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Food costs - Thailand vs the West


Tango777

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I'm wondering how food costs compare lately between the US and Thailand. There have been steep price increases in the US (5-20%) on a lot of foods. RE is up way over 20% YOY at least in Florida. 

 

We bought these Thai Eggplants at an Asian foods Supermarket here. This store is one of the biggest around here, a former supermarket space. This is the stuff they make green curry with. $ 1.59 / lb. Over here skinless/boneless chicken breasts have gone from $ 1.99 at Walmart which has been their price for 10 years, to $ 2.09 in the last 4 weeks, a 5% increase. Many probably know there are football field size chicken houses all over the South here. This Supermarket is in Florida. 

 

 

ThaiEggplantMDMarket.jpg

Edited by Tango777
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I can’t do the conversion but chicken breast maybe 58 baht per kilo. I know two more or less average sized breasts run me 30ish baht, Way cheaper here.

 

.Those Thai eggplants, I picked up a huge bag at makro, way over a kilo, was 35 baht. Wish I could remember the weight. 

Edited by utalkin2me
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25 minutes ago, Tango777 said:

I'm wondering how food costs compare lately between the US and Thailand. There have been steep price increases in the US (5-20%) on a lot of foods. RE is up way over 20% YOY at least in Florida. 

Cooking oil is the only rise I've noticed from 40bht to 50bht in the past couple of months. Everything else is embarrassingly cheap, and western foods have all got cheaper in the past 10 years.

 

1KG of large bell peppers (red/green) 30bht.

 

Edited by BritManToo
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Our weely shoping bill compared to what it used to be in England is so low ,also much healthier as i am not tempted to buy processed meals ,mind you the wife would just put them back when i am not looking lol, also food you can buy at the open stalls is also so cheap, i was talking on the phone the other day to my daughter,just couldnt believe what her shopping bill for one week was,prices seem to have gone through the roof.

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All depends on what you’re eating.  How much is a tin of King Oscar Sardines there?  Cheese?  Steak?  Salad Dressing?  Avocados?  Blue Diamond almonds?  Broccoli?

 

Chicken Breasts can be cheaper or more expensive here.

 

 

1BCABC02-E0EF-471A-A7CA-94F5CA2CBB8A.jpeg

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1 hour ago, JackGats said:

If you want a high-protein diet with some variety Thailand is more expensive. If on top of that you care for cruelty to animal and want to get your proteins from dairy products, Thailand is 5 times as expensive.

 

50 euros do not go a long way at Central, just a handful of items at the bottom of your cart. At Aldi or Lidl or one of the other popular supermarkets in the EU I fill a wole shopping cart to the top with 50 euros.

In the USA, I am always surprised when I go to Aldi or Lidl.  We forget to bring bags, so don't get much.  But it is really cheap.  Just get basics.

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Just now, BritManToo said:

I'm guessing these guys do one of these.

1) don't actually live here.

2) only shop in Tops/Villa/Rimping.

3) put money in the open hand of the woman that does their shopping.

You are correct about putting money into the open hand of a woman.

Years ago living with my ex, i arrived here from the UK, she says no gas, ok i will go at get a new bottle, no no i send my nephew, he needs five hundred baht, thought nothing of it.

Fast forward  to being with my new wife, gas ran out, i went to get a new one, 290 baht.

Got home said to my wife, gas shop have made a mistake, no darling that is the price.

So who was stupid just putting money into an open hand?   ME.

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2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It just isn't, maybe 2x  the price on some products

MIlk 83bht/2l, cheese 265bht/500gm, Sharwood Tandoori paste 109bht/jar.

But more than compensated by the local food I buy that's 1/4 the price.

 

Then if you add in street/fast food prices, moo ping 5bht/stick, chicken kebabs 10bht/stick compared to say fish and chips 10 pounds, donar kebab 7.50 pounds your bills are much much cheaper.

A jar of pickled onions can be bought for as little as 30 Pence in the U.K (14 Baht ) , they are about ten times the price in Thailand .

  H.P. sauce is a Pound in the UK and 3 Pounds (120Baht) in Thailand .

  U.K products are about 3 times the price in Thailand for goods like for like , but if you were buying supermarkets own brand in the U.K , then the cost is about 6-10 times higher in Thailand .

  

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1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Which shop is that from ?

Lazada ....... Food Variety shop, free shipping over 500bht, plus 7% discount over 1,000bht.

Lazada ...... Saimburi's 105bht for the slightly larger plastic squeezy bottles.

Edited by BritManToo
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Just my wife and I,,  our  shopping bill,  usually  go every ten days or so, to Lotus  and Macro,,, cost  anywhere between  5000 to 7000 baht, and  we   eat mainly Thai style foods, then theres the extras most days,, milk, bread, eggs , fresh  vegies from the market.

I compare prices   on line with those at my local Woolworths  store back in Australia,  not a lot of difference when you balance the total purchase,,  an example,,   Meadowlea butter here,, 159 baht for 500 grams, ( last week  165 baht)  Australia,  49 baht.. I admit   pork and chicken is very cheap   here though.

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16 minutes ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

not a lot of difference when you balance the total purchase,,  an example,,   Meadowlea butter here,, 159 baht for 500 grams, ( last week  165 baht)  Australia,  49 baht.. I admit   pork and chicken is very cheap   here though.

But you chose to buy an imported product, as opposed to a similar local product. Milk Pot costs half the price (from YoK) 85bht.

 

 

 

IMG_20210718_105349.jpg

Edited by BritManToo
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