Here in NL, we pay more for "stuff", food, drink, parking, petrol etc ad infinitum than they do in Germany or Belgium.

It seems the higher prices are not down to just one cause. They say wages for comparable jobs are higher here than in G or B. Taxes are higher too. As well as VAT on new cars, we also have a tax called BPM (Belasting van Personenauto's en Motorfietsen). The level of BPM is determined by the levels of the vehicle's CO2 emissions. There's the price of the car, then the BPM and then VAT over both. Yes, tax on tax (also happens with gas and electricity where there's an energy tax and you get to pay VAT on it...). There's also this Dutch trait of loving deals. BOGOF deals. Buy x amount and get y amount free. Supermarkets charge, as standard, high prices to pay for the deals. Personally, I'd rather have permanent lower prices than raised prices to fund deals.