Price Comparison (Food, UK vs. Thailand)

[AyG]

When I first came to Thailand from the UK food seemed cheap. After all these years prices seem a lot higher, particularly given the change in the GBP/THB exchange rate. However, I'd really lost touch with how much food costs back home. I therefore decided to compare the costs of 50 food items that are (to me) staples. There were a few surprises:

(1) Most fruit and vegetables are cheaper in Thailand than England, except for tomatoes, lettuce and bananas, which are about the same, and onions which are 49% more expensive.

(2) Whole chickens are more expensive here, despite Thailand being a major exporter of chicken to Europe, yet breasts are a lot cheaper - less than half the price. Beef and pork are roughly the same price. (I'd expected both to be a lot cheaper here.)

(3) Fresh salmon is 75% more expensive here (no surprise), but smoked salmon is roughly half the price.

(4) Imported cheese is very expensive (again no surprise); Emmenthal is more than triple the UK price. However, Edam is actually cheaper here (a third less).

(5) Locally produced cottage cheese (Foremost) is almost triple the UK price, yet fresh milk is only 40% more expensive. Similarly, locally produced yogourt is double the UK price. Someone is making a nice profit, methinks.

(6) Sunflower oil (though made in Thailand) is more expensive here than back in the UK, as is honey.

(7) Soft drinks are a lot cheaper here (about half price), but fruit juice is more expensive - even for locally produced orange juice.

(8) Imported gin and whisky are mercifully cheap thanks to the UK's draconian taxes on spirits.

Full details with further commentary are available at http://postcardsfromthailand.com/2013/07/the-price-of-eggs-thailand-vs-uk/

[breadbin]

Obviously absolutely the op has nothing to do with his time.

Op you can't change it so live with it.

[AyG]

Obviously absolutely the op has nothing to do with his time.

Op you can't change it so live with it.

I have better things to do with my time than to snipe meaninglessly at others.

I may not be able to change things, but I have curiosity about the world around me. All being well it's going to be a few years before I'm brain dead. Others seem to have got to that state before me.

[Jasun]

Thanks for the comparison. I checked your detailed list, will run a price check against the same items here in Oz to see how it stacks up.

[stoneyboy]

So after all these years you've finally realised that all the things expats like to eat are either more expensive here than back home or on a level par.

And all the locally produced imitation goods are sub standard and over priced.

Great work.

[Pacificperson]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

[AyG]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

I deliberately didn't include Thai ingredients for the simple reason that things such as lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves are going to be ridiculously expensive in Europe. Other Thai supermarket ingredients such as pig uterus, congealed blood and duck beaks simply aren't available in the UK.

[AyG]

So after all these years you've finally realised that all the things expats like to eat are either more expensive here than back home or on a level par.

And all the locally produced imitation goods are sub standard and over priced.

Great work.

Try reading a little more carefully.

- Why are Edam cheese and smoked salmon cheaper in Thailand than the UK?

- Why aren't tomatoes cheaper here? Or whole chickens? Or bananas? All are produced locally, and all are popular here.

- Why are potatoes so cheap, given that they're not a usual part of the Thai diet?

Thanks for the "great work" comment, though. Appreciated.

[Kudel]

So after all these years you've finally realised that all the things expats like to eat are either more expensive here than back home or on a level par.And all the locally produced imitation goods are sub standard and over priced.Great work.

Try reading a little more carefully.- Why are Edam cheese and smoked salmon cheaper in Thailand than the UK?- Why aren't tomatoes cheaper here? Or whole chickens? Or bananas? All are produced locally, and all are popular here.- Why are potatoes so cheap, given that they're not a usual part of the Thai diet?Thanks for the "great work" comment, though. Appreciated.

Yes food is cheap in Thailand,but when i go to a Thai shop in my country most Thai fruits and veggies are imported from Vietnam because the european union has a small issue with some Thai produce concerning the usage of certain pesticides wich are verboten in Europe and very bad for body.

