Even if it feels like life in Britain is becoming less and less affordable with each day that passes, it’s worth remembering (even if just for your sanity) that things could be worse.
Rapidly rising food costs are an area of concern for many households in the UK, with the price of some weekly shop staples almost tripling over the last two years.
While it’s likely scant comfort to those struggling, it may surprise you to learn that those living across the pond actually spend more on buying the same items.
After Abigael Lanai moved to London from Colorado, US, she posted a TikTok explaining that ‘cheap groceries’ were one of the things she liked most about her new home.
‘Are we living in the same England?’ joked one bemused commenter, which prompted Abigael to compare prices of a selection of everyday essentials in each country.
She clarified first that the supermarkets featured were two she had frequented personally – Sainsbury’s here and King Super’s in Colorado – so there would be variations depending on where you live and shop.
Getting down to the numbers, Abigael went on to analyse a four-litre bottle of milk. In the US, this would set you back $2.49, while in the UK it was priced at £1.65 (roughly $2).
‘That’s 50 cents or 40p more for the exact same item,’ commented the nurse and vlogger.
Next up was apples, coming in at up to 95 cents (79p) each over the Atlantic or 25p on the Sainsbury’s website, meaning Americans are paying more than triple what Brits are for the fruit.
One of the biggest differences shown in the video was beef mince. As Abigael explained, a 500g packet of mince costs £1.99 (the equivalent of around $2.40), while at King Super’s you’re looking at $5.49 for the same amount.
Carrots, meanwhile, are 50p (60 cents) per kilo here or $1.99 for 2.2lbs in the States: an expensive place to be a bunny rabbit owner.
In the comments, a number of people pointed out that there were some caveats to Abigael’s experiment.
Replying to @SKTK IS THAT NOT CRAZY?? 👀 #americanlivinginengland #americanlivingintheuk #usavsuk #americangroceries #sainsburys #kingsoopers
One user said they were ‘shocked at how much cheaper’ the UK was when they lived here in 2017, adding: ‘Restaurants seemed more expensive, though.’
‘Depending on where you live in the US, you may have to pay sales tax also,’ said another. ‘7% sales tax on groceries in my state!’
Others highlighted the fact the average wage in Britain is much lower than in the US, and as a result people would have more money to spend despite higher food prices.
‘That definitely plays a role,’ Abigael added.
‘But for my family in particular, we went from being a two-income household because I was working full-time, to being a one-income household. And my husband makes the same amount, so his money goes a lot further here.’
Metro.co.uk tests the theory
We did our own comparison to see if Abigael’s calculations stacked up, using prices from Walmart in the US and Asda here in the UK. We analysed some of the most common items in a weekly shopping, looking for equivalent items where possible (such as value ranges and package sizes) and going by the current exchange rate via Forbes.
Semi-skimmed milk 128floz/6 pint
US: $3.20 (£2.64)
UK: £2.15
White bread – 20oz/566g loaf
US: $1.46 (£1.20)
UK: 75p
Large eggs – 12
US: $1.77 (£1.46)
UK: £2.95
Salted butter – 16oz/500g
US: $3.78 (£3.11)
UK: £3.75
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes – 18oz/720g
US: $5.48 (£4.51)
UK: £3.29
Grated cheddar cheese 16oz/500g
US: $2.22 (£1.83)
UK: £2.80
Penne pasta – 16oz/500g
US: $1.18 (96p)
UK: 75p
Long grain rice – 16oz/500g
US: 97¢ (80p)
UK: £1.25
Banana – each
US: 27¢ (22p)
UK: 16p
Seedless green grapes – 2lb/1kg
US: $6.48 (£5.34)
UK: £3.47
Potatoes – 5lb/2.5kg
US: $3.87 (£3.19)
UK: £1.29
Red onion – each
US: 94¢ (77p)
UK: 34p
Bacon – 16oz/500g
US: $6.16 (£5.08)
UK: £3.50
Chicken breasts – pack of 8
US: $15.18 (£12.52)
UK: £12.58
The final score: 11 items were cheaper here in the UK, while three were less in the US. Considering some states also impose sales tax on top of the prices shown, that’s a surefire win for British shoppers.
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