Restaurant prices in comparison A three-course meal costs four times less here than in Switzerland

It's no secret that life in Switzerland is no bargain. A new analysis by "FerryGoGo" shows that Zurich and Geneva have the most expensive three-course meals on average in Europe.

If you want to discover a country in all its depth, you can only do so if you also try the local delicacies. The way to travel is through the stomach, and you only know what a country tastes like once you've tried it.

But a visit to a restaurant doesn't cost the same everywhere in the world. While in some countries you can find affordable prices in a mid-range restaurant (it's always in the eye of the beholder), in Switzerland the hairs on the back of some people's necks stand up when they look at the bill.

FerryGoGo" takes a closer look at these enormous differences. The travel portal examined the prices of a three-course meal for two people in a mid-range restaurant in Europe and compared the average prices per country.

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The European average is 56 euros, which is the equivalent of around 53 francs. Not necessarily surprising: according to the analysis, you pay the most for a restaurant visit in Switzerland. In contrast, a three-course meal is cheaper in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Swiss three-course meals almost twice as expensive as the European average

At the equivalent of around 107 francs, three-course meals in Switzerland have a hefty price tag on average . This is almost twice as much as the European average.

To create an even more detailed analysis, "FerryGoGo" also took a closer look at individual cities. This is because prices are often higher in urban areas than in the countryside.

This comparison also clearly shows who is at the top of the list: Zurich and Geneva are at the top with 123.62 euros, around 117 francs.

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At the other end of the list is Skopje, North Macedonia, where you can get a three-course meal for two for an unbeatable 26.01 euros - around 25 francs in Swiss francs.

It is followed by Sofia, Bulgaria, with an average price of 40.90 euros (around 39 francs) and Porto, Portugal. The latter has an average of 44.50 euros (around 42 francs) on the menu for a three-course meal.

An overview of the evaluation

But back to the country level. While Switzerland is by far the frontrunner here, destinations such as North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria and Poland are at the bottom of the list.

The whole list at a glance:

1. Switzerland: 113.49 euros
2. Denmark: 100 euros
3. Norway: 87.49 euros
4. Luxembourg: 80 euros
5. Belgium: 80 euros
6. Ireland: 80 euros
7. Finland: 80 euros
8. United Kingdom: 71 euros
9. Sweden: 70.40 euros
10. Netherlands: 70 euros
11. Malta: 70 euros
12. Austria: 66 euros
13. Italy: 60 euros
14. France: 60 euros
15. Germany: 60 euros
16. Estonia: 60 euros
17. Latvia: 60 euros
18. Lithuania: 55 euros
19. Croatia: 52.95 euros
20. Greece: 50 euros
21. Spain: 50 euros
22. Slovenia: 50 euros
23. Hungary: 45.84 euros
24. Romania: 40.19 euros
25. Portugal: 40 euros
26. Montenegro: 40 euros
27. Slovakia: 40 euros
28. Albania: 39.88 euros
29. Czech Republic: 39.78 euros
30. Poland: 37.34 euros
21. Bulgaria: 35.87 euros
22. Serbia: 34.15 euros
23. Belarus: 28.21 euros
24. Bosnia and Herzegovina: 25.55 euros
25. North Macedonia: 24.33 euros

A direct comparison of first and last place shows that a three-course meal is around 90 euros more expensive in Switzerland than in North Macedonia.

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