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Original poster

Why is everything so expensive in France?

90 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 08/01/2010 22:20

Leg of lamb in Monoprix - around 30 euros, Dove deodorant, over 4 euros, grotty looking lump of stewing steak in supermarket, 15 euros. Satsumas worked out at over a euro each. Cannot find children's pyjamas for less than 16 euros. And don't get me started on the overpriced and scrawny chickens. I know that part of this has to do with the exchange rate and the French propping up and subsidising the farmers, but I go to the supermarket for a few bits and end up spending 50 euros on not very much at all. Rant over.

OP posts:
thenewbornnanny · 08/01/2010 22:31

I noticed that this Xmas too Mrs S... a trolleyload from Champion was nealry 200 Euros!!!!!! A similar trolleyload from Sainsburys was 79 quid. I was shocked. But I live in the Netherlands and it is CRAZY expensive here too. I miss English supermarkets (never thought I would say that!!!)

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 08/01/2010 23:41

I mean, it's not like I'm shopping at Hediard or Fauchon.

But the wine is still reasonably cheap - sorry kids, no dinner, but have a glass of this terribly reasonable Bordeaux...!

OP posts:
kreecherlivesupstairs · 09/01/2010 06:36

You want to try living in Switzerland. I drive to France to buy meat.

itwasntme · 09/01/2010 07:04

Bloody hell, I thought Spain was bad.

23 euros for a pack of pampers!

We were in UK for Christmas and almost everything except for meat, fish and wine is cheaper - even in Waitrose

flyingcloud · 09/01/2010 13:47

I can't get over how expensive France is. Some things just really shock me. DH was that last time I drove to the UK I filled up my car with groceries - in Waitrose! When we lived in the UK we always used to do same in the reverse, shop at Carrefour on the way back. So it just goes to show what the exchange rate has done.

However we live an hour from Paris and MIL who lives in Burgundy can't get over how expensive meat is here, compared to where she lives.

I find the supermarkets really, really grotty too, and smelly and the fact that trolleys are either the size of horse trailers or baskets. There are always huge queues at the checkout as well and as a heavily pregnant woman no-one has ever given me priority in the disabled/pregnant woman priority queue.

That's my rant over, made all the worse by being pg!!

I do love living here though and shopping in the marché and going to the boulangerie are still big treats for me.

pinkhousesarebest · 09/01/2010 15:29

So happy that it is not just us. We spend our lives trying to figure out why we never seem to have any money, yet on paper should have ample. Six euros for tea bags for starters.

thedollshouse · 09/01/2010 15:35

I could never in a million years afford to go on holiday to France at the moment. Our friends always go and when they were telling me how much it cost to have a simple lunch in a second rate restaurant I was shocked. I last went on holiday to France 10 years ago and the supermarkets were such good value and eating out was cheaper than the UK.

For holidays I'm thinking that it is probably cheaper to fly long haul to Thailand or Bali as Europe really doesn't sound much fun at the moment.

mamaloco · 09/01/2010 16:33

Monoprix is expensive it is like doing your shopping in M&S instead of Tesco!
The drop of the pound is a huge let down. If you are paid in euro stop couning in pounds. Of course if you are paid in pounds then it is a problem we lost almost 30 % of our income (buying power?).
flying anybody can queue at the disable/pg counter, if you are disable/pg you just go in front of everyone, I have been told that by the staff last time I went, because people usually don't turn back to see who is there
Where I live there is no such queue and people will even push me to be in front even if I am the size of a whale (not france or UK).
16 euro for children pijamas, not that bad, I remember 10/15 pounds was the cheapest in Tesco few years ago.

frakkinaround · 09/01/2010 17:53

Monoprix isn't that bad but they tend to have the big stores unless you want to go way out to Carrefour. I used to have a very reasonable G20 and franprix but they didn't have anything like the range monoprix did. Most of my shopping was done at the open air market which was much more reasonable and better quality. Can't beat a good Leclerc though.

Here some things are hideously expensive, which is to be expected because it's France and DOM, but I've lived places where it's been worse!

