The price of a simple coffee in Switzerland has hit a new record.
A café crème now costs an average of CHF 4.65, up seven centimes on last year and the sixth annual increase in a row, according to the trade association CafetierSuisse. Over a decade, the price has risen by 45 centimes.
Espresso prices are climbing too, now averaging CHF 4.54, and a cappuccino comes in at CHF 5.37 - the first time the association has recorded its cost.
Café owners blame rising staff, energy and operating expenses, and warn of more increases next year.
Yet Switzerland remains one of the world’s biggest coffee-drinking nations, consuming more than 1,200 cups per person each year. But the sector is under strain: one in ten establishments surveyed said they were close to permanent closure.
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