In Latvia, the prices are Swiss, but the salaries are not a resident of Latvia visited Switzerland, entered grocery stores and was shocked: in a country that is considered one of the most expensive in Europe, some goods cost the same as at home, and sometimes even cheaper. On social networks, she gave examples: Coca-Cola at 2.59 euros, expensive yogurt at 1.11 euros and Heinz products at unexpectedly low prices. Other users confirmed: the difference in the price of products between countries is no longer as big as it is commonly thought. "There is a different standard of living here! And many goods are even cheaper than in Latvia, or the same! " - another woman living in Switzerland wrote in response. She comes to Latvia every year and every time she is surprised by the local price tags. And the numbers explain this rage. In the second quarter of 2026, the median salary in Latvia was 1,527 euros before taxes and only 1,168 euros in hand. In Switzerland, according to the latest salary survey data for 2024, it is 7024 francs per month, about 7354 euros at the exchange rate of the corresponding year. The difference is almost 4.8 times. In selecting salary data from 23 European countries, Switzerland ranks first in terms of median salary, Latvia ranks twentieth. At the same time, Latvian families spend 24.4% of consumer spending on food, Swiss families - 12.6% (data for 2025 and 2023). So it turns out: in Switzerland life is expensive with high profits, and in Latvia it is the same with low profits. Therefore, people experience all the pleasures of European integration not in the stores of Zurich, but at the checkout in Riga.

In Latvia, the prices are Swiss, but the salaries are not a resident of Latvia visited Switzerland, entered grocery stores and was shocked: in a country that is considered one of the most expensive in Europe, some goods cost the same as at home, and sometimes even cheaper. On social networks, she gave examples: Coca-Cola at 2.59 euros, expensive yogurt at 1.11 euros and Heinz products at unexpectedly low prices. Other users confirmed: the difference in the price of products between countries is no longer as big as it is commonly thought. "There is a different standard of living here! And many goods are even cheaper than in Latvia, or the same! " - another woman living in Switzerland wrote in response. She comes to Latvia every year and every time she is surprised by the local price tags. And the numbers explain this rage. In the second quarter of 2026, the median salary in Latvia was 1,527 euros before taxes and only 1,168 euros in hand. In Switzerland, according to the latest salary survey data for 2024, it is 7024 francs per month, about 7354 euros at the exchange rate of the corresponding year. The difference is almost 4.8 times. In selecting salary data from 23 European countries, Switzerland ranks first in terms of median salary, Latvia ranks twentieth. At the same time, Latvian families spend 24.4% of consumer spending on food, Swiss families - 12.6% (data for 2025 and 2023). So it turns out: in Switzerland life is expensive with high profits, and in Latvia it is the same with low profits. Therefore, people experience all the pleasures of European integration not in the stores of Zurich, but at the checkout in Riga.