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I'm from Germany and in New York right now. Damn is everything expensive here. And everyone running around with a 10+$ Starbucks coffee all the time. Edit: pro

I'm from Germany and in New York right now. Damn is everything expensive here. And everyone running around with a 10+$ Starbucks coffee all the time. Edit: probably not a fair comparison though since I come from the countryside in Germany where everything's generally cheaper than in the cities.

samstave 4y ago
May you please give some price comparisons for fairly similar items youll find in germany vs us (grocery or otherwise) - lets not talk about healthcare and bribing politicians :-) - Since I am "posting too fast (thanks @Dang), Ill post my replies in this edit: @StuporGlue ; >>"Yeah, almost all of those prices are lower than in the US.... I think a gallon of milk is about $4.99 or $5.99 (usually ~$1+ higher if we are picking 'organic' (which is a shady subject in-&-of itself)" -- @SamHuk ; >frakenstein of candy-floss, tiramisu, and ice-cream sundae <-- this sounds good except it being a 'morning coffee drink' --- @QuaffaPint ; What/where/how can we track "the cost of doing business" based on zipcodes etc. I find it really odd that california had a lot of oil refineries for gas vs mid-country-states, so proximity to gas (thus delivery) was cheaper - yet has the highest prices... because we have 45 million people in the state to grift off, so its not logistics that cause price hikes. But thats what they want you to believe. -----
- pjerem 4y ago
  In France (but I think german prices are more or or less the same), a coffee at Starbucks is between 3€ to 4,90€. And it’s expensive for what it is. A good coffee at any random place is between 1,50€ to 3€ depending on the size. Those prices are service and all taxes included.
- Insanity 4y ago
  I can provide a data point for Belgium at least. Starbucks specifically is about equally expensive in EUR, it's about 6EUR. But, you don't frequently see people walking around with Starbucks in Belgium and they aren't on every corner (rarely see them, really). That said, Rent alone is significantly different, where the rent alone in NY can be the entire monthly salary for someone in EU. (Basing myself on data from Toronto, but I gather that NY is more expensive to rent).
- dbspin 4y ago
  Not the person you're asking, but I just moved from Germany having lived in Berlin for two years. I noticed prices seem to vary quite a bit, even within the same supermarket chain and city, depending on the neighbourhood. I assume they run some kind of franchise model for most of the big chains. But you can get a rough idea of pricing below. Edeka would be a fairly standard chain (there are a bunch of supermarkets in Berlin from FrischeParadies on the ultra high end, to Aldi Nord and Netto on low end). Edeka - https://e-center-knauer.edeka-shops.de/en/all-products/chilled-products/eggs/ https://e-center-knauer.edeka-shops.de/en/all-products/chill...
  - Semaphor 4y ago
    It’s funny, here the Edeka (actually a co-op, not a franchise) would be the most expensive after the organic store (Landwege), it’s even more expensive than REWE (part franchise, part chain) which a lot of people cry about being expensive.
    - dbspin 4y ago
      Where are you located? Coming from Ireland originally, now back here - I'd put Berlin Rewe on the level of Tesco (actually slightly lower, both in terms of quality and price) which is a mid range supermarket here. Edeka seems slightly lower quality / selection again. The higher end large chain in Berlin would be Denn's and Bio Company. Which are both ludicrously expensive. There didn't seem to be a mid-range fancy but affordable supermarket (like SuperValu or Dunnes Stores in Ireland).
      - Semaphor 4y ago
        Lübeck. Never been to the US, but our Rewes have a very wide range, which is a concept I like a lot, as for some products I'm fine with discounter quality, while I want more for others. We also have 4 Rewe in our 2km² inner city ;)
        dbspin 4y ago
        Actually really like Rewe! Was a complement comparing it to Tesco. Their sausage and cheese selections, and various unhealthy pre-cooked frozen treats are fantastic.
- glanzwulf 4y ago
  Not op, but I'm in Berlin and a couple of days ago I went to buy some eggs and it was ten for 2.99EUR - 3.18USD.
- stuporglue 4y ago
  I'm in a suburb of Cologne right now. Looking on PicNic, an online grocery delivery service I see: Medium Eggs: €2.29 for a 10 pack (US$2.92/dozen) Whole HTT: (heat treated) box milk: €1.15/liter (US$4.46/gallon) Gala Apples: €2.35/kilo (US$1.09/pound) Unsalted Butter: €7.96/kg (US$3.69/pound) I usually save a little bit by going to Aldi or another discount grocery, but this is very close to shelf price for the non-discount grocery stores.
  - rootusrootus 4y ago
    For comparison, at my local (Oregon) non-fancy (Kroger) grocery: - dozen large eggs, $2.89 - shelf stable box milk, $19.28 [0] - regular milk, $3.29/gal - gala apples, $1.99/lb - unsalted butter, $4.29/lb [0] Shelf stable milk is more of a specialty item here, not an everyday staple for most people. Evaporated milk is more common, still about $1.50/can (12 oz). I'm not familiar with the term HTT so maybe I'm misunderstanding. All our milk is pasteurized.
