What is more expensive in Germany than in U.S.?

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frackledJJ

Well, having done what you are about to do the other way around (I'm German, went to the US) twice, so...
Obviously, stocking up on gas and food won't work. Otherwise, you'd be my new best friend! ;))
Ok, seriously! Food on average I would say costs the same (pricetagwise, not exchange-rate wise)in Germany and in the US. Fresh produce in the US is, I think, more expensive. All the other stuff, toiletries, writing utensils... you won't be able to judge how much deodorant or shaving cream you'll need during the year, and similar, if not exactly the same brands are available. Writing utensils: A pad will cost anything from 79 cents to 1.50 â‚¬, so they won't get you bankrupt. Besides, in Germany, white writing paper is used, and bringing a batch of writing pads would definitely get you down on your luggage.
It is true, Germany is more expensive, but that is in big part due to heating, waste fines, energy, and so on. I don't know if you will stay in a family or not, as that would probably influence what you should pack and get more than the prices. For instance: If you stay in a family, they might be able to lend you a winter jacket. If you are not, I would suggest to take the winter jacket with you from the US, as they are expensive over here. But: Winter jackets are bulky, and I don't know if you even have one. If you're from South California, chances are the "winter" jacket you have won't get you very far here, and buying the winter jacket you will need in California would probably cost you more than buying one here, so...
Tell you what: contact me on here and tell me more specificly where you are going and where you'll stay, I'd be glad to share my experiences about packing and "moving" and give you some advice.

blue_daffodil2005

My friend lives in U.S. and the only stuff she buys in Germany are German brands like Birkenstock and German chocolate...that's cheaper here all the other things are more expensive...except beer!;-)

damffool

Carry a few hundred gallons of gas. Trade it for beer.

amity

many things ...
clothes over all and GAS (1.56 Euro per liter today!)
Good and healthy food is cheaper though. You don't need to go to a special store for it.

Cilantro

At the moment, with the US' bad economy, I'd say most things will be cheaper here than there. If it were the other way around though, I'd imagine you'd have more flexiblity with your money based on the exchange rate. Just a guess. Could be wrong.

amrc_baby

i'm pretty sure most things in America are cheaper than in Germany .. i know this because an old friend of mine & her family were here (army) stationed for 5 years and they bought their children all the new electronics they wanted & the same for themselves because it was less expensive than it would be when they moved back

Eric

Almost everything in Germany is more expensive than those things you can find in the U.S. because they use euros there, which are worth more than U.S. dollars. So you should just bring everything that you need with you.

Kalina

cost of living will be more so will most food but you can't take that on a plane...you can stock up on your favorite toiletries and school supplies as that's difficult and they may not have what you like.

Man

I've heard from one of my friends everything except beer.

kat1605nrw

It's true that the current strong euro opposed to a weak dollar makes life in Germany more expensive to US citizens. Still, give yourself a minute to think about what would be sensible to bring over.

If you bring, say, your favourite shower gel, you'll probably save one dollar, gain weight that could really be spent more smartly for your suitcase towards the limit that you have. Plus, the whole fun of going abroad is in trying new things, not sticking to the products and routines you are used to.

So I'd steer clear of stuff like toiletries, notepads etc. Once you've settled in Germany, you'll find out where you get this kind of stuff at bargain prices, it'll only be expensive if you insist on getting exactly the same stuff you have back at home.

If you do want to bring something that will pay off, I'd recommend buying, or at least packing, an additional pair of shoes or a couple more sweaters. These will last you a long time during your stay, and buying new ones would set you back more than just a few bucks.

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