Wow! Europe is...

[Deleted]

Same reason why Americans pay $399 for a PlayStation 4 while Europeans pay €399 (or $542). The Euro has screwed things up. PC games used to be 100 Gulden (old Dutch currency). Now, with the Euro, which is worth more than twice the Gulden, some PC games cost €60 (or more than 120 Gulden). PS3 games cost €70.

These days, everything basically has the same price in numbers as things were in Guldens back before the Euro, only the Euro is worth twice as much. So basically, we are spending twice what we would spend with the Gulden.

Actually, the price of a PS4 in America doesn't include taxes, in europe it does.

Calculating how much something is worth in a currency that hasn't been used for over 10 years is just wrong. It is impossible to know if that currency would have increased or decreased in value over the 10 years it hasn't been used.

[Anguished]

Expensive!

I'll preface this by saying I'm American, so I'm very familiar and use to the US Dollar.

A few months ago I moved to Europe, and within the last four months I've traveled to England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Italy, and I'm astounded at the prices of things. The Euro is around 1.36 US Dollars at the moment and the pound is 1.63 US Dollars. I can see and understand the economics of why bills are stronger, but why is there absolutely no consistent prices anywhere? In the US I can get a pint at a bar for 5 Dollars, but when I come to Europe, it's still 5 Euro (almost 7 US Dollars) and in England it's still 5 Pounds (around 8 US Dollars).

Payroll I hear isn't much different in correlation to the US, so why is everything significantly more expensive in Europe? Why isn't everyone moving to the US and increasing their money's value by 50%?

TLDR: Why are beers 5 US dollars in the United States, but 7 (5 Euros) in the EU or 8 (5 Pounds) US dollars in the UK

If you are paying £5 for a pint, you are clearly going to the wrong places, last time I went to the pub, think I payed £2.50-£3 for a pint.

[Deleted]

Europe is more expensive because immigrants move here and leech the system, so they have to increase taxes.

[Deleted]

Europe is more expensive because immigrants move here and leech the system, so they have to increase taxes.

Or you know, Tourist Traps.

[Durinur]

TLDR: Why are beers 5 US dollars in the United States, but 7 (5 Euros) in the EU or 8 (5 Pounds) US dollars in the UK

Make sure to go nowhere near Norway. A 0.5L beer costs 100NOK/$16,5 USD.

[Kalis]

I went to US...Big Mac meal $6.

I went to Nobu in London...Wagyu steak and bottle of Rioja £100.


Europe, y u so expensive?

[Darkinfinity]

Netherlands we pay around €2,50/€2,85 a beer (pretty expensive for just a beer).

Let me guess... City guy? Around the country side you pay a euro less ^^

[Grishnaar]

First of all, you must remember you can't look at it as "Europe". All countries are for themselves, and prices vary from country to country.

Come to some of the poorer countries, like mine. Here in Croatia, you can 0,5L beer for about 1€ in stores and around 1,5€ in caffee bars.

THen again, average monthly paycheck is like 500€ or so

[MerinPally]

£5 for a pint in the UK? No. Where on earth are you buying these things? Even at the big chain pubs just outside london it's £3.60 and in Wetherspoons it's £2.90. What on earth are you getting a pint of for £5? I hope it's tears of angels.

[Deleted]

Europe is more expensive because immigrants move here and leech the system, so they have to increase taxes.

That's.. kind of.. stretching it in that regard.

[Deleted]

Are we talking about a beer in a bar, or in a supermarket?

Because here in Denmark it can wary from 40 euro cents (dunno what they're called) in a supermarket. And up to 7 euro (and more) in a bar.

