Yup but not Switzerland, where the VAT is 7.7%. Prices are still higher there. Something like 10-20% for Apple products, which I mention because this article is about Apple products.

Prices also reflect people’s purchasing power which is rather high in Switzerland.

Yep, also wages are higher there so there is a higher cost of running stores there. This is especially visible in stuff requiring manual work (eg. premade sandwiches in a store).

On the other hand, everyone I know from switzerland goes (usually) to germany to shop there, and our balkan "gastarbaiters" go home, and do "everything" here/there (dentist, haircuts,...).

> everyone I know from switzerland goes (usually) to germany to shop there

This is common in border cities such as Basel, but seems relatively unusual in my experience for people living in Zurich, Bern, etc. It's often not worth the extra few hours of travel from these cities on top of potential customs formalities.

Yes, I used to live in Switzerland so I'm aware but I seem to have interpreted your use of "EU" too literally. :)