The longer you live in France, the more you’ll realize that certain things are crazy expensive here. My mind is blown when I see the price tag on items that are “normally” priced back in the U.S. That’s not to say that cheap things don’t exist. They do (wine, cheese, ooh la la!).
Read on to see what’s more expensive in France!
What’s more expensive in France
Some things are supposed to cost a lot. Jewelry, cars, designer items, specialty foods, etc. And other things we know are expensive in France — like gas and tolls (which I’ve written about before). And of course macarons. You know that 2 euros/macaron is totally worth it! Here’s my list of things that are ridiculously expensive in France.
1. KitchenAid Mixers
I had a KitchenAid stand mixer growing up and they made my baking habit a breeze. After years with one of these babies, I’ve grown accustomed to these little baking geniuses and every time I walk in my kitchen, I yearn for one here in France. You can mix up whatever you need in a flash and no need to stand there tiring out your arm for more intense recipes. This thing is a baker’s dream. So last year when I went out to buy one, I almost fell over when I found out a KitchenAid mixer in France will run you 450 euros or more. That’s over US$600. WHAT??? During les soldes, you might find one for like 350 euros in an obscure color, but never, ever cheaper than that. (And no, even with a converter, the motor will fry if I brought a U.S. one here.) So I tweeted @KitchenAidUSA inquiring why they’re SO EXPENSIVE in France and here’s the response.
@OuiInFrance Our import distributors pay safety approval costs. Freight is also costly. Thus, our export products are more expensive.
— KitchenAid (@KitchenAidUSA) April 16, 2013
Ahhh, it makes sense, but woe is me. A mixer is on my Christmas list but can’t say I’m holding my breath on that one. But hey, at least I have a kitchen so I try to keep things in perspective. 😉
2. Beverages at Starbucks
Depending on how you look at it, I guess I’m lucky that there’s no Starbucks anywhere near where I live. The closest would be in Paris and the only other place I’ve seen the coffee chain was in the Marseille airport. Basically the prices seem to be about 30% higher than NYC prices, so you can see how your daily latte might burn a whole in your wallet over time. Starbucks does really well in Paris with all the tourists but the French don’t really do coffee to go, so for now, they haven’t branched out. And about the cost, the only place that I know of that tops Paris’ latte prices is London. The price of a concoction like a tall vanilla latte at everyone’s fave coffee place in Paris will cost a mind-boggling $6 or $7 depending on the exchange rate.
3. Makeup
One might think that since many makeup brands like Chanel are French and are made here, that maybe they’d be cheaper in France. That’s not the case!! Let’s take a non-French brand, a MAC lipstick for example. In the U.S., one regular lipstick is $15. In France, the same thing is 18 euros (so nearly US$25 at today’s exchange rate). Yikes! Even cheaper drugstore brands like Maybelline have majorly inflated prices in France. If at all possible, buy your makeup on trips abroad or duty-free in the airport because makeup is most definitely more expensive in France. A splurge on a few of your favorite lipsticks will leave you with a bad case of sticker shock.
4. Electronics
Lack of sales aside, electronics like TVs and cameras will cost you more in France than they will in the U.S. This stings even more once you realize there aren’t big sales every other week and you often end up paying sticker price because better deals can’t be found elsewhere.
I think the longer you live in France, the more you 1) just shrug your shoulders at price differences and 2) start to understand why things are more expensive. The easiest reason to understand is the VAT, or value-added tax. That adds an automatic almost 20% to the price tag. Then on top of that you have the higher cost of employing people and the high social charges, gov taxes, etc.
Regarding the sales, businesses aren’t even allowed to have them every other week like they are in the US. As I’m sure you know, the government has two “allowed” sales periods per year, in the summer and in the winter. Outside of these periods, companies are not allowed to give more than a 30% discount – and this was put in place to protect small, local shops that don’t have the purchasing power of the big retailers. So while it can be annoying, it is actually mean to help keep all of those quaint village boutiques open.
It’s not really an excuse, but globally-speaking, it often easier for int’l companies to keep their prices the same in both dollars and euros – ie an Ipad for $499 and 499€ in Europe.
Lastly – and this is just my personal opinion – I no longer really calculate the prices of things in dollars, because our life is in euros here and we are being paid in euros and not dollars, so our purchasing power is technically higher as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s like comparing apples and oranges. But I understand it can still be hard to swallow when you are used to American prices! And to be honest, I do still buy most of my make-up, electronics, etc in the US. 🙂
PS. If you really want a Kitchen Aid at a more reasonable price, I know several people who have purchased a Kitchen Aid in the US (plus a power converter) and then brought it back in their suitcase to France. You just need to make sure you have a powerful-enough converter. I can get more details if it’s something you are really interested in!
Hi, I get why the prices are different and it’s just part of living here, but it still doesn’t make them easier to stomach (I’m sore about the KitchenAid). And thank you for the offer to get me info on the converter, but I did some research on that and I read that over time, it fries the motor even with a powerful one and can even be hazardous since they aren’t wired to run on Europe power. Not worth the risk for me, but I appreciate it! I’ll probably buy a French one when it’s the soldes! (along with a few other things I have my eye on. wish they were before christmas!). Happy Holidays!
this is 2 years later, but quite frankly, I use all my devices with power converters (TV, washer and dryer, rice cooker, vacuum cleaner), and I intent to do the same with my US Kitchenaid when I go back to France. I use a 10,000 watts for my most powerful devices.
