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Food per deims in 3 different locations (England, Germany, Switzerland)

Hi all, planning a summertime trip to England (primarily Cotswolds), Germany (Munich and lakes to the south), and BO region of Switzerland. We'll be staying in B and B's so breakfast will be covered. Trying to estimate lunch and dinner, with lunch being something we grab from a store to take with us for the day and dinner being in a pub or similar (nothing super fancy but not fast food either).

If you've recently been to one, two, or all three locations please reply with whatever info you can provide. I know none of these will be the same. Thanks!

Posted by
271 posts

I have visited England, Germany and Switzerland. Although I cannot provide a per diem, I can tell you that our food and drink costs in Switzerland were substantially, maybe 2x, greater than in England or Germany. Perhaps others can provide specific numbers, but be prepared for price shock.

Posted by
8322 posts

Concur, Switzerland is more expensive for lodging and meals.

For the UK, if you have a BnB and free breakfast, then snack for lunch, you only have one meal and can get by for about 75 Pound a day.

Posted by
3135 posts

A friend who is a counselor recently signed a two-year contract to support the U.S. Army at Grafenwoehr, Germany. She gets a free apartment, utilities, car, and gas. Her per diem is $115/day. We were joking about how she was going to eat $115 per day worth of food, but of course that's just extra money for fun stuff. Also, a nice salary. I'm happy for her.

I'm with geovagriffith as we do the same thing.

Posted by
3135 posts

douglas, I'd think if you had an included hotel/B&B breakfast, a light lunch or snacking, and then a proper dinner it shouldn't be $90/day. It really depends on where you go for dinner.

Posted by
9022 posts

I remember paying around 32CHF for a burger & beer at an Irish pub in Switzerland in 2018.

Posted by
470 posts

if you need to ask the price of food in Switzerland then you shouldn't go!

Posted by
23 posts

Roger - fair enough, but we are applying for a sabbatical grant and need to provide a budget.

Posted by
299 posts

I find the website www.numbeo.com very useful for estimating costs. According to them a meal for two people in a mid range restaurant with three courses would average:
United Kingdom 55£ or $65.66
Germany 52 € or $55.13
Switzerland 100 chf or $106.09

I was in Germany a few months ago and would concur with their average. It’s been a year or two since visiting the UK and Switzerland but it sounds about right. Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
2599 posts

Some of the pub chains offer good value meals. These can vary between each establishment within the chain and time of day. Here is one such chain to give you an idea of what you can get for your bucks in Britain.

Posted by
1454 posts

Are you trying to keep the budget as low as possible or do you want a mid range price point? I’d say there’s been considerable inflation since that £55 for 2 figure was calculated. My local pub which is known for decent food but is not a gastro pub or in a tourist/central location charges £14-£20 for mains, £6ish for starters and the same for puddings. So 3 courses would be a minimum of £26 a head without drinks or service.

Posted by
23 posts

Hi Helen - we are looking for a mid to just above mid-range point. If we go it will be because we have been awarded a grant for a sabbatical. In other words, the Foundation will be paying for it! That said, we're not the fine dining type. Some fresh food to purchase for a picnic lunch and a good dinner at a gastropub is what we're after.

Posted by
1454 posts

Where about a will you be in the country? If you’re in very touristy areas you’ll probably find eating out is more expensive. I’d definitely aim at £75 a day to be comfortable. If it’s raining you won’t be able to manage a picnic, for example.

Posted by
28247 posts

I agree that 55 GBP sounds on the low side for two 3-course meals in the UK--at least in the more touristy cities. It might do at a chain like Cote Brasserie, but on the all-too-rare occasions when I've managed to stumble upon an independent restaurant at meal time, I'm not sure my cost has been that low. (This comment brought to you by someone who never orders an alcoholic beverage.)

Posted by
355 posts

Agree with using the State Department rates. Also, most universities have per diem calculators for their faculty and staff travel. If this isn't a sabbatical from a university, perhaps a local university has their per diem calculator available without needing a password to access it (check for a travel page or a grants page).

Posted by
299 posts

The Numbeo.com averages I gave were for the average for the respective country. You can drill down the average to city for more accurate costs. That mid range meal in London is 70 £; Bristol is 60£. I’d agree inflation may have pushed things up a tad. It’s crowd sourced so there is a delay.

Posted by
1454 posts

Per diem just means per day.

£75 between 2 won’t be enough. US government gives employees $135 each for food and incidentals as a per diem. I’d go with their recommendations rather than what random people on here think to be honest!