The Price Of A Big Mac Is Now $17.19 In Zurich

While I think that the $17.19 price tag on a Big Mac in Zurich is absurd, there's quite a gap in how much income one would expect to earn in Switzerland overall, and the comparison to Minneapolis makes it sound quite a bit worse than it really is...

Food for thought:
According to this site the poverty level for a family of 4 in Switzerland is 4,800 CHF monthly, which currently equals about 6,627 USD or about 79,000 USD yearly depending on the exchange rate at the time. 6.9% of the population is below the poverty level in Switzerland. (CIA World Factbook)

According to this site the poverty level for a family of 4 in the United States is 22,350 USD yearly while about 14% are under the poverty level. (NY Times Article)

Most of these are figures from before 2010 though, so things may have changed but I wasn't able to locate newer information. In my opinion it is bad, but not as bad as the article makes it out to be.

-xekron

Originally posted by James1982
reply to post by watcher3339

 

I definitely get what you are saying, there are people out there like that. A friend's girlfriend turned down a job in a hospital that payed 16 something an hour because she thought that was too low. I forget exactly what she is/does, but she isn't a nurse, didn't go to school for her profession, just took a 3 week course (somewhere around that length)

To me, that seemed ridiculous. I worked labor jobs straight out of high school, and actually while still in school. I didn't want to go to college, I enjoy physical labor and working with my hands. A long, hard days work is what I'm used to. Drinking a few gallon jugs of water before the end of the day because your sweating so much isn't out of the norm for me. My family have all made themselves decent lives with blue collar work and no college education, I figured I could do the same.

I guess I was wrong. This country no longer values hard work. It values being sneaky, underhanded, and morally bankrupt. This is where my anger comes from. I've been out of work for over a year. Put in thousands of applications, offered to work FOR FREE to prove myself at a few places that had great positions open. Still nothing.

So I apologize for my rant, it wasn't really directed at you. I do understand where you are coming from, as lazy individuals of my generation certainly do exist. My blood just boils when people call me lazy, entitled, etc. These same people wouldn't know a hard days work if it bit them in the rear. I want job, I want to work hard, but the opportunity isn't there. I've thought about going to school, but who knows what kind of education will be valuable in 2-4 years. And I'm having a hard time supporting myself right now, throw in the cost of school and I'm done for. It feels like a trap, one I think many many Americans are currently in. And then get called lazy and entitled on top of it.

I'm done, sorry for blabbing on so long

I just have a feeling there a ton of people out there like me that just want to work, but some will try and make you think we want to live on unemployment and food stamps (neither of which I get, btw)

You really, really, really don't need to apologize. You and the people like you are the ones who will save this country.
And, it will pay off for you. Our generation is lazy and entitled. That means that when the bottleneck of the baby boomers actually retire....it is the folks from our generation that aren't that way and who have been out there working for real that will be in the position to actually step up and take over. The rest of them just do what their boom managers tell them to do (like a parent / child relationship).
I am sorry for your work troubles. Hang in there. But keep at it. You WILL get there.

People are getting really off topic.

Nobody cares what your opinion of the Quality of Mcdonalds food is. The thread isnt about that.

Sometimes We don't have time to cook a whole dinner at home, so we get McDonalds, or some other fast food, its just cheaper also.

It's not cheaper. You can make a much more healthy meal for half the cost. Still, I like McDonalds from time to time


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Switzerland must be where all the PTB live.

Obviously that is where all our money is ending up if they can afford those prices.

If the american money is now worth even less then Euros...

WHY THE F*%@ WOULD AMERICAN THINGS SHOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE NOW??!!!

It should be the other way around, they can explain all they want, they are just screwing people.

Edit : Oh it's 17,19 IF you exchange the value in American dollars, I see.

So it might sound like 17$ to us but for them it's exactly the same price

Originally posted by anumohi
glad i still live in the good ole US where you can buy a full meal deal for under 10 bucks

Barbaric gouging! In my country you can get one for half that.

reply to post by James1982


Move/work to/with anything/anywhere having to do with food production/agriculture and mining and just resources in general. Coz that's what's America's gonna become next. A banana republic.

Originally posted by wayno
Switzerland must be where all the PTB live.

Obviously that is where all our money is ending up if they can afford those prices.

Well, the last Bilderberg meet was there. And prior to that Spain and Greece (we all know what happened to those countries.)

The likes of Switzerland and Japan may have high prices, but they also have high salaries. Which is just the same thing, actually. They just appear richer when compared with nominal values relative to other countries'.

Although Japan will soon know how it will feel like to be a has been once Korea finally surpasses them.

Stop smoking.
Dont drive too fast, attach your seatbelt.
EAT WELL,no junk food...

Because we're being taxed to death and it's not going to be the govs fault
if we can't feed ourselves.

Originally posted by crazydaisy

Originally posted by snowspirit
Price is irrelevant unless we know what their wages are over there.

Exactly, I read thru the thread thinking the same and no one
had mentioned it yet. Its the same in the US by state. Some
make more money in certain states and prices are higher.
Does anyone know how much minimum wages might
be in Zurich.

Switzerland does not have a legal minimum wage.

reply to post by Partygirl


It's probably that price because they use real meat in that thing.
Somehow I don't think that if I traveled to Zurich i'd be going to McDonalds in the first place.

reply to post by gabby2011


I would call it the 'Srunken Mac" as in - "Honey I shrunk the kids".
A smaller bun and a tiny bit of gristle, masquerading as beef.

Originally posted by baddmove
Back in the depression they would take your dollar..

And place it on a loaf of bread..

and cut out the size of the dollar..

and that is what you got for a dollar ...

This is too weird not to research further. What is your source? Or what should I search for?


Is it possible that the price is high because the Europeans have laws (that are enforced) to protect the public from being fed poisonous foodstuffs and that is what it costs to create a big mac that is semi healthy.

Originally posted by WeZet
It's not cheaper. You can make a much more healthy meal for half the cost.

That I would have to disagree with.

I can go to McDonalds and get a double cheeseburger for $1. It will fill me up, and it's cheap. I don't really eat fast food anymore because of how unhealthy it is, but you can't argue the cost factor. Show me a healthy meal you can make that will fill you up for 50 cents.

reply to post by eldard


Well that's the tiny little issue I have. I expect to be paid a livable wage for my labor.

reply to post by Partygirl


First off, this statement is absolute bs.
Second, qp are tastier

reply to post by James1982


The labor market is subject also to the laws of supply and demand. If you can be easily replaced, you're not gonna get a high salary unless you switch careers/move.

Brown rice is a healthy meal and will fill you up and it's cheaper than flour. If you're into ricing, that is. BTW, how much is a kilo of ground beef there? You're gonna need 1/8 or less for a patty. Making your own burgers is cheaper and not to mention taste better. And you don't get to fund the Jewish lobby by not supporting heavy advertisers.

I would guess the difference in price is because the US dollar has fallen so hard against the Swiss franc. In addition to this maybe the rise of food prices globally? I would bet, and I'm just guessing here so don't hold me to it, the Swiss banks probably hold a great deal of the wealth belonging to the elite of the world. I bet their banks won't become insolvent anytime soon.

reply to post by surrealist


amen!

reply to post by VforVendettea


semi-healthy big mc??..come on and the boogey man is real too!

but yeah, in europe we have a lot of regulations about food.