been confirmed by the Federal Competition Authority. This mark-up must go. It is unacceptable that multinational corporations charge retailers and wholesalers different prices for the same products depending on the member state," says Tobias Schweitzer from the Chamber of Labor (AK).

For the comparison, the consumer advocates surveyed 70 identical branded food products in the Austrian online supermarkets Billa and Interspar as well as in the German stores Rewe and Globus between May 21 and 24. Upper Austrians in the Bavarian border region in particular are likely to look enviously at the prices of our neighbors - because in 61 cases the same product was more expensive in Austria than in Germany.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Adobe Stock)

Only five products cheaper
The basket price - all 70 foodstuffs together - was a quarter higher in Austria than in Germany. Individual products were up to 67 percent more expensive than in our favorite neighboring countries - see also the chart above. The biggest price difference was found for Philadelphia cream cheese. You also have to dig deeper into your pockets for a Calippo-Cola ice lolly, potato chips or Maggi. So it's no wonder that many Upper Austrians drive across the border to do their shopping.

At the time of the test, just five foods were cheaper in local supermarkets. These included pasta from Barilla and breakfast cereals from Nestle. Four products cost the same in both countries.