[kevvy]

please check prices comparing English salary for a month for Thai salary for a month the work out who is cheaper for .E.G bottle of coke

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Yellow mangos at 30bht/kilo are much cheaper than in the UK at 50bht each.

Rambutan at 23bht/kilo is much cheaper than the UK that charges 150bht/kilo.

Snickers bars, same price.

Bananas 25bht/hand Vs 65bht/hand

Edited July 5, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Chittychangchang]

Try shopping for Thai foods in the U.K then you will have something to complain about!

CCC

[HeijoshinCool]

I found chicken and beef to be higher than in the States, but chicken feet here! Whew! They're free for the askin' back home!

[diyer]

please check prices comparing English salary for a month for Thai salary for a month the work out who is cheaper for .E.G bottle of coke

£1.69 in the UK for a 2 litre bottle. (79 baht)

[somtampet]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

I deliberately didn't include Thai ingredients for the simple reason that things such as lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves are going to be ridiculously expensive in Europe. Other Thai supermarket ingredients such as pig uterus, congealed blood and duck beaks simply aren't available in the UK.

Compare thai products here compared to uk.then its fair.5 QUID FOR A MELON

[diyer]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

I deliberately didn't include Thai ingredients for the simple reason that things such as lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves are going to be ridiculously expensive in Europe. Other Thai supermarket ingredients such as pig uterus, congealed blood and duck beaks simply aren't available in the UK.

Compare thai products here compared to uk.then its fair.5 QUID FOR A MELON

Don't know where you shop. Melons are about £2 in the UK.

[naboo]

Pork about the same price? Its 120B a kilo here, about 3 times that in the UK.

Whole chickens here are 120-180B, in the UK 150B is about as cheap as they go.

As for tomatoes, I'd love to see you get 4 big ones in the UK for the Thai price of 5B in season, 10B out of season.

Thai veg markets are ridiculously cheap, the supermarkets have huge mark ups, though meat is about the same price in markets and suoermarkets, just 3 days fresher at the market.

Edited July 7, 2013 by naboo

[gaucho]

thanks for your research ...i have adapted ...rice now instead of bread ...different fruit ...steak is a dream booze used to like vermouth ..ridiculous so i switched u have to adapt ...cheers

[GuestHouse]

A good thread AyG.

I've always argued that Farang shopping baskets and hence Farang costs and importantly inflation in Farang costs are higher than those for Thais.

I have a two year old grocery bill, that when compared with the same items in the same store indicates an 18% inflation rate.

But as others have said, people do adapt by changing their spending habits - not easy when its the foods we love.

Its for this reason that whenever visiting my best friend in Thailand I always make a point of taking him a few goodies that he can't find locally - as he points out, a jar of my mother's home made thick cut marmalade or Tea-Bags from back home are a treat to savour, much more enjoyable than the excess its easy to slip into back home.

[Scottythai]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

I deliberately didn't include Thai ingredients for the simple reason that things such as lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves are going to be ridiculously expensive in Europe. Other Thai supermarket ingredients such as pig uterus, congealed blood and duck beaks simply aren't available in the UK.

Compare thai products here compared to uk.then its fair.5 QUID FOR A MELON

Don't know where you shop. Melons are about £2 in the UK.

£2 for a nice set of melons is a great deal!

Edited July 7, 2013 by Scottythai

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Its for this reason that whenever visiting my best friend in Thailand I always make a point of taking him a few goodies that he can't find locally - as he points out, a jar of my mother's home made thick cut marmalade or Tea-Bags from back home are a treat to savour, much more enjoyable than the excess its easy to slip into back home.

You can buy 3 jars of very good thick cut marmalade in Makro for under 150bht 'Empire' brand.

(Look like 3 beer mugs, and can be used as such after the contents are eaten)

Edited July 7, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[notmyself]

- Why are potatoes so cheap, given that they're not a usual part of the Thai diet?

Spuds are around 80p a kg at the moment because of the bad winter. In fact, most veg. is roughly double the price it should be at this time of year. I'm not paying 80p for a cucumber

[TheSpade]

I went to Tops yesterday and Western food wasn't nearly as expensive as I thought it would be.

