Let's talk grocery prices round the world

[50ShadesOfCatholic]

I'm curious to know how much basic foods cost around the world. You know, pasta, rice, bread, butter, cheese, fruit and vegetables... that sort of thing.

I'll start with a receipt from NZ.

Here

too good to go food waste app - anyone else use it? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4306345-too-good-to-go-food-waste-app-anyone-else-use-it

Thank you NotMyCat what a fantastic app. I haven't heard of that here but I'll do a little clicking around

Peony, I love that article - all the fresh fruit and veg in Egypt, Turkey, Mexico, India and all the packaged conveniencestuff in US, UK and Canada - although the Japanese family seemed to have quite a lot of packaged stuff too.

Free range eggs, £1.69 a dozen.
Wholemeal bread 59p (Tesco own)
Ripe bananas X 5 smallish 69p
Half side of salmon £6.75
Butter 250g £1.48
Cheap mozzarella, 210g 43p
Brie, 200g £1.95
Milk, semi skimmed, 4 pints £1.09
Tesco, England, today.
I earn just over the minimum wage, which is £9 something.

It's well known that, as a percentage of income, UK food prices are some of the lowest in the world. Typically of course, obviously there are huge variations in incomes and amounts spent.

Plus despite what a lot of people say, it's very easy to eat well on a low budget. Seasonal vegetables and fruit like bananas are ridiculously cheap in the UK.

Well, I’ll win this one OP! I’m in Switzerland and the food shop is astronomical here.

Fortunately we’re 5 mins from the French border so we, like everyone else in this country who lives by a border, do our food shop ‘abroad’!

@reprehensibleme

Peony, I love that article - all the fresh fruit and veg in Egypt, Turkey, Mexico, India and all the packaged conveniencestuff in US, UK and Canada - although the Japanese family seemed to have quite a lot of packaged stuff too.

That article seems set up to make the UK family at least look bad, with all that chocolate front and centre like that. Plus the enormous amount of meat for the Australian family. Are the families really typical of the countries that they live in?

@DinosApple

Free range eggs, £1.69 a dozen. Wholemeal bread 59p (Tesco own) Ripe bananas X 5 smallish 69p Half side of salmon £6.75 Butter 250g £1.48 Cheap mozzarella, 210g 43p Brie, 200g £1.95 Milk, semi skimmed, 4 pints £1.09 Tesco, England, today. I earn just over the minimum wage, which is £9 something.

Your eggs are a good price, brie too,

I'm very glad to see you're eating salmon and mozzarella on a low wage, good for you.

I guess the other thing to take into account is the cost of other basics here, housing and fuel. Housing costs are relatively high. The average house price is $820,000 nationwide which is well beyond the reach of anyone on a low to medium wage. Of course rental costs are even higher.

Petrol is $2.30/l

@FloconDeNeige

Well, I’ll win this one OP! I’m in Switzerland and the food shop is astronomical here.

Fortunately we’re 5 mins from the French border so we, like everyone else in this country who lives by a border, do our food shop ‘abroad’!

I can well believe you! though I do remember holidaying in Switzerland and it seeming very reasonably priced given that we were living in London haha

How fabulous that you can pop across to France to do your shopping though.

We have next to no competition to keep food prices down.

I should probably add
Wage approx 24k (varies due to commission)
2 bed apartment 110k

@NotMyCat

after hunting around it appears we do not have that amazing prevent food waste app. It looks as though there was a restaurant one a few years back but it has slid off the radar. Covid related, perhaps.

Food seems more expensive in Aus than in NZ (especially dairy)

@reprehensibleme

I so agree about the families in the newspaper story. We have had a lot of Japanese visitors over the years and they sure are attached to their packaging. But at the same time they seem to eat very healthily. One of our visitors taught us to make ramen and some other Japanese favourites.

@Justilou1

Food seems more expensive in Aus than in NZ (especially dairy)

Interesting. Whenever I go to Australia I feel very envious about how cheap it is to buy groceries. And so much fresh produce. And olives, yummmm

Yes, I think small, remote islands are pricey for food & goods. I remember thinking how expensive the supermarket in Réunion was (French overseas territory in Indian ocean, next to Mauritius).

Food is much more expensive here in Central Europe than Uk.

Ie from receipt yesterday
Bread - €3.25
Milk 1litre (approx 2pints) -€1.69
Cucumber - € 1.80
2kg potatoes -€4.50
Eggs -€0.55 each

We grow a lot of fruits and veg in the summer which helps.
Although food is generally all very good quality, almost all is organic by default ie I think all milk is free range organic, and lots produced in country with less imports.

Useful link to make international comparisons on shopping.

@Caspianberg
That looks very expensive
I hope the wages are high!

Oh and aptimal baby formula is €19.99 for 800g box.

I remember visiting the US for a few weeks when pregnant and so trying to eat healthily and being shocked at how much everything cost, especially fruit and vegetables. Individual pieces of fruit were very expensive, whereas here you can get an apple or banana for 25p. A small bottle of milk was a couple of dollars and tasted funny, while in the UK a pint of milk is under 60p. Similarly, spring onions, salad peppers, baby tomatoes etc. were all a lot more expensive (think $2-$3 rather than 40-60p). Making a chilli cost 2-3 times what it would cost us here.

We were in New England so our experience may have been atypical but, if it wasn't, I can see how it would be harder for low-income Americans to eat healthily

@50ShadesOfCatholic - no, average wages are lower than Uk. Healthcare is expensive ( compulsory but based on income so low earners it’s potentially free), food expensive, and things like utilities very expensive. I think we pay around €4000 in oil each winter.

@lljkk

What a great tool. NZ up there with Israel, Denmark and Sweden. Figures!

800g of Aptamil is nearly 27 CHF/EUR here!

Voilà !

@Goldbar

I found that in California that fresh produce was inexpensive and plentiful. New England probably is relatively expensive but absolutely it is cheaper to eat fast food in the US than to cook at home. Which just seems wrong.

@Caspianberg that all sounds very expensive. How do people manage?