A Glance Down the Dairy Aisle in Europe
Take a walk down the dairy aisle in five European cities to see how milk prices stack up with the U.S.
Food is relatively expensive in Europe compared to the U.S., but basic milk prices at the grocery store aren’t that terrible.
Last month I visited five major cities in five different countries in Europe and at each stop I tried to note the cost for milk and other dairy products by taking photos.
Prior to leaving for Europe a gallon of whole milk at a Kansas City grocery store was selling for approximately $4. That calculates to $1.06 per liter when comparing to European measures.
Here are some of the prices per liter when converted to the U.S. Dollar:
London, United Kingdom
- Whole Milk $0.68 per liter
- Skimmed Milk $1.08 per liter
- Semi-skimmed Milk $0.68 per liter
- A2 Semi-skimmed Milk $2.16 per liter
- Lactose Free Milk $2.09 per liter
- Organic Skimmed Milk $1.55 per liter
Paris, France
- Natural Fermented Milk $1.96 per liter
- Organic Fresh Whole Milk $2.14 per liter
- Whole Milk $1.43 per liter
Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Yogurt Flavored Milk $1.08 per liter
- Skim Milk $1.06 per liter
- Whole Milk $0.95 per liter
- Semi-skimmed Milk $1.01 per liter
Brussels, Belgium
- Semi-skimmed Milk $2.18 per liter
- Whole Milk $1.95 per liter
- Organic Buttermilk $1.96 per liter
- 3.5% Fat Milk $1.80 per liter
- 1.5% Fat Milk $1.95 per liter
Frankfurt, Germany
- 3.5% Fat Milk $1.52 per liter
- 1.5% Fat Milk $1.52 per liter
- Buttermilk $2.18 per liter
- Kefir $3.26 per liter
- Fruit Flavored Yogurt Milk $3.26 per liter
There was quite a bit of variability in prices and locations of the grocery stores may have played a role in pricing. The London and Amsterdam prices both came from stores that were considerably farther away from the city centers than Brussels, Paris and Frankfurt.
It was also interesting to see some of the different flavors and kinds of dairy drinks that were being sold in Europe.