This comparison provides surprising results: Relative to income, Austrians have to dig deeper into their pockets than the Swiss and Germans.
Restaurant prices in the German-speaking regions are very disparate, being highest in Switzerland and lowest in Germany, with Austria in the middle. But you need to consider average incomes to see where eating out really makes a difference. The online portal Chef's Pencil reports that drawing comparisons is a useful way of determining cost of living in different cities. The data used comes from the crowdsourcing database Numbeo.
With some exceptions, mid-priced restaurants are the most popular eateries and are good indicators of how expensive a city is. In Zurich, a three-course meal for two costs €120. In Vienna it's €80, and in Berlin €70, making Switzerland more expensive in absolute terms.
But those who earn more can afford more. In Zurich, the average net income is around €7700, in Vienna €2800 and in Berlin, just under €3000. So ordering a menu accounts for 1.6 percent of an average monthly salary in Zurich, 2.8 percent in Vienna and 2.3 percent in Berlin.
In a global comparison of purchasing power, Bern managed to come in third. This may come as a surprise, as Switzerland is known for being an expensive place to live. However, if you consider the very high local wages, eating out is cheaper here than in almost any other city in the world. Generally speaking, it can be said: Switzerland dominates the European affordability rankings: Bern, Zurich and Geneva are among the cheapest places to eat out – relative to income.
In Europe, affordability depends less on prices and more on salary and monthly budget. Bern (0.38%) and Zurich (0.39%) remain among the global leaders despite having some of the highest absolute meal prices in the world – thanks to high local wages.
In terms of real prices, Austria lies between Germany and Switzerland, with eating out in having a greater impact on lower incomes than in Zurich or Bern. Germany enjoys the opposite: prices are similar to those in Austria, but incomes are slightly higher – meaning that going to a restaurant is less of a financial drain. In absolute terms, Switzerland is the most expensive. Relative to income, however, a sit-down meal in Austria weigh more heavily on household budgets. If you live and work in Berlin, you'll spend less of your monthly salary eating out than in Vienna.
A simple lunch costs around €15 in Vienna, €18 in Munich and Hamburg, €25 in Zurich and a staggering €30 in Geneva. In absolute terms, Austria is therefore cheaper than Switzerland, but the situation is different relative to income: The median wage in Switzerland is more than twice as high as in Austria. For Zurich residents, a lunch menu is therefore less of a burden – even if the bill is higher.
In terms of prices, Austria is between Germany and Switzerland when it comes to eating out – but without Swiss salaries to soften the blow. This makes restaurant visits in the Alpine republic noticeably less affordable, even if the bill is lower.
