Breakfast products going up

Breakfast items are getting more pricey in Switzerland, according to data compiled by the Comparis Consumer Price Index, which tracks the development of goods like food, medicine and clothing. 

In October of this year, prices for everyday goods in Switzerland rose by 3.2 percent compared to the same month last year, according to the index.

But nine typical breakfast ingredients are on average 5.5 percent more expensive compared to a year ago. 

People in Switzerland have to pay more for butter (in increase of 10.7 percent compared to the same month a year ago), margarine, fats and oils (plus 8.9 percent), coffee (plus seven percent), milk, cheese and eggs (plus 5.9 percent) and tea (plus 3.4 percent).

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The prices of these goods have been rising steadily for several years, the consumer service Comparis found. Since the year 2000, breakfast with the ingredients we mentioned above has become 11.1 percent more expensive on average. The cost of butter, jam, honey, margarine, fats and oils, tea, coffee, bread, flour and cereal products have risen the most over the years.

But it has been accelerating this year as inflation is fuelled by rising energy prices amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

“For years, the costs of typical breakfast ingredients have been rising faster than the prices of the entire overall basket of goods,” said Comparis financial expert Michael Kuhn, adding that it was hitting those on lower incomes particularly hard.

Heating costs rocket upwards

Besides some food items, other goods have also become more expensive in the Alpine country. 

Between September and October, the prices for heating (including gas, heating oil and district heating) rose by 8.8 percent, according to the Comparis index. And compared to the previous year, the price of heating rose by as much as 56 percent, according to the index. 

“Heating oil, in particular, became hugely more expensive in October,” said Kuhn.

After heating costs, prices for printed products, men’s and women’s shoes – as well as fruit and vegetable juices – have also shot up in price. The reasons for this could be “poor harvests and increased demand”, Kuhn said. 

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What’s not increasing dramatically – or going down in price?

Not all items are rising in cost at the same rate.

The cost of of electricity, for instance, has remained stable since September, and compared to the same month last year, electricity has become about 2.4 percent more expensive. 

Looking at the bigger picture, some products have also gone down in price.

Medicines, small household electrical appliances and body care products have become cheaper over the last few years, according to the index. 

Medicines in Switzerland have seen an average reduction in price by 43 percent since the year 2000.

Electrical household appliances, personal hygiene and telecommunications products – like mobile phones – are now about 30 percent cheaper. Toiletries have also become 14 percent cheaper, the consumer service found.