BriocheDoree · 09/01/2010 20:26

Must admit, I'm becoming a big fan of leader price at the mo.
Just had to spent a whopping great 700 EUROS to get my car fixed so am NOT happy about expensive France at the moment.
OTOH, really wouldn't want to live in the UK right now
Agree with pinkhouses. At least it's not just us as we are also permanently skint

moondog · 09/01/2010 20:29

I've just had my niece over in UK form Paris.Even she (at an age when she aint exactly thinking of supermarket shopping) was staggered at the price difference.

We've just been to italy.
Jesus, that was even worse!

Mamazon · 09/01/2010 20:31

cos otherwise Anna wouldn't want to live there

Bonsoir · 09/01/2010 21:20

www.houra.fr

But most of the issue is the weak pound, IMO.

MmeLindt · 09/01/2010 21:25

I don't find France that expensive, but then we live in Switzerland and are paid in Euros.

I have found that going to one of the big chains and going for the own brand items is a good money saver.

Don't the French and the Italians spend more of their disposable income on groceries than the Brits though? Sure I read that somewhere.

Bonsoir · 09/01/2010 21:30

I never buy fruit, vegetables or fish in the supermarket (Monoprix) and only rarely do I buy meat. If you frequent a good greengrocer, fishmonger, butcher etc and get to know them, they do "look after you" and you get better value for money.

Internet shopping is definitely best for dry goods, cleaning materials etc - far more offers and a greater range of price points.

magnolia74 · 09/01/2010 21:31

We are coming to France on holiday in April....I'm dreading it now, how di i feed 5 kids if its that expensive

MmeLindt · 09/01/2010 21:34

Are you flying or taking the car, Magnolia?

Don't panic. If you have space then bring some pasta and sauces with you.

There are Aldis and Lidls in France, check out if there is one near your holiday destination.

As I said, supermarket own brands are good and cheap. We have a Carrefour near us and they have a huge selection of own branded goods.

magnolia74 · 09/01/2010 21:36

We are driving from calais to vendee. Can we bring any food with us or is it restricted?

MmeLindt · 09/01/2010 22:08

I don't think that it is restricted, there is bound to be someone who knows.

Bonsoir · 09/01/2010 22:15

I regularly import all sorts of fresh foodstuffs from the UK to France - there are no restrictions that I know of!

magnolia74 · 09/01/2010 22:18

How would i find out for definate? Thinking of doing a few days shop in dover supermarket and bringing all over but don't want to get held up.

flyingcloud · 10/01/2010 13:06

Ring Eurotunnel or whoever you are travelling with and they will advise or give you a number.

A couple of friends and family members brought food for my wedding (so in large quantities) from England and Ireland (just a couple of local specialities that I wanted to provide to French guests, most of the food was French though!)

shophappy · 10/01/2010 15:12

Bonsoir - thanks for the houra.fr website - I have used telemarket and ooshop, but have never heard of this one, and it seems very good.

I must say, I , too have been amazed by how expensive France (or maybe just Paris?) is in general - when in the UK I always thought of France as much cheaper - now her, it seems to have been reversed!! Maybe that's just my luck!!

What surprises me, is even things like Amazon are much more expensive - I bought my husand's birthday present on Amazon.co.uk and even after delivery to France, it was still a good 25% cheaper than EXACTLY the same item on Amazon.fr. Electrical products are very expensive here - ust compare Dyson vacuum cleaner prices on Amazon to see what I mean!!

Bonsoir · 10/01/2010 15:46

houra is much the largest of the online retailers, with a really wide selection of products at different price points.

If you want to buy water, try Carola. Much the cheapest and it's really nice.

thereistheball · 11/01/2010 10:21

I've never had any trouble importing fresh produce into France from the Uk either by car or on the Eurostar.

Completely agree that many things in France are overpriced, and not just because of the exchange rate - many things are 3x pricier here than in the UK, including Pampers and smoked mackerel, to choose two examples from my Monoprix shopping basket yesterday. And there are only a handful of things that work out cheaper here than in the UK - certain kinds of chorizo are the only things that come to mind at the moment. It's so disappointing because my stay here ought to be a lovely opportunity to explore the food and drink of one of the best culinary cultures in the world, and instead I'm scouring the supermarket for bargains and filling up on carbs, though that is getting better as I learn how to shop here. We now do a bulk shop at Lidl every couple of weeks and only pick up bits and pieces from anywhere else. But I could, and did, do that in Peckham.