Ah, but Evian is delightfully cheaper in France! 😉
It’s sad about the stand mixer. I used mine just tonight to make a cheesecake. It’s not just that it’s easier, but I think the paddle attachment makes a big difference. I hope you get your stand mixer.
Are you sure that the French don’t like coffee to go? I visited (or tried to visit) a couple of Starbucks in Paris and there were no seats. Even in a location with an upstairs area with lots of seating — all full. They seemed to be all taken by French folks, but I guess it’s hard to say if they were tourists or not. I saw several Starbucks locations in Paris, but hey, maybe I was just walking in circles!
Hi Peggy! Jealous of your stand mixer!
There are a bunch of Starbucks in Paris. All over, so I’m sure you weren’t walking in circles! I think the French culture is more about taking your time to eat and drink in general so sitting down to have a coffee at a cafe is more normal. The concept of “to-go” coffee has caught on a little in big cities (tourists and city dwellers get it) but aside from cities, the French don’t really do coffee on the run. I don’t see people walking around with thermoses or on the bus with a paper cup and multitasking. It’s really not done and going to a cafe for a quick coffee is more of a respite from whatever else is going on. Where I live, I know if I opened a coffee shop with no seating for to-go coffee, I’d be out of business in a week. Not many tourists here at all and the French would much rather sit down.
Thanks for commenting and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I think it’s not so much that French people don’t go to Starbucks (it’s often packed in Lyon, and there are far fewer tourists here than in Paris) but that the whole “to go” concept isn’t so big, like Diane stated. In American cities, the morning line in Starbucks is out the door, and then most people take their coffee to go and drink it on the go, right? Here, it’s not often that I see pedestrians with a to-go cup in hand, but people do still go to Starbucks – that’s why it’s hard to find a seat!
That being said, it’s true that only the biggest cities have Starbucks, and there’s definitely not one on every corner – Lyon is the second biggest city in France and there are only two or three here, to my knowledge, and in medium sized cities like Grenoble, there’s no Starbucks at all. Paris definitely has more and more, but you’ll notice that in touristic areas like Opera, the prices are higher! A tall latte will easily cost you the equivalent of $6, I agree! Ouch.
If you’re going to be there long enough to drink ten beverages, ask for a “carte de fidelite” to get the tenth one free.
It is true that when you’re an expat, thinking too much about the conversion rate can be counterproductive, but I agree Diane, sometimes I can’t help it! 12 euros for a cupcake tin? That’s $17! Really, France?!
I bring all my makeup and nail polish back from the US too. It’s just so much cheaper. Sometimes it seems like everything but bread, wine, bottled water, and nutella is cheaper in the US! But I guess those are the essentials in life anyway.
Yes, the Starbucks prices are really a shock, but if I had a ton of cash, I’d totally open one in Nantes or Angers — w/the tourists and students, it would do really well. But for now, I’ve come to love my thermos. And glad you save on the nail polish and makeup when you go back to the US. I can’t get over the cosmetics prices here! Have a great weekend!
Honestly, with the way exchange rates have been for a while now, it seems the US dollar makes everything more expensive everywhere! The kitchen aid mixer is a bit of a shock though. I’ll appreciate mine here in the states a little more now!
Give it a little kiss from me next time you whip up some cupcakes!
I’d say, just don’t use a KitchenAid! Buy a local brand which would be just as good and serve your purposes.
Since I’ve been living here, I’ve learned to buy less stuff and even though things cost more I end up with much better financers than when I was in Canada!
Excellent! But those trips home do tend to hurt the wallet a little bit. At least mine do. Happy Holidays!
Hi !
It’s so cool to see an American Girl talking about her life in France !!
I’m French, my crazyiest dream is to live……in the USA !
I went twice in the US…and the price difference between France and USA for make up is incredible !!!
And I totally agree for the Kitchen Aid too !!! Here it’s too expensive !!! For weeks I’ve been looking for a good deal…but I think that when it come to Kitchen Aid there’s NO good deal in france !! So I order to Santa a Kenwood !!
Regarding Starbucks, I LOVE it ! But in the US !! In France you find Starbucks in Big cities…and not in every big city !!
Your post is so true !!
I could add one little thing…we pay a lot for Yankee Candle, because it’s IMPOSSIBLE for us to order on bath and body works and get the 3 wicks candle (with coupon it’s 2 for 22usd -Big Yankee Candle are really expensive !)
Anyway, I hope I can go back in the US next year or in two years to enjoy Starbucks, CVS, Walgreens, B&BW and Target …
🙂
Have a nice day
Julie
I love hearing about what French people like in the US. Thanks so much for commenting, Julie. And I’m glad that the French find the damn KitchenAids expensive too. It’s horrendous! I’m waiting ’til the big January sales and then going for it. I’ll have to check out the price of the candles. I’m afraid I’ll burn the house down so I only have one or two. 😉
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Just a thought: Have you checked out: http://www.220-electronics.com/220-volt-appliances/kitchenaid-mixer.html. I ordered one to be sent to Iceland where Kitchen Aid is also crazy expensive. It came out cheaper for me, but you would have to check shipping, import duties and VAT etc. in France. Or you might be able to haul it in a suitcase (although they are H E A V Y). Hope you get yours soon, one way or another. It’s hard to live without it 🙂
Hi Ambra, thanks so much for the site suggestion. Going to check it out and if all else fails, Jan. 8 starts the big soldes, so I’m getting ready!!
I know this post is older but I’m curious – did you get your KitchenAid??
I actually figured there were better ways to spend 600 euros, Melissa and us a hand mixer for my recipes. 😉 One day…