[Mayhem]

lol, i could get a beer in a bar around the corner for 1,5€, though that´s extremely cheap, normal price in a pub is about 3€ to 4€ per 0.5l

vienna, austria

you´ve been to the wrong pubs

[Deleted]

as already said prices largely depend on _where_ you buy your beer. Prices in touristy places will be much higher than regular ones. E.g. in Germany in a normal Pub you get the local beer for pretty much the same price as water (which is more or less due to the regulation that the cheapest drink in the pub has to be non-alcoholic). This amounts to about 1,5-2€ for 0,3l and maybe 3€ for 0,5l .

[Deleted]

Are we talking about a beer in a bar, or in a supermarket?

Because here in Denmark it can wary from 40 euro cents (dunno what they're called) in a supermarket. And up to 7 euro (and more) in a bar.

He's talking about bars in Touristy areas.

For comparison, I assume a beer in a bar in New York is more expensive than in some small town out in the country.

[Deleted]

Kidding aside, are EU beers better?

Depends what you're after. Are you drinking for a unique flavor or mainly to just get wasted?

With German beer you generally get both cheap and quality. And you know WTF is in it. I don't think there is any bad brand around. Even the Aldi beer (cheapest I know) isn't downright bad (it isn't great either).

But if you're a bit of an advanced drinker who prefers to go for quality over quantity to avoid beer with cane sugar. This is a type of beer I can recommend. Bock hardly ever goes wrong with me either. Ale is another type of beer which can taste really good but in general I can't say it combines well with foods. In Germany if you go to a pub you can also get dinner there, and depending on your taste and wether you evade the Tourist Trap its quite good stuff.

Although I certainly fancy a quality beer every now and then I am actually more of a wine drinker

- - - Updated - - -

Or you know, Tourist Traps.

Wait, could it have been Tourist Traps?

[Deleted]

Wait, could it have been Tourist Traps?

Just guessing but, Tourist Traps.

[Deleted]

Well. The standard prize for a beer here in germany is 3,80€. Irish Pubs in Germany are usually a little more expensive. But i never payed more than 4€ for a beer.
If you go to a store you can buy quality beer for about 0,65€ or canned beer for about 0,40€ both 0,5l.. yeah.. metric system...

[Phlegethon]

Why isn't everyone moving to the US?

The fact that US is 17 trillion dollars in debt seems like a pretty good reason, among several others.
US hasn't been the "promised land" for the past 1 and a half decade and only ignorant people would believe otherwise.

They are (in our timeframe) somewhere around the turn of the 20th century so late 1800s early 1900s.

Comparing US to EU is not euhm.. smart. Dollars are worthless...
Also, if you bought a basic cheapass beer in Belgium for 5 euro, you got ripped off badly. Specialty beers are more than 2 euro's (a 33cl Stella is 2 euro), but over 5 is rare... If you try getting that same beer in the US (I did that) you pay a hell of a lot more than here. Stella was around 14 dollars in the US and if it's on draft, most barkeepers can't get you a nice beer.

And I give you that, American craft beer is superb (much of it anyway ;-)

[Shakadam]

Because we have higher taxes and a value added tax on pretty much everything you can buy. But we also on average have higher wages and don't rack up hundreds of thousands in debt for an education. In the end it all pretty much evens out.

[johndo0410]

I felt the need to create an account just so in can answer to this thread (been wandering on thiese forums for a while).

I'm french so i'll talk from the french perspective :
I saw two misconceptions in this thread :
- It's because of welfare
- It's because of taxes (to pay for welfare)

Though it's obvious tax level play a role in every country, it's important to understand european countries
are very different from each other : like US can be considered different from Japan for example.
So price levels are very different from one country to another, even with the use of the same currency.
The use of the same currency did not make the price levels "converge".
You also went to London, where Euro is not used.

For example, beer is way cheaper (and better) in Belgium than in France if i remember correctly : beer-making is way more developed in Belgium.

You also seem to have fallen in "tourist traps" : large cities are known for that.

To sum it up : it's more expensive in some countries and cheaper in others, because european countries are vastly different from one another
Also, large cities are more expansive.
The "welfare" argument is just nonsense.

Forgive my english if it's bad.