cost of food in USA is amazing, or is it?

[Mr Mark]

For our overseas readers, I thought you might like to know the prices for groceries in my neighbourhood in Texas. Straight from the paper. Not even shopping around.

I think it is a really good deal.

Meat:
sirloin steak, $3.49   per pound lb, $7.70 kg
Ground beef, $2.69 lb, $5.92 kg
Slabs of brisket, $2.99 lb,  $6.60 kg
Chicken legs and thighs, $0.79 lb,  $1.73 kg
whole cooked Lobster $7.00 lb, $15.40 kg

Veg:
Iceberg lettuce $0.88 each,
Potatoes $0.49 lb, $1.08 kg
Big avocados, $0.99 each
fresh Broccoli $0.99 lb, $2.18 kg
Can baked beans $0.99

And gas aka petrol, was a sweet $3.40 a gallon,


$0.90 per litre   (about €0.70 a litre!!)

How does that compare?

[Kriegsspiel]

Huh, I thought you were a Detroiter.

[Mr Mark]

I am, some of the year. But the rest of the time I have to live in Texas because that's where the jobs are... No one is really in Houston because they love living in Houston! We're all pretty much here for the money.... :D

But soon, soon, .... :-)

 

[Kriegsspiel]

I am, some of the year. But the rest of the time I have to live in Texas because that's where the jobs are... No one is really in Houston because they love living in Houston! We're all pretty much here for the money.... :D

But soon, soon, .... :-)

Hah, yup, I'm in the same boat.

[limeandpepper]

Are these supermarket prices for the food? Nice... the meat in particular is very cheap! Petrol too. I'm comparing this to Australia. In regards to vegetables, if they're in season they can be quite cheap over here. But you guys probably still have it cheaper. We have two supermarket chains which have a monopoly here and I'm not too fond of their prices most of the time... I prefer going to the markets when I can, for cheaper meat, fruit and vegetables.

[Cecil]

Best prices in Vancouver, Canada.

Meat:

sirloin steak, $3.49   per pound lb, $7.70 kg

Usually $3.99-$4.99/lb on sale.

Ground beef, $2.69 lb, $5.92 kg

$2.5/lb frozen, $3.50/lb for lean fresh in bulk.

Chicken legs and thighs, $0.79 lb,  $1.73 kg

Usually $1.50/lb for legs, $2/lb for skin-on/bone-in thighs. $3/lb is the best deal I can ever get on boneless, skinless frozen chicken breasts.


Veg:

Iceberg lettuce $0.88 each,

Depends on the season, varies from $0.69 to $1.99

Potatoes $0.49 lb, $1.08 kg

Usually $.50/lb

Big avocados, $0.99 each

Same.

fresh Broccoli $0.99 lb, $2.18 kg

Same.

And gas aka petrol, was a sweet $3.40 a gallon, $0.90 per litre   (about €0.70 a litre!!)

Cough. $1.48/litre ($5.60/gal).

[gooki]

Based on those numbers, and exchange rates, New Zealand is basically double the price for everything.

My local costs converted back to US dollars:

Meat:
sirloin steak, $16.60 kg
Ground beef, $10.80 kg
Slabs of brisket, $11.60 kg
Chicken legs and thighs, $4.15 kg
whole cooked Lobster $16.60 kg

Veg:
Iceberg lettuce $2.00 each,
Potatoes $1.66 kg
Big avocados, out of season
fresh Broccoli $2.00 each
Can baked beans $0.99

And gas aka petrol, $1.76 per litre

And then if you look at interest rates 6.25% is the lowest you can get for a long term mortgage.

[Daley]

It really is amazing how much corn subsidies artificially hold down the prices of food in this country.

Those are definitely not the prices of meat and veg in my part of the lower 48 once you abandon the modern Ag Industry's "food chain".

Example: truly free range, grass fed, grass finished ground beef runs ~$6/lb most days... but we'll wind up eating far less of it at any one meal because it satiates our hunger much faster. The quality of the food we have at these rock bottom prices is why the country has so many food-related health epidemics. Just as eating corn and candy ourselves makes for a sick individual, eating animals fed corn and candy doesn't make for any healthier a diet.

