Food and grocery shopping is an important part of anyone’s weekly budget, and it’s important to include it when you’re calculating how much you need to live on when you move to Germany. Luckily, shoppers enjoy a relatively low cost of groceries in Germany, thanks to plenty of homegrown produce and competitive discount supermarkets. Read on to learn more about the cost of groceries in Germany and for some money-saving tips. How much does food cost in Germany? Food prices in Germany are generally considered to be quite low, especially compared to those of neighboring countries such as France, Italy, Austria, Sweden, and Belgium, where food is much more expensive. This is especially true of meat, cheese, bread, beer, wine, and vegetables, largely becauseGermany produces and grows a lot of its own food within its advanced agriculture industry. Food prices in Germany, fromBerlintoMunich, are pretty much the same. For example, there is only a small difference between the cost of a liter of milk in Munich (€0.84) and a liter of milk in Berlin (€0.81). You may findsome differences in price for regional products, however.GermanBeer, for example, is always cheaper when bought close to where it is brewed. The biggest differences in price are not between different cities but rather between large cities and small towns; you will likely pay a premium for shopping in a city center, where business rates are higher. Groceries are readily availablein Germany wherever you live.Even small villages will have a local grocery store, whereas towns and cities will have a mix of small grocery stores, farmers markets, food halls, and supermarkets (e.g. Edeka,Rewe, Lidl, Aldi, Carrefour, Kaufland). However,shops in Germany are generally not open as late as shops in the UK, US, or other EU countries, and trading laws mean most shops are always closed on Sundays (except for a handful a year, and these dates change from year to year and city to city). If you want locally grown food, head tofarmers markets;shoppers pay a little more, but the quality is better and the environmental impact is lower.Seasonal items are generally cheaper, so buying them is a good way to save. Wherever you go shopping, remember to take your own shopping bags, as German shops usually charge for plastic bags. If you are going to a supermarket, you will also need coins (returnable) for the shopping cart. How much do groceries cost in Germany? Basic food prices vary according to where you shop, butthese prices are the average for Germany. A single person who plans meals carefully, doesn’t eat too much meat, and shops at discount supermarkets can do theirweekly shopping for less than €50a week(not including alcohol or toiletries). This makes thedaily cost of food in Germany around €7provided you eat leftovers for lunch and avoid eating out. Free Webinar Scholarships, minijobs, and more! September 26th, 2024 Types of jobs you can have as a student How to apply for the Expatrio Scholarship If you can make savings on your food budget, then your monthly income will go a lot further Luckily, getting the best deal possible is thought of as quite a traditional Germantrait.Germany is well known for its discount superstores, namelyAldi,Netto, andLidl.Basic foods, fresh fruit, vegetables, wine, and beerare much cheaper at these supermarketsthan general grocery stores. Look out for discount vouchers which are often printed in free newspapers or bulk-buy offers on essentials that you can share with your housemates or friends. Familiarize yourself with thePfandscheme. In Germany,you pay a deposit on almost all glass and plastic drinks bottles, which is incorporated into the original price (usually around €0.08- €0.25). Make sure you collect these bottles up and either take them back to the retailer you bought them from or to a large supermarket (which usually takes any bottle with thePfandlogo on it) to have this deposit refunded. If you do this once a month, you will get back a few euros which you can use towards the cost of your food shopping. Rather than collect various loyalty cards for different retailers, apply online for aDeutschlandCardwhich rewards loyalty points when you shop at a number of outlets including Netto and Edeka as well as 400 online shops. You can save up your loyalty points and use the awarded value against the price of your food shopping. If you download the DeutschlandCard App, you will also be able to find a range ofadditional discountswhich can help you save money off your weekly shop. Free Webinar Want to learn more about Germany? Join our webinar! September 24, 2024 Residence permits and visas to study and work in Germany First steps to start your moveFood prices and groceries in Germany
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Shopping bags
List of common Food prices
How to Fund Your Studies
Tips for saving money
Where should you shop for food at a low cost?
Discount vouchers
What is Germany’s bottle deposit scheme (Pfand)?
What is the DeutschlandCard?
Why Germany is Perfect for You
See Also
Average salary in Germany