The Cost of Groceries in Spain Vs the US

 How much do groceries cost in Spain vs. how much do groceries cost in the US?

Let's check out this recent grocery receipt from Mercadona! I compared the prices to the usual prices I pay at the grocery store in the US.

Price in Spain / Price in US

Rotisserie Chicken with potatoes: 9.50 euros / 7 dollars (but without potatoes)

Pack of 10 disposable bowls: 2.10 euros / similar price but you get like 50 in a pack

10 slices of cheese: 2.01 euros / 4-6 dollars

Vacuum pack of jamón serrano: 3.00 euros / 16 dollars? it's very expensive to buy jamón serrano

1 box of whole wheat pasta: 0.85 euros / 2.50 dollars

Caesar Salad: 2.10 euros / 6 dollars? I don't buy this in US because of the frequent food safety problems with lettuce.

4 individual bottles of Coke: 3.96 euros / 12 dollars for 12 cokes...(this is a really high price because before covid, you could often get 3 12-packs for 12 dollars.)

Melva in oil: 1.75 euros / 1.25 dollars but the quality is much worse

1 rustic baguette: 0.45 euros / 2.50 dollars

1 regular baguette: 0.50 euros / 2 dollars (it used to be 1 dollar before covid)

Bottle of vitroceramic cleaner: 2.00 euros / 6 dollars

1 jar of red beans: .95 euros / 1 dollar

1 pound of ground beef: 3.74 / 6 dollars

4 avocados: 4 euros / 4-6 dollars (I usually buy a bag of 7 avocados for 5 dollars.)

When you consider the prices, two things jumped out at me. First, bread is cheaper in Spain. We pay so much for quality bread in the US and it's not even as good as a simple baguette at a chain grocery store in Spain. Second, I was surprised that meat was cheaper in Spain.

Grocery prices have jumped 30% since March 2020, so I guess the idea of moving to Spain for lower food costs is not valid. (Spanish inflation, like US inflation, is at a 40 year high). However, the quality of the food in Spain is so, so much better than in the US. The prices seem similar but salaries in Spain can be very low, so groceries are actually pretty expensive in Spain.

Thanks, US bank, for giving me the big bills in my foreign currency order.

bonus Spanish grocery store receipt