[Frankies Girl]

I am, some of the year. But the rest of the time I have to live in Texas because that's where the jobs are... No one is really in Houston because they love living in Houston! We're all pretty much here for the money.... :D

But soon, soon, .... :-)

Hahahah! Too true.

[mm1970]

Prices are definitely higher here in So Cal:

Meat:
sirloin steak, $3.49   per pound lb, $7.70 kg  - $3.99
Ground beef, $2.69 lb, $5.92 kg - $3.99
Slabs of brisket, $2.99 lb,  $6.60 kg
Chicken legs and thighs, $0.79 lb,  $1.73 kg - $1.29
whole cooked Lobster $7.00 lb, $15.40 kg

Veg:
Iceberg lettuce $0.88 each,
Potatoes $0.49 lb, $1.08 kg - $0.99
Big avocados, $0.99 each - $1.25
fresh Broccoli $0.99 lb, 2.18 kg
Can baked beans $0.99 - $1.25

And gas aka petrol, was a sweet $3.40 a gallon,  - $4.09

But if you are shopping at the farmer's markets:
Chicken: $5-6/lb
Ground beef: $7/lb
Brisket: $10/lb
Broccoli: $2/lb (about the same price as grocery store)
Potatoes:  $1.50-2.00/lb (same price as grocery store)
Avocados:  0.50 - 1.50 each (and WAY better tasting than grocery store)
Lettuce heads: $1.50 (not iceberg)

I find the quality of the produce at the farmer's market to be a lot better than the grocery stores.  Grocery store produce is dismal.  It's about the same price, and the farmer's market produce generally lasts a lot longer.  I've had lettuce heads last two weeks.

[jrhampt]

Going to TX is like visiting a discount country.  Groceries in CT are a considerably more expensive.

[oldtoyota]

It really is amazing how much corn subsidies artificially hold down the prices of food in this country.

Those are definitely not the prices of meat and veg in my part of the lower 48 once you abandon the modern Ag Industry's "food chain".

Example: truly free range, grass fed, grass finished ground beef runs ~$6/lb most days... but we'll wind up eating far less of it at any one meal because it satiates our hunger much faster. The quality of the food we have at these rock bottom prices is why the country has so many food-related health epidemics. Just as eating corn and candy ourselves makes for a sick individual, eating animals fed corn and candy doesn't make for any healthier a diet.

Yes.

[econberkeley]

My price match at walmart in Houston

Mangos 3/$1
Potatoes 5lbs/$1
Fajita steak $2.49
Apricots, plums $1/lbs
Onion 33 cents/lbs
Bell pepper 3/$1
Watermelon $1.99
Mexican squash 59 cents/lbs
Small hass avacados 3/1$

[Kaytee]

It really is amazing how much corn subsidies artificially hold down the prices of food in this country.

Those are definitely not the prices of meat and veg in my part of the lower 48 once you abandon the modern Ag Industry's "food chain".

Example: truly free range, grass fed, grass finished ground beef runs ~$6/lb most days... but we'll wind up eating far less of it at any one meal because it satiates our hunger much faster. The quality of the food we have at these rock bottom prices is why the country has so many food-related health epidemics. Just as eating corn and candy ourselves makes for a sick individual, eating animals fed corn and candy doesn't make for any healthier a diet.

I'm with I. P. Daley.

Local free range, grassfed happy cow ground beef is $6/lb. Whole chickens of the same path range from $3.70  - $5/lb. Wild rice is $10/lb. We're on a gut healing journey, so our diet is somewhat different than the S.A.D.

[mox]

Wow ..

prices in south germany.

Meat:
sirloin steak, $3.49   per pound lb, $7.70 kg - 18€ /KG
Ground beef, $2.69 lb, $5.92 kg  - ~15 € /kg
Slabs of brisket, $2.99 lb,  $6.60 kg  - 8 € Kg
Chicken legs and thighs, $0.79 lb,  $1.73 kg
whole cooked Lobster $7.00 lb, $15.40 kg -  20 € Kg

Veg:
Iceberg lettuce $0.88 each,  - 0,8 -1 €
Potatoes $0.49 lb, $1.08 kg  - 1€
Big avocados, $0.99 each  - 1 €
fresh Broccoli $0.99 lb, $2.18 kg  1-2€
Can baked beans $0.99 - 0,99 €

And gas aka petrol, was a sweet $3.40 a gallon,


$0.90 per litre   (about €0.70 a litre!!)

