How many groceries in Thailand can you buy for $15 or around £10?
Periodically, I post an article about the cost of groceries in Thailand as, particularly for someone considering moving here, it’s often part of their decision. Luckily, I’m happy to tell you that, in 2013, although picking up your average shopping list at a supermarket in Thailand has increased in price a little over the last year, most groceries here are still incredibly cheap and, of course, even cheaper if you buy the Thai brands.
So, what will $15 buy in groceries in Thailand in 2013? Check out these photographs to find out. (And, yes, $15 is currently around £9.93 or 11.35 euros).
What I bought at Tesco Lotus in Bangkok for just over $15
I stopped shopping at Tesco Lotus a while ago, and this article will tell you why, but…..as they seem to have been making a big effort to improve the quality of the vegetables they sell, I’ve recently gone back. After all, it is close to my house.
So, what did I buy for $15 at Tesco yesterday? Here’s my list, and you’ll see them all in the photograph above:
2 boxes of Tesco brand facial tissues
1 packet of 15 scented large-size garbage bags
1 single-sized packet of shrimp chips
1 single-sized packet of dried green pea snacks
1 bag of Chinese pastries (11 pastries inside it so, for me, 11 desserts)
3 heads of kale
3 bunches of Thai basil
3 bunches of holy basil
2 bunches of Chinese celery
2 heads of lettuce
2 small bunches of cilantro
1 bunch of lemongrass
1 head of Chinese cabbage
1 large pineapple (only 66 cents!)
10 medium-sized eggs (eggs are sold in 10s in Thailand, not dozens)
1 packet of rabbit pellets (enough for a week for my 2 bunnies)
1 packet of 15 single servings of chocolate flavored Ovaltine
1 packet of 8 slices of processed cheese – Thai brand
1 pack of imported Belgian butter (my most expensive item at 90 baht or $3)
4 ready-made meals, cooked fresh on Tesco’s premises — they were, 1 pack of spicy pork with rice and a fried egg (80 cents), one fried egg on rice (for breakfast and it even comes complete with a packet of tomato ketchup – price? 33 cents), and two packs of Thai omelette each on a serving of rice (12 baht or 40 cents each) . (see photo below).
Total cost of my twice-weekly grocery haul in Bangkok?
This entire haul cost me around $15.67 or £10.38p or 11.85 euros. And yes, it’s a pretty typical shopping list for me.
Overall, I do this kind of shop around twice a week, with a few little extras in the second shop, so my average grocery bill is about $35-$45 a week, and that includes food and sundries for me and two extremely large, very well fed rabbits.
Yes, groceries in Thailand, even in 2013, are cheap. Hope that helps?
Cost of living in Thailand overall?
If groceries aren’t the only thing you’re concerned about, read this article about the cost of living in Thailand compared to the US.
I wrote it two years ago but, frankly, prices of most things in Thailand are still around the same as they were back then. Not having been to the US in years, though, I’m not sure how much more expensive they are in America?