Same basket, different purchasing power: Lidl price test highlights European differences

The European Correspondent’s correspondents shopped in Lidl stores in nine countries, choosing the cheapest products available everywhere. A basket of six items was put together (apples, cucumbers, rice, olive oil, coffee, Nutella) to make the prices comparable.

The price difference is “only” 8 euros – yet the gap is large

According to the report, the price of the basket was highest in Switzerland (23.4 euros), while it was lowest in Bulgaria (15.4 euros) – there was a difference of almost 8 euros between the two extremes.

Meanwhile, the product-level variance can be even greater: the article cites as an example that Nutella was more expensive in Bulgaria than in Switzerland, while it was the cheapest in Malta and the most expensive in Latvia; olive oil was the most affordable in Greece and Bulgaria.

The picture is already dramatic when compared to wages

The research also looked at how many such baskets could be purchased per month from the median wage (data from 11 countries were included here). Switzerland is at the top of the list again: the median wage can buy 258 baskets per month. At the bottom of the ranking are Bulgaria (42 baskets), Serbia (45), Latvia (51) and Poland (54).

Trade lesson: not just a price tag, but an “affordability reality”

From a commercial perspective, this kind of comparison reminds us that the same promotion, packaging or brand promise operates in a completely different consumer decision space in each country. The difference between basket prices is important in itself, but affordability compared to wages really shows where the same basic purchase is considered “everyday routine” and where it becomes a “considered expense”