Switzerland is sooooo expensive!

It's really unbelievable how much things cost here. I guess it's a combination of the weak dollar and the European economy. A Swiss Franc is worth about a dollar. A bottle of Coke costs 5 Swisss francs; an average lunch of salad and drinks will set you back 45 Swiss francs. Hotel rooms (probably 2 and 3 star) are over $250 a night. We throw Swiss francs around here like we use quarters back in the States.

I am not exaggerating. For an American to come here would be like someone from the economy of Guatemala to spend a week in New York City. Of course, living here as a tourist is what runs up the cost. The average Swiss makes about 50,000 Swiss francs per year. They don't eat out. They don't stay at hotels here. We went to a little grocery in Geneva today and bought a can of Diet Coke for 1.80 Swiss francs. Expensive yes, but not the price gouging we've experienced this past week.

It's a wonderful place to live but it sure is hard to visit here.