Price Hikes
1. Shampoo and Conditioner: The same brands are at least 1.5x the price here. This one really surprised me because it seemed so random to me. Before I moved I researched all kinds of costs but it never dawned on me to check out shampoos and conditioners!
2. Furniture: Much more expensive, much less comfortable, smaller (you will not find a couch that sits more than 3 people for much under $1,700), and typically of contemporary/modern IKEAish design, which I find unattractive. That being said, it is typically much sturdier. We bought IKEA (which, by the way, is apparently pronounced ee-kee-ah) stools before we left for $60 a piece. Being IKEA they're not very sturdy but whatever, we needed cheap stools. Well Jeremy broke one so we went to an IKEA here. They were 80€ ($89) but they were heavier, thicker, and the backing which is what Jeremy broke because it's so flimsy was much sturdier. What gives IKEA? Why are you ripping off US customers with cheap particle-board crap and saving the good stuff for Europe?
3. Cake: First of all, there is no such thing as sheet cake here. They have ridiculously fancy cakes that have a whole bunch of layers and textures and colors with a bunch of different fruits, nuts, or both scattered on top as decoration. An 8" round cake is going to cost you $25-30.
Price Drops
1. Cable, internet, TV, and phone: Holy cow it is SO much cheaper here! I pay 30€ a month for their equivalent of "triple play" here; that is cable with about 200 channels, internet, and a landline with free calls to the US (and many other countries). Mind you that is a more expensive plan because we opted for faster internet, our previous plan was 22€. My cellphone is 10€ a month for 2 hours of calls, unlimited text, and 500 MB of data.
2. Bottled water: What a surprise it was when I was exploring French supermarkets for the first time to find that a normal size 0.5L bottle of water costs 15 cents! If you want the giant 1.5L bottle, you'll have to dig a little deeper into your pocket because those are a whopping 20 cents.
3. Public Transportation: This includes air travel. It's amazing to me that with a little bit of planning, I can hop on a plane and be in another country for as little as $30 or hop on the train to Paris for $25. For unlimited travel within my city and it's surrounding towns via bus or tram, I pay $300 a year.
If you've visited another country, what were surprising price changes or fees that you've experienced?