Prices...

Why do the same apples cost twice as much here as in Atlanta... when they are grown here?!

In general all grocery products including produce are very expensive compared with at home. I am continuously amazed by the prices in the grocery store and market. Now I will grant you that Atlanta has a fairly low cost of living but my new friend from across the hall came originally from Japan and then lived in the UK (both expensive places to live) and she is also shocked by the cost of food.

Some examples:
A dozen eggs costs $6 (at the farm market you can pay $12)!
A liter of milk is $2.50 (that's a quart).
The cheapest fish was $22/kilo, which is about $10/lb.
Our teeny lamb chops were $3.50 each.
The cheapest apples in the discount bin were $4/kilo, which is about $2/lb).
A soda costs $2.50 - $4.
A candy bar costs $2-4.
A small bag of crisps (potato chips) costs $2.
A loaf of plain sandwich bread is $5. Artisan bread can easily be more than $10.
Chinese takeout fried rice is $11.50.

The produce is very fresh and flavorful. Much more so than the stuff in the US. But the cost, compared to Atlanta, is breathtaking.

Oh, and have I mentioned that internet is pay per MB? I was thinking of getting a wireless card until I read this:
Recharge $30 and you could
  • do 15 Google searches,
  • check your email 11 times and
  • visit Myspace 8 times


13 comments:

Tina in CT said...

Don't read my blog from last night about my first visit to the discount grocery store because it'll make you weep.

Wow, the prices are horrible and I think higher than in Moscow.

Anonymous said...

We are more pricey than Atlanta, but still, if I am paying $6 for a dozen of eggs, they are coming from my neighbor backyard (almost, the town couple of miles away). And even in the farm market, some good people are selling their old fashioned apples just from the tree for about $2 a pound.
Why do you think the prices are so high? Are the produce really that fresh and organic and heritage quality?
Olga

Anonymous said...

About the internet.
How does this MB charge work exactly. For example, if I am sending you an e-mail - does it count against your account? If I am sending you a blog comment - does it charged against your account?
That is important to know.
Olga

Katya said...

Right now emails count but since I can moderate all blog comments at once they are less... but we are looking into other options. Ian really needs broadband so he can work at home and we need it to plan trips. We may be able to find a less expensive option... but there is no unlimited option so we will not be able to Skype. Even the most generous plans we have found are $80 for 25GB.

mysterious cafeteria said...

Oh it sounds like such a wild ride. My heart is with you guys! I hope you get the beautiful shiny townhouse!
love & kisses....
terry

Katya said...

The produce is good... but some of those prices were not for heritage produce... just regular, grocery store stuff. Double those prices for the heritage stuff. The only heritage thing on that list was the lamb chops which were from a local, organic farm.

Katya said...

Oh, and i discovered something else that is crazy expensive -- books! I needed a guide book and the kids were super well behaved at this tiny bookstore so I decided to let them get possum magic. Too bad I didn't check the price before I said they could have it -- it was $30!!!!!!!! For a thin children's picture BOOK!

Anonymous said...

christ... that is expensive... at least it's not cold, though!

L

Joe Ganci said...

That really is crazy expensive. I wondered at first if you were seeing the Australian dollar amounts and if it was twice as valuable as the American dollar or something, but no! I just checked and the Australian dollar is actually worth 93 cents of the American dollar! So if you were looking at the Australian dollar amounts, it would be even more. Ouch! I guess they didn't warn you about that before you moved there. I hope salaries there are commensurate!

Anonymous said...

i've once again consulted my australian friends and they are really surprised at how expensive things are... perhaps if you throw in a 'g'day' or a 'mate' they might lower the prices.

L

Anonymous said...

Joe,
I did the same thing while looking at the train tickets.Looked at the currency exchange chart and found out that dollars are about the same.
By the way, most fares associated with Australia, are given as one way fare. So you have to multiply it be 2,if you want to return, but you really do not want to do it (I mean multiply by 2). May be Perth or Darwin are not such bad places that you ever want to return from them.
Olga

Anonymous said...

Hi, I just came across your blog, and can explain a bit more from an Aussie :)
The area you are living in, is one of the most expensive in the state. Hence the higher cost of food.
If you drive around half an hour out towards more country area you will find on the weekends farmers markets.
The prices are around half what you would pay in your area, and the produce is better :)
Google farmers markets in Victoria.

HTH

Katya said...

Oooh, great advice! I just googled and found several within a reasonable drive!!