  - samstave 4y ago
    Yeah, almost all of those prices are lower than in the US.... I think a gallon of milk is about $4.99 or $5.99 (usually ~$1+ higher if we are picking 'organic' (which is a shady subject in-&-of itself)
- quickthrowman 4y ago
  > I find it really odd that california had a lot of oil refineries for gas vs mid-country-states, so proximity to gas (thus delivery) was cheaper - yet has the highest prices... because we have 45 million people in the state to grift off, so its not logistics that cause price hikes. But thats what they want you to believe. California has a specific gasoline formulation that is different than every other state. That’s why gas costs more in CA, in addition to the state gasoline taxes. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/gasoline https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/gasoline
- em500 4y ago
  https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=Germany&city1=New+York%2C+NY&city2=Frankfurt&tracking=getDispatchComparison https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...
quaffapint 4y ago
Cost of living definitely varies in the US. New York being on the higher end.
samhuk 4y ago
I've never quite related to the appeal. My pet (slightly tin-foil hat) theory is that the draws to this kind of behavior is: A) It's a status symbol of being able to afford a frequent 9.80$ expenditure on something as basic as frappé (or 5 for a normal coffee). B) The typical sugar content of drinks (that have sugar/syrups in them) from places like Starbucks is addictive, like how fast-food chains add excessive sugar and fat their products (yes, there is a relatively high amount of sugar in their bread). I really enjoy the occasional nice coffee with a friend or two, but a 9.80$ Starbucks frappé? To me, they often taste and look like some frakenstein of candy-floss, tiramisu, and ice-cream sundae. One thing I would like to have some data on is what are frequent Starbucks customers drinking? Are the frequent customers predominantly ordering the addictive items, or is there no correlation?
- nostrademons 4y ago
  Wasn't there a movie where a coffee exec sardonically talks about plying customers with "legal addictive stimulants"? Caffeine is addictive. There are a lot of caffeine addicts in the U.S. Starbucks sells a menu full of caffeine. That's why people buy from them.
  - hombre_fatal 4y ago
    Let’s think critically for a moment. Coffee is cheap to brew at home and it’s usually at the office. You can even take caffeine pills if you wanted to liken it to narcotic addiction. You sure as hell don’t need to go to Starbucks to get your fix, which is the most expensive way to get coffee, so that can’t be the reason people buy from them.
    - matwood 4y ago
      Espresso isn't easy to get a home or the office. My pour over home setup makes great coffee, but I have to go to a coffee shop if I want an espresso.
      - rootusrootus 4y ago
nemo44x 4y ago
Yes the exchange rate is not in your favor right now. I spent time in Germany 12 years ago and it was so expensive for me as it was around $1.50/Euro. Recent trips have been nice and cheap. I'm sure it will swing back eventually. New York is always expensive though.
Tagbert 4y ago
A Starbucks coffee is not $10. A large, handmade dessert like a Frappuccino is $10. A basic cup of coffee is about $3. Sorry to jump on you but people frequently post complaints about Starbucks coffee being super expensive but then using the price of the most expensive item on their menu that is not a normal coffee.
- colecut 4y ago
  My observation is that far, far less than half of people at starbucks order "normal coffee"
  - giantrobot 4y ago
    Even if more than half of people are ordering lattes, they're still not $10 a cup.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- brk 4y ago
  A Venti (large) flavored latte is $6.15 with tax at my local store in Florida (just checked). Prices in NY are usually a bit higher. Wouldn't be surprised to see it for $7+ there. I agree it's probably not most people with $10 coffees, but given the choices in NY, if it is truly a Starbucks cup, the person is likely not going there for a basic $3 coffee (which is $3.16 with tax here, and probably $4 in NYC).
  - madeofpalk 4y ago
    Apparently a Starbucks Venti is 20 ounces, which is massive. I understand American taste is quite different to the rest of the world, but I struggle to call a 20 fl oz drink "a normal coffee".
    - guidoism 4y ago
moronicQ 4y ago
[dead]
nine_k 4y ago
NYC is full of contrasts. Where I used to work in downtown Manhattan, there were 3 pizza places near the office, with prices ranging from $4-5 per slice in an upscale place with fancy pizza, to $0.99 for a reasonably tasty slice half a block away. Same applies to most goods. You can get pretty cheap offerings if you know where to look; you can have expensive and fancy stuff if you are ready to afford it.
- keiferski 4y ago
  This is one of the unique and great things about NYC that is far less true in Paris, London, and other global cities: a variety of cheap, good food that is available nearly everywhere. The only other place I've been with similar options was Tokyo.