I bought cheese, milk and cereal and bread for less than what I would back home. Beats eating rice for breakfast.

[jackr]

How about wines, op?

Not only are many things more expensive nowadays, quality is typically mediocre. Though the likes of Rimping in CM has nice items and they care about quality, the generic biggies--Tescos, Big C--are very hit 'n miss and can even be pricier on consumables than Rimping... 30 baht for four tiny green/black bananas indeed.

There is just no comparison with UK grocery shopping. Everyone likes to knock it and harp on about how 'expensive' it is, but the reality is it ain't. Loads of items are cheaper 1 on 1, but you just do not have the same quality or choice (across a wide range of foods from all over the world). The Tescos here is a completely different animal to its UK mother, which churns out its own wines/sherries even... and those huge bars of Dairy Milk chocolate for peanuts!!

Then the rose-tinted glasses brigade will throw in how cheap it is to shop in a Thai market; you know, those boiling hot, stinky places with dodgy meat, pesticide-laden veggies and grubby floors. Chaps, again, there ain't no comparison when you take into consideration the salary of the Thai shopper and the UK shopper. Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to heading back this time around to bumble around Tescos/Sainsbury's etc... the other half couldn't get over how good they are. Only problem is it ends up costing a small fortune as it's easy to get carried away.

But it's all good. Not a slight on dear old Muang Thai, that's the way it is, but every now and then comparisons need to be made.

[jackr]

Obviously absolutely the op has nothing to do with his time.

Op you can't change it so live with it.

What a dour attitude.

So you waste your time (and everyone else's) by making a post about someone wasting their time. Where do they say they're trying to change anything? Threads like these is what this forum is all about and it is pertinent to folk who are perhaps thinking about repatriating, holidaying, out of general interest, or regarding the spiraling costs of things here.

[alpal]

Perhaps its interesting to compare local prices with UK prices, but what's the point? You buy your groceries here; pay in Baht. The high or low cost of an item is only relevant to the amount of money you earn or have at your disposal.

[welsh1]

Nice, but this is a very western shopping list. I would like to see it done again with a more Thai based market basket.

Like ,,A basket full of Somtam

[samran]

Thanks for taking the time. The economist in me is most appreciative.

It reinforces what I generally tell people, if you want to live an equivalent life in LOS to one you lived in the west, it can be equally as expensive.

I'm guessing you probably compared the prices of your local foodland or equivalent?

One of the reasons that the UK has going it its favour is the massive efficient supply chains and bargaining power of the stores. Add to that, the constant demand means that prices can be kept low.

The problem I suspect for supermarkets here in Thailand is that the supply chains are nowhere near as efficient meaning added cost and spoliage of product, which all get taken into account at the Thai checkout. So perhaps the middle man is taking less of a cut than you think.

Food costs can be offset in other areas of life in LOS however.

[samran]

Thanks for taking the time. The economist in me is most appreciative.

It reinforces what I generally tell people, if you want to live an equivalent life in LOS to one you lived in the west, it can be equally as expensive.

I'm guessing you probably compared the prices of your local foodland or equivalent?

One of the reasons that the UK has going it its favour is the massive efficient supply chains and bargaining power of the stores. Add to that, the constant demand means that prices can be kept low.

The problem I suspect for supermarkets here in Thailand is that the supply chains are nowhere near as efficient meaning added cost and spoliage of product, which all get taken into account at the Thai checkout. So perhaps the middle man is taking less of a cut than you think.

Food costs can be offset in other areas of life in LOS however.

[GreenSnapper]

You have to take into account product quality as well.

An Edam cheese produced here is not an Edam cheese from home. Here it is produced with cheap labor and cheap ingredients. And it tastes accordingly

Unless it is imported. Import cheese here goes for roughly 1200-1400 Baht/kg. It seems the importers have settled on this price whatever they think is cheese. Some local products try to scam the same price from unaware people....