Shops and Restaurants

Stores are readily available in Germany wherever you live. Even small towns will have a public grocery store, and cities and towns will have a mix of small grocery stores, farmers markets, food halls and supermarkets (e.g. Edeka, Rewe, Lidl, Aldi, Carrefour, Kaufland). However, stores in Germany often do not open as late as stores in the UK, US, or other EU countries, and trade rules mean most stores are always closed on Sundays (except for a limited year, and these days change from year to year and city by city). If you want locally grown food, go to the farmers market; consumers pay more, but the quality is better and the environmental impact lower. Seasonal items are usually cheap, so buying them is a great way to save.

Food prices in Germany are generally considered very low, especially compared to neighboring countries such as France, Italy, Austria, Sweden and Belgium, where food is very expensive. This is especially true of meat, cheese, bread, beer, wine, and vegetables, especially because Germany produces and grows most of its food in its advanced agricultural industry. The prices for food in Germany, from Berlin to Munich, are very similar. For example, there is only a slight difference between the cost of a liter of milk in Munich (€ 0,84) and a liter of milk in Berlin (€ 0,81). You can find some differences in the price of regional products, however. For example, German Beer is often cheaper when bought next to recycling. The biggest difference in price is not between different cities but rather between big cities and small towns; you will probably pay a small mortgage on the city center, where business rates are very high.

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