OMG you guys we have finally run out of toilet paper from Jakarta! We thought that Jakarta toilet paper was cheap and good quality, TD and I stuffed the empty spaces in our bookshelves with toilet paper during our pack out! Little did we know that toilet paper in Berlin is even cheaper and better quality!
This is so not fabulous, but I will talk about our crazy urge to shop for toiletries before moving to Berlin. It’s super dorky, but I love hearing from other expat trailing spouses about the prices of toiletries in the city they are living in compared to the city that they come from. So if you are like me, read on!
“The simple cry of ‘Does anyone know where to buy loo paper?’ can bond a group of women in seconds.”
– Diplomatic Incidents, Cherry Denman
When we move to a new country, the strangest questions pop into our minds…
- Will beer be cheap? Jakarta NO, Berlin YES
- Will getting a plumber be cheap? Jakarta YES, Berlin NO
- Will pork be cheap? Jakarta NO, Berlin YES 10x
- Will toilet paper be cheap and nice? Jakarta YES, Berlin VERY CHEAP & NICE
*Our point of reference is Manila, so people coming from different cities with different cost of living will inevitably not have the same view point. We all have different perceptions and experiences based on the different choices we make so it is expected that we will have completely different experiences of the same cities, yes? Also these are the prices to the best of my recollection at the point of purchase, if there are any errors please drop me a comment and I will try my best to correct the mistake.
It helps that we aren’t very particular with brands. The private label in Rossman, can be very cheap indeed! Rewind to Jakarta…
TOILETRIES IN JAKARTA
I used to be brand sensitive when we lived in the Philippines (Diba dapat Colgate, Safeguard, Pantene, etc.?) but living in Jakarta we learned to let go. In Jakarta it was funny that it was risky to grab a familiar brand. I would have to double triple check the price, box and where it was made. Sometimes there would be two boxes of Colgate toothpaste but one would be 5-10x more expensive than the other because it was imported (and I would have a mini-heart attack in the cashier if I picked the wrong one). After awhile I gave up and just started buying the cheapest one, Pepsodent (even cheaper than in Manila).
I also figured that if I bought a big bottle of sensational-smelling body milk instead of buying pre-packaged strong-odoured hand soap, it was not only better for my nose, but also my wallet. Brands like Bath & Body works were practically non-existent when we arrived so I would treat myself to a bottle of handwash in Manila and bring it over. This was a definite treat. When they were made available in Jakarta, they were too expensive to buy anyway.
The toiletry brands were limited when we arrived in Jakarta, though there were many improvements as our 4 years progressed. They could be cheap if you compared prices and not just grab your favorite brand off the rack.
We used to love the toilet paper and thought it was pretty great for the price. That’s why we brought oodles and oodles of it to Berlin LOL!
TOILETRIES IN BERLIN
I am no expert, but the Rossman nearby has been pretty amazing. The Quality Control in Germany is naturally pretty fantastic and they are really into using natural ingredients etc. These are just sample comparisons of the stuff that I get in Berlin and in Jakarta. I try to get items that are gentle (and moisturising for soaps) on the skin because I have very sensitive skin, but I get the lowest possible price while trying to get quality.
The same-sized bottle of liquid soap that was USD6/7 in Jakarta, I can get in Rossman in bubble-bath-soap-form (they all work as hand soap to me!) for only €1 during their sale. I think it’s about €2 when they aren’t on sale.
I can get a Rossman brand soap for €0.30 or $.040 here, while in Jakarta our soaps were IDR 6,000 or about $0.52 for Nivea.
If a 8-10 roll bag of 3-ply toilet paper (that feels 2 ply) was about $4.50-6 in Jakarta, it is €2.75 or about $3.75 for 10 rolls that feels like 3-ply.
A friend of mine mentioned that she would bring shampoo from Berlin to the Philippines because it was so darn cheap here. Especially for products that are on sale!
These are just examples of the prices. It can vary widely and change because of the exchange rate and inflation. I am writing this post because I had a hard time find this information when we were moving to Berlin, and I packed things I shouldn’t have bothered packing haha. There are many things that can be more expensive in Berlin, but when it comes to toiletries, there are easy ways to cut costs, like using “house brands” or “private label.”
So my take from this experience is that if you are attached to a particular brand and moving to Berlin, then by all means, hoard a little. But things like tissue paper, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling-products, is cheaper and great quality here compared the Jakarta and Manila provided that you aren’t brand sensitive.
