While spending some research time in Paris this Spring, I had the opportunity to not only explore the legal-theoretical differences between France and the Netherlands, but also to do some comparative empirical research on consumer issues. As you might guess, this latter part mostly involved enjoying French cuisine. Anyone having had similar possibilities to visit EU Member States will have noticed that there are some quite considerable differences in respect to the quantity of food a euro will buy you from one country to another.
Data on consumer price levels for food, which were published by Eurostat today, confirm that last year 'the price level of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was more than twice as high in the most expensive EU27 Member State than in the cheapest one'. Price levels for alcoholic beverages and tobacco show even greater price disparities.
For a full overview, please consult the press release and Eurostat website. For more on French food (and an explanation of the title of this post), click here.
