The Netherlands - Cost of Living: Food prices in the Netherlands cheaper than EU average

Food in the Netherlands is 4% cheaper than the European average, according to new figures from EU statistics agency Eurostat.

Food prices in Denmark, the most expensive country, are twice as high as in Poland, which is the cheapest. Prices in the Netherlands are slightly cheaper than Slovenia and slightly more expensive than Spain, the Eurostat figures show.

Alcoholic drinks in the Netherlands are slightly cheaper than the EU average while cigarettes are 8% more expensive.

Read more: DutchNews.nl - Food prices in the Netherlands cheaper than EU average

Israelis stage mass protests over rising living costs

In one of biggest waves of protests in decades in Israel, demonstrators are demanding government action to reduce the cost of housing and food. Some protesters have also set up camp in city centres.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld that as well as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, an estimated 20,000 people had taken part in protests in other towns and cities. "Our numbers are more than 250,000 people across the country," he told AFP news agency.

Israeli media put the number of protesters closer to 300,000.

For more: BBC News - Israelis stage mass protests over rising living costs

Forbes.com: Europe's Best Paid Cities - by Parmy Olsen

For the complete report from Forbes.com click on this link

Europe's Best Paid Cities - by Parmy Olsen

Like the feeling of a hefty wage packet? Move to Switzerland. That's where you'll find the two cities with the highest-paid workers in Europe, according to a new survey of wages that was released on Wednesday. Residents of Zurich, in the German-speaking part of the country, earn an average $22.60 an hour after taxes, while Geneva's French-speaking citizens earn an average $20.40 an hour. Salaries are not so first-rate in Kiev, Ukraine. It ranks last. Workers there earn a measly $2.40 an hour on average, or just over a tenth of what the Swiss earn.

The biggest faller in the pay rankings is London. Three years ago the British capital was in the No. 2 spot, but now it has slid 19 places, to 21. The reason? The falling pound has made London employees for multinational companies around 25% cheaper in first half of 2009 than they were three years ago.