Also it’s so exciting because so many fine products are made in Germany, so be sure to check before bringing something like Persil haha.
I felt completely insane, when I realized these things after bringing my hoarded stash from Jakarta. Because TD, who is more well traveled than I am, was completely traumatised by the most expensive tube of toothpaste that he bought in Paris, that one time. He was really insistent that we bring toiletries! Panic-buying before moving posts is a natural expat impulse for sure.
The one good thing about it is I can learn the German word for “shampoo” and “toothpaste” a little later than I would have needed to. Finding new toiletry brands in the pharmacy/supermarket can take much longer the first few months, because of all the translating you need to do when you don’t know the local language. When our luggage got lost coming in to Berlin, we mistakenly bought savory tasting toothpaste – imagine my face when I put that in my mouth haha! Getting the completely wrong products, when you are new, is totally part and parcel of the expat experience.
I’d love to hear your take on panic/buying pre-move! Is there a particularly memorable or funny hoarding experience you had when moving to a new city? Let’s discuss!
*featured image via
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Hi Diplowife
Longtime lurker, first time commenter. I love your blog. I enjoy reading your entries. I live in Illinois. Back in 1989 when I visited Munich, I remember a brand of soap called CD. The scent reminds me of a cool dip in the stream on a hot summer day.
Hi Tess, thank you so much for dropping me a line! I love hearing from readers and getting to know them better, like their own shopping preferences, etc. And I love hearing about this soap! I will be sure to look for it in the supermarket/pharmacy. I love scents that evoke an experience instead of just a floral scent. Personally I love coconut scented body washes because they remind me of the Philippine beaches which I miss so much. I can’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t go on beach vacations several times a year and now I am doing without for years at a time. A cool dip in a stream sounds delicious! Thanks again! I hope to hear from you again.
A soon-to-be immigrant to Berlin was asking me about paper products here and all I could do was dumbly bat my eyes because I have literally no idea. Of course I buy toilet paper etc but I had never really compared or cared about quality.
And what to my surprise should appear but your post! Perfect. I forwarded it on to them so they can rest easy in Berlin’s toilet paper. Hilarious – thank you!
Haha thanks for sharing Ebe! I hope that my “toilet paper standards” hold up with Debi LOL!
Let me start with a wave to Ebe. Thanks for the link!
Yes, there are things I must know about. I’m a spoiled American expat already living in Sweden and we’re looking at Berlin now. Ebe was kind enough to let me ask her a load of questions about Berlin and Germany.
My Puffs tissues, super-soft White Cloud toilet paper, Ziploc bags, and even A-1 Sauce are either impossible to find here in Sweden, excessively expensive if you do find them in the import shops, or have been given up as brands due to being unable to afford having family ship them over every month.
There’s a brand of toilet paper here that I’ve come to terms with – Lambi – and they are wonderful. But we couldn’t find that in Berlin. Which is why I asked Ebe.
I did not pack enough of my “comforts of home” when I moved to Sweden. And the discovery period was difficult. At this point, however, I’ve gotten used to the search. And we are actually looking forward to the search in Berlin!
Thanks for a great giggle!
Hi Debi,
Hahaha I am so happy that you found my blog through Ebe. I have to say though that I am not quite sure if my “toilet paper standards” are up to par with yours because I come from Asia. If I remember correctly (it’s been a LONG time since I was in the USA) the toilet paper is AMAH-zing!
I am surprised with the variety of stuff here, but that is because I came from Jakarta. But by the sound of it, Berlin should be better for you in terms of toiletries. =p We even found my husband’s favorite BBQ sauce brand, Bulls Eye, which we loved when he was growing up in the USA. So that sounds promising aye?
I am no expert on Berlin yet, but I hope to be of help to you in any way. Ask away! I always look for this kind of information when moving, and it’s hard to find information on this non-fabulous topics, so I thought I’d start writing about them! I read in the same book something like: when expats move, the question of is there a God is not as important as “what are the toilets like?” Haha
We are a new Diplofamily getting ready to move to Berlin in a few months. Is there anything you can’t get in Berlin? Peanut butter? Certain spices?
Dear DiploMama, it depends on where you are coming from. There is definitely peanut butter here. And there are spices from all over the worlds. There are Asian Supermarkets and I found more Filipino products here than in Indonesia. There are groceries that handle specific food from different region. I.e. Turkish, Vietnamese, Persian, Spanish, Latino, Portuguese. Where are you coming from? I may be able to help you better if I know.