In Amsterdam the salaries are three times higher than ours but look at how much the shopping really costs

There is a cliché that is difficult to dispel: in countries where you earn more, life costs proportionately more. It’s a mathematical equation that seems to flow, at least on paper. But what happens when you actually compare an Italian shopping cart with a Dutch one? @azzupetrini on TikTok answered this question, documenting a real shopping spree at the Jumbo supermarket in Amsterdam. The reality that emerges from the supermarket aisles tells a different story, more nuanced and decidedly less dramatic than one might imagine.

Fruits and vegetables

The first surprise already arrives in the fruit and vegetable department. Bananas at €2 per kilo, carrots at €1 per half kilo, courgettes at €0.75 each: numbers that do not shock those accustomed to the prices of Italian markets. The perception that everything must necessarily cost double or triple as much clashes with labels that speak a familiar language. As @azzupetrini shows in his video, the prices are defined as “fairly normal”. Of course, tomatoes maintain that price variability that we know well in Italy too, but the general impression is that the fresh section does not present substantial differences compared to what we find in our supermarkets.

Salmon costs less than Parmesan

The protein counter reveals the true oddities of this hybrid market. Salmon, a typically Nordic product, becomes a bargain: €3.20 for 125g represents a price that in Italy would make many customers rush to purchase. At the same time, Parmigiano Reggiano reaches figures that transform it into a small investment rather than a daily condiment. It is the paradox of being a foreigner in a foreign land: what is local and cheap for the Dutch becomes a luxury for those coming from the Mediterranean, and vice versa.

Eggs maintain a medium-high price with a pack of 10 pieces at €4.80, while milk surprises positively with prices below €1 per liter for some brands. Alpro vegetable yogurt stands at €2.70 per 500g, a cost that does not differ too much from the Italian one for similar products.

Bakery and pantry

If up to this point the comparison held up quite well, it is in the bakery products and Italian pantry departments that the real differences emerge. The croissants and sandwiches at €0.25 each represent a real stroke of luck, probably among the most convenient products in the entire supermarket. But when you try to recreate the flavors of home, the bill skyrockets. Pasta becomes an item to be evaluated carefully: as @azzupetrini points out, it is “very expensive” unless you fall back on little-known brands at €0.90 for 500g, you risk spending sums that would make any Italian grandmother pale. Pesto for €4 and Italian brand olive oil at high prices complete the picture of Mediterranean cuisine that costs dearly abroad.

Roses at 3.50 euros

In the midst of this whirlwind of contrasting prices, a detail stands out that goes beyond mere nutrition. A bouquet of 9 roses costs only €3.50. In Italy, where fresh flowers maintain relatively high prices, this figure would barely allow you to buy three or four stems. It is a small daily luxury that becomes accessible in Amsterdam, an apparently marginal detail but which says a lot about the quality of life possible with more generous salaries. It is no coincidence that @azzupetrini highlights it as one of the most advantageous aspects of Dutch spending.

The final bill

At the checkout, the total of the cart containing yogurt, pasta, pesto, eggs, bananas, roses, cherry tomatoes, a courgette, granola and 4 croissants amounts to €27.80. It is an amount which, compared to the quantity and variety of items purchased, appears more than reasonable. This is not an expense for a penniless student nor a purchase for a large family, but a balanced trolley that faithfully represents the needs of a person or a couple for several days.

Double salaries, not double costs

The real crux of the matter emerges right here, in the comparison between how much you earn and how much you actually spend. As @azzupetrini wants to demonstrate with his video, if salaries in the Netherlands can be double or triple compared to those in Italy, the cost of daily shopping does not follow the same progression. Of course, you have to adapt: ​​rediscover local cheeses instead of parmesan, take advantage of fresh flowers instead of considering them a festive exception. But the mathematics of purchasing power ultimately smiles on those who live in the Netherlands.

The experience of shopping in Amsterdam documented by @azzupetrini therefore dismantles the myth of the economic inaccessibility of Northern European countries. Not everything costs less than in Italy, that’s for sure, but not everything costs proportionally more than salaries either. It is a question of priorities, adaptation and awareness that living abroad also means learning to shop differently, enhancing what the local area offers at competitive prices and limiting nostalgic purchases that weigh on the wallet.