1,65 € /litre
http://benzinpreis.de/maps.phtml

Rental appartment (inner city) 1 mē -  8-12 €

farmland  1 mē (+tax 5%) - 4-6 €

[corona]

How is everyone converting pounds to kilograms when you compare prices?  Isn't a kilogram approximately equal to 2.2 pounds? 

[jba302]

Example: truly free range, grass fed, grass finished ground beef runs ~$6/lb most days... but we'll wind up eating far less of it at any one meal because it satiates our hunger much faster.

I'm not going to disagree with anything else in your post as we only eat free range / grass fed  beef from a local place. However, this gave me pause.  I've seen a healthy amount of research suggest that fat is very satiating, and corn-fed animals are going to have a higher marbling than grass fed as a general rule. Do you mean something else in terms of satiety?

As an n=1 example a 1lb ribeye (large fat) is going to keep me full much much longer than a 1lb serving of... say tilapia or rabbit. Or a water+protein shake. It's always the addition of fat (peanut butter in the shake, for example) that triggers satiety quicker.

[Jamesqf]

Wild rice is $10/lb.

Just FYI, wild rice isn't actually rice, it's the seed of an entirely different plant, which is native to the north central US & Canada.  So comparing its price to normal rice is like comparing the price of peanuts ($1/lb?) to pine nuts ($10+/lb - unless you live hereabouts, in which case they're free for the picking).

If memory serves, ordinary long-grain brown rice is about $0.55/lb from the bulk bins where I shop, the organic brown rice is about $1/lb.

[Kaytee]

Just FYI, wild rice isn't actually rice, it's the seed of an entirely different plant, which is native to the north central US & Canada.

Yes, this is why we prefer wild rice, as it is actually a grass. I'm not necessarily comparing it to the cost of rice, but as a cost of a different style diet. In thinking, this makes our food costs a bit of an outlier, difficult for comparison in this thread. We go grocery shopping next weekend, so I will have better costs to contribute after that.

[Jamesqf]

But so is rice a grass, along with pretty much every other major grain - wheat, barley, oats, corn, etc.  The only non-grass grains I can think off offhand are buckwheat & (perhaps) quinoa.

[Sebastian]

How is everyone converting pounds to kilograms when you compare prices?  Isn't a kilogram approximately equal to 2.2 pounds?

This! It looks like prices are about the same if you took into account that you are getting twice the amount of meat/veg per kg.

[Christof]

Certainly prices depend on more than the country... Looking at mox prices, they differ widely from the prices in our stores just a few hundred kilometers up north (still Germany), eg. ground beef 5.49 €/kg (3.99 € for ground pork), baked beans (starting at 0.35 €/can), potatoes 0.74 €/kg, chicken legs is 2.99 €/kg. I'd say it depends a lot on the store, since we certainly have stores where I can pay three times as much, and not even going organic. Vegetables are particular volatile. Cucumbers went from 1.29 to 0.39 within two weeks recently.

[Praxis]

Meat:
sirloin steak, $3.49   per pound lb, $7.70 kg
Ground beef, $2.69 lb, $5.92 kg
Slabs of brisket, $2.99 lb,  $6.60 kg
Chicken legs and thighs, $0.79 lb,  $1.73 kg
whole cooked Lobster $7.00 lb, $15.40 kg

Veg:
Iceberg lettuce $0.88 each,
Potatoes $0.49 lb, $1.08 kg
Big avocados, $0.99 each
fresh Broccoli $0.99 lb, $2.18 kg
Can baked beans $0.99

And gas aka petrol, was a sweet $3.40 a gallon,


$0.90 per litre   (about €0.70 a litre!!)

How does that compare?

Back when I lived in the Netherlands, I could tell you this- supermarket stores were higher, but you could go to open markets that demolished the veggie prices by such an enormous margin that it was kind of absurd.  The open market in Den Haag had vegetable prices that were as much as a third of what I saw in the US.

Also, gas was around $8 a gallon.

Sirloin steak at $3.49 seems really cheap even for US though.  Your ground beef is comparable to ours in WA, but our steak is more expensive.  I get steak lower but because I get it in bulk.