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Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Old Dec 23rd 2017, 2:26 pm
  #46  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Food in UK in supermarkets on average not much different, but cheaper
I believe that this is what I said in my first post.

For LIDL, I was comparing the prices of exactly the same brand products.
For example

Muesli 50% more expensive
Chocolate 50% more expensive
Brie 20% more expensive

There were two other products that I don,t usually buy, but were 100% more expensive.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list.

If there was any point being made about LIDL, it was that the prices in the UK seem to be an anomaly - very low (and advantageous to me in the last couple of years)
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Old Dec 24th 2017, 9:59 am
  #47  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

I suggest you ignore Lidl and expand your dshopping experience.
If I was even tempted to buy the old limp fish sold in UK supermarkets I just compare it to the fresher much cheaper sold in Jumbo, Pinge Doce, Continente or the local markets.
The same for fruit and veg which we can buy from the local farmers.
Where in the UK can you buy a kilo of large frozen prawns for under 10pound.
Comparing like for like is not the way to do it.
You are in Portugal, buy what and from where the Portuguese do most of their shopping.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 1:40 pm
  #48  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

We do not shop in Lidl or Aldi but in Portuguese supermarkets and buy their own brands.
With local markets and We are spending about 20% less than our equivalent weekly UK shop
I had a look in LIDL, Pingo Doce, and Mini Preco, and thought the prices higher than in LIDL UK.
Could you please say which PT supermarkets you found cheaper than LIDL UK?
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 1:52 pm
  #49  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Our kids live in the Cotswold region and they have a LIDL and TESCO near them and we were shocked at the high prices. Up to 3 times higher than here in PT for food.
I think it's been touched upon before that everyone has a different shopping list;
so if someone does a price comparison, their conclusions will only be partly relevant to everyone else.
For example, a spirit drinking meat eater will probably come to a different conclusion to a wine drinking vegetarian.
I think that I have a similar goal to UKKRAM for food shopping, but that does not mean we would buy the same products.
Hence, on my return to the UK I noted these prices at LIDL.

Cream cheese 49p/200g
Frozen chicken breast 333p/kg
Muesli 169p/750g
Wholemeal loaf 65p/800g
Porridge oats 75p/kg
Cherry tomatoes 52p/240g
Salad tomatoes 142p/kg
Whole milk 109p/2.2L
Tinned tuna 65p/160g
Tinned sardines 33p/120g
Tirimasu 75p/2 x 80g
Mackerel fillets 149p/200g
Chicken tikka masala 118p/450g (reduced from 169p)
Chocolate raisins 65p/200g
Roasted salted peanuts 48p/200g
Roasted salted cashews 75p/125g
8 tortilla wraps 75p/512g
5 large apples 145p
Bananas 76p/kg
Spring onions 49p/125g
Fig rolls 37p/200g
Dark chocolate 30p/100g
Brie 85p/200g
Parsnips 19p/500g (reduced from 56p)


Some of these products are exactly the same as in LIDL PT, but in general the PT prices were 50 to 100% higher.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 2:00 pm
  #50  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by EMR
I suggest you ignore Lidl and expand your dshopping experience.
If I was even tempted to buy the old limp fish sold in UK supermarkets I just compare it to the fresher much cheaper sold in Jumbo, Pinge Doce, Continente or the local markets.
The same for fruit and veg which we can buy from the local farmers.
Where in the UK can you buy a kilo of large frozen prawns for under 10pound.
Comparing like for like is not the way to do it.
You are in Portugal, buy what and from where the Portuguese do most of their shopping.
But isn't that the same everywhere? Many people in other European countries can go to a local farmer and buy fruit and veg if they want. If you have a garden you can also grow your own fruit and even in the UK neighbours give away free fruit. It's all down to location and you can buy cheap quality ingredients in both countries. I don't know about prawns but it's the same ocean (Atlantic) and the really cheap ones come from China anyway + you could buy Scottish Salmon:-). If I was in the UK, I also wouldn't say buy what and from where the British do most of their shopping.


Just because some people eat and buy beans at Iceland, doesn't mean you can't cook rice.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 2:02 pm
  #51  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by ricko
I think it's been touched upon before that everyone has a different shopping list;
so if someone does a price comparison, their conclusions will only be partly relevant to everyone else.
For example, a spirit drinking meat eater will probably come to a different conclusion to a wine drinking vegetarian.
I think that I have a similar goal to UKKRAM for food shopping, but that does not mean we would buy the same products.
Hence, on my return to the UK I noted these prices at LIDL.

Cream cheese 49p/200g
Frozen chicken breast 333p/kg
Muesli 169p/750g
Wholemeal loaf 65p/800g
Porridge oats 75p/kg
Cherry tomatoes 52p/240g
Salad tomatoes 142p/kg
Whole milk 109p/2.2L
Tinned tuna 65p/160g
Tinned sardines 33p/120g
Tirimasu 75p/2 x 80g
Mackerel fillets 149p/200g
Chicken tikka masala 118p/450g (reduced from 169p)
Chocolate raisins 65p/200g
Roasted salted peanuts 48p/200g
Roasted salted cashews 75p/125g
8 tortilla wraps 75p/512g
5 large apples 145p
Bananas 76p/kg
Spring onions 49p/125g
Fig rolls 37p/200g
Dark chocolate 30p/100g
Brie 85p/200g
Parsnips 19p/500g (reduced from 56p)


Some of these products are exactly the same as in LIDL PT, but in general the PT prices were 50 to 100% higher.
Thats why we do not shop in Lidl or buy so much prepacked, processed food.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 2:26 pm
  #52  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by EMR
Thats why we do not shop in Lidl or buy so much prepacked, processed food.
Well some of the products on that list aren't processed and you can always argue what's processed too. Even then, processed is not automatically bad.
At the end of the day you can cook rice in both countries and it won't break the bank.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 3:07 pm
  #53  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by Moses2013
Well some of the products on that list aren't processed and you can always argue what's processed too. Even then, processed is not automatically bad.
At the end of the day you can cook rice in both countries and it won't break the bank.
We will just keep comparing our weekly shopping bills ( excel wine ) in