Buenos Aires Supermarkets More Expensive Than London?

[aholm]

It surprised me when a friend visited from Hong Kong recently and she was just shocked (shocked, I tell you!) at how expensive she thought everything was.

I'd say, in terms of a grocery store, the comparison is particularly more expensive here when we're talking about quality - the same item but possibly higher quality in the US (ie - sugar, regular vs organic, or coffee - crap "torrada con azucar" vs decent coffee, etc etc) goes for about the same. That's just how it seems to me...

 

[scotttswan]

queue the camporistas, who's solution is that everyone goes to the central market....

 

[Ries]

i dont buy groceries in London- but compared to the US, Buenos Aires is cheap, especially for real food. Yes, if you live on multinational branded packaged foods that are mostly chemicals, that stuff costs more.
But my neighborhood verduleria is about half what I pay for similar stuff in the US.
Beer is cheaper, thats for sure- but also, wine, hard liquor, and MATE- heck, I pay ten bucks a quarter kilo for Mate in the USA, and its usually 2 years old, stale and flavorless.

as always, eat local. its always the cheapest way.

 

[johnw100]

Have known this for a few years now. They failed to mention wine in that report, especially latin American that seems to have increased in value in the UK. Use to buy a nice Argentine chardonnay for £4 when I was living there and now its £8. But everything else seems more expensive here.

Anyway, who needs food when you have cheap wine.

 

[sleslie23]

i dont buy groceries in London- but compared to the US, Buenos Aires is cheap, especially for real food. Yes, if you live on multinational branded packaged foods that are mostly chemicals, that stuff costs more.
But my neighborhood verduleria is about half what I pay for similar stuff in the US.
Beer is cheaper, thats for sure- but also, wine, hard liquor, and MATE- heck, I pay ten bucks a quarter kilo for Mate in the USA, and its usually 2 years old, stale and flavorless.

as always, eat local. its always the cheapest way.

Not sure where you live (in the US or AR), but the verdus in Belgrano are now MORE expensive per kilo of fruits and vegetables than Whole Foods in Austin, TX.

 

[SherbertDip]

actually, I think the only services and goods which are less expensive here than in the Netherlands par example are courses, electricity, gas and cinemas. For the rest: time to go back to Europe!

When was the last time you went to Albert Hein?!

 

[cbonanni]

I have been saying this for years. AT my local super markets in Italy , as well as the local market, almost everything is cheaper than Bs As. Not to mention of a much higher and fresher quality. However the utility bills and taxes are somewhat less in Argentina.

 

[Girino]

However the utility bills and taxes are somewhat less in Argentina.

Replace "somewhat" with "so much lower".

Gas (heating+stove+hot water): in Italy we spent €1500-1800/year, here we spend less than €20/year [different climate, of course, but not just that!]
Electricity: In Italy we spent about €300/year, here €35/year
DSL (landline only, no mobile phones): in Italy we spent €450/year, here less than €200/year
Water: in Italy we spent less than €100/year, here we don't even track that expense since it is ridiculous, I'd guess less than €10/year?
Rent: in Italy we spent €5200/year, here it is hard to tell due to the exchange rates changing, but I'd say slightly less over the last 12 rolling months.

 

[johnw100]

Replace "somewhat" with "so much lower".

Gas (heating+stove+hot water): in Italy we spent €1500-1800/year, here we spend less than €20/year [different climate, of course, but not just that!]
Electricity: In Italy we spent about €300/year, here €35/year
DSL (landline only, no mobile phones): in Italy we spent €450/year, here less than €200/year
Water: in Italy we spent less than €100/year, here we don't even track that expense since it is ridiculous, I'd guess less than €10/year?
Rent: in Italy we spent €5200/year, here it is hard to tell due to the exchange rates changing, but I'd say slightly less over the last 12 rolling months.

Yes but you get what you pay for.
Electricity is very cheap,but we have a power cut probably once a fortnight, in the UK , it was once in 10 years.
Internet, when it works we`re lucky to get 3mbps , Uk you have 50mbps for about the same price.
Cable TV, here you get it the full 1980s experience when the UK you get HD 3D channels and soon 4K.

But Gas, Water and Rent cant complain about.

Likewise anyone you call out to your house for plumbing,electrics,etc. Theyre so much cheaper here, but then you need to wait in at least 3 times for them to turn up, and then theyll just turn up when they feel like it , usually when your eating. Then they do a bad job and have to come back, and then after a few weeks you need to call someone else to fix the previous clowns failed attempts.

 

[thorsten]

The reason for low-priced utilities are high subsidies. That's why Argentines can afford to clean the walkway with water instead of a broom