samstave 4y ago

May you please give some price comparisons for fairly similar items youll find in germany vs us (grocery or otherwise) - lets not talk about healthcare and bribing politicians :-) - Since I am "posting too fast (thanks @Dang), Ill post my replies in this edit: @StuporGlue ; >>"Yeah, almost all of those prices are lower than in the US.... I think a gallon of milk is about $4.99 or $5.99 (usually ~$1+ higher if we are picking 'organic' (which is a shady subject in-&-of itself)" -- @SamHuk ; >frakenstein of candy-floss, tiramisu, and ice-cream sundae <-- this sounds good except it being a 'morning coffee drink' --- @QuaffaPint ; What/where/how can we track "the cost of doing business" based on zipcodes etc. I find it really odd that california had a lot of oil refineries for gas vs mid-country-states, so proximity to gas (thus delivery) was cheaper - yet has the highest prices... because we have 45 million people in the state to grift off, so its not logistics that cause price hikes. But thats what they want you to believe. -----

pjerem 4y ago
In France (but I think german prices are more or or less the same), a coffee at Starbucks is between 3€ to 4,90€. And it’s expensive for what it is. A good coffee at any random place is between 1,50€ to 3€ depending on the size. Those prices are service and all taxes included.
Insanity 4y ago
I can provide a data point for Belgium at least. Starbucks specifically is about equally expensive in EUR, it's about 6EUR. But, you don't frequently see people walking around with Starbucks in Belgium and they aren't on every corner (rarely see them, really). That said, Rent alone is significantly different, where the rent alone in NY can be the entire monthly salary for someone in EU. (Basing myself on data from Toronto, but I gather that NY is more expensive to rent).
dbspin 4y ago
Not the person you're asking, but I just moved from Germany having lived in Berlin for two years. I noticed prices seem to vary quite a bit, even within the same supermarket chain and city, depending on the neighbourhood. I assume they run some kind of franchise model for most of the big chains. But you can get a rough idea of pricing below. Edeka would be a fairly standard chain (there are a bunch of supermarkets in Berlin from FrischeParadies on the ultra high end, to Aldi Nord and Netto on low end). Edeka - https://e-center-knauer.edeka-shops.de/en/all-products/chilled-products/eggs/ https://e-center-knauer.edeka-shops.de/en/all-products/chill...
- Semaphor 4y ago
  It’s funny, here the Edeka (actually a co-op, not a franchise) would be the most expensive after the organic store (Landwege), it’s even more expensive than REWE (part franchise, part chain) which a lot of people cry about being expensive.
  - dbspin 4y ago
    Where are you located? Coming from Ireland originally, now back here - I'd put Berlin Rewe on the level of Tesco (actually slightly lower, both in terms of quality and price) which is a mid range supermarket here. Edeka seems slightly lower quality / selection again. The higher end large chain in Berlin would be Denn's and Bio Company. Which are both ludicrously expensive. There didn't seem to be a mid-range fancy but affordable supermarket (like SuperValu or Dunnes Stores in Ireland).
    - Semaphor 4y ago
      Lübeck. Never been to the US, but our Rewes have a very wide range, which is a concept I like a lot, as for some products I'm fine with discounter quality, while I want more for others. We also have 4 Rewe in our 2km² inner city ;)
      - dbspin 4y ago
        Actually really like Rewe! Was a complement comparing it to Tesco. Their sausage and cheese selections, and various unhealthy pre-cooked frozen treats are fantastic.
glanzwulf 4y ago
Not op, but I'm in Berlin and a couple of days ago I went to buy some eggs and it was ten for 2.99EUR - 3.18USD.
stuporglue 4y ago
I'm in a suburb of Cologne right now. Looking on PicNic, an online grocery delivery service I see: Medium Eggs: €2.29 for a 10 pack (US$2.92/dozen) Whole HTT: (heat treated) box milk: €1.15/liter (US$4.46/gallon) Gala Apples: €2.35/kilo (US$1.09/pound) Unsalted Butter: €7.96/kg (US$3.69/pound) I usually save a little bit by going to Aldi or another discount grocery, but this is very close to shelf price for the non-discount grocery stores.
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  For comparison, at my local (Oregon) non-fancy (Kroger) grocery: - dozen large eggs, $2.89 - shelf stable box milk, $19.28 [0] - regular milk, $3.29/gal - gala apples, $1.99/lb - unsalted butter, $4.29/lb [0] Shelf stable milk is more of a specialty item here, not an everyday staple for most people. Evaporated milk is more common, still about $1.50/can (12 oz). I'm not familiar with the term HTT so maybe I'm misunderstanding. All our milk is pasteurized.
- samstave 4y ago
  Yeah, almost all of those prices are lower than in the US.... I think a gallon of milk is about $4.99 or $5.99 (usually ~$1+ higher if we are picking 'organic' (which is a shady subject in-&-of itself)
quickthrowman 4y ago
> I find it really odd that california had a lot of oil refineries for gas vs mid-country-states, so proximity to gas (thus delivery) was cheaper - yet has the highest prices... because we have 45 million people in the state to grift off, so its not logistics that cause price hikes. But thats what they want you to believe. California has a specific gasoline formulation that is different than every other state. That’s why gas costs more in CA, in addition to the state gasoline taxes. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/gasoline https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/gasoline
em500 4y ago
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=Germany&city1=New+York%2C+NY&city2=Frankfurt&tracking=getDispatchComparison https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou...

quaffapint 4y ago

Cost of living definitely varies in the US. New York being on the higher end.

samhuk 4y ago

I've never quite related to the appeal. My pet (slightly tin-foil hat) theory is that the draws to this kind of behavior is: A) It's a status symbol of being able to afford a frequent 9.80$ expenditure on something as basic as frappé (or 5 for a normal coffee). B) The typical sugar content of drinks (that have sugar/syrups in them) from places like Starbucks is addictive, like how fast-food chains add excessive sugar and fat their products (yes, there is a relatively high amount of sugar in their bread). I really enjoy the occasional nice coffee with a friend or two, but a 9.80$ Starbucks frappé? To me, they often taste and look like some frakenstein of candy-floss, tiramisu, and ice-cream sundae. One thing I would like to have some data on is what are frequent Starbucks customers drinking? Are the frequent customers predominantly ordering the addictive items, or is there no correlation?

nostrademons 4y ago
Wasn't there a movie where a coffee exec sardonically talks about plying customers with "legal addictive stimulants"? Caffeine is addictive. There are a lot of caffeine addicts in the U.S. Starbucks sells a menu full of caffeine. That's why people buy from them.
- hombre_fatal 4y ago
  Let’s think critically for a moment. Coffee is cheap to brew at home and it’s usually at the office. You can even take caffeine pills if you wanted to liken it to narcotic addiction. You sure as hell don’t need to go to Starbucks to get your fix, which is the most expensive way to get coffee, so that can’t be the reason people buy from them.
  - matwood 4y ago
    Espresso isn't easy to get a home or the office. My pour over home setup makes great coffee, but I have to go to a coffee shop if I want an espresso.
    - rootusrootus 4y ago

nemo44x 4y ago

Yes the exchange rate is not in your favor right now. I spent time in Germany 12 years ago and it was so expensive for me as it was around $1.50/Euro. Recent trips have been nice and cheap. I'm sure it will swing back eventually. New York is always expensive though.

Tagbert 4y ago

A Starbucks coffee is not $10. A large, handmade dessert like a Frappuccino is $10. A basic cup of coffee is about $3. Sorry to jump on you but people frequently post complaints about Starbucks coffee being super expensive but then using the price of the most expensive item on their menu that is not a normal coffee.

colecut 4y ago
My observation is that far, far less than half of people at starbucks order "normal coffee"
- giantrobot 4y ago
  Even if more than half of people are ordering lattes, they're still not $10 a cup.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
brk 4y ago
A Venti (large) flavored latte is $6.15 with tax at my local store in Florida (just checked). Prices in NY are usually a bit higher. Wouldn't be surprised to see it for $7+ there. I agree it's probably not most people with $10 coffees, but given the choices in NY, if it is truly a Starbucks cup, the person is likely not going there for a basic $3 coffee (which is $3.16 with tax here, and probably $4 in NYC).
- madeofpalk 4y ago
  Apparently a Starbucks Venti is 20 ounces, which is massive. I understand American taste is quite different to the rest of the world, but I struggle to call a 20 fl oz drink "a normal coffee".
  - guidoism 4y ago

moronicQ 4y ago

[dead]

nine_k 4y ago

NYC is full of contrasts. Where I used to work in downtown Manhattan, there were 3 pizza places near the office, with prices ranging from $4-5 per slice in an upscale place with fancy pizza, to $0.99 for a reasonably tasty slice half a block away. Same applies to most goods. You can get pretty cheap offerings if you know where to look; you can have expensive and fancy stuff if you are ready to afford it.

keiferski 4y ago
This is one of the unique and great things about NYC that is far less true in Paris, London, and other global cities: a variety of cheap, good food that is available nearly everywhere. The only other place I've been with similar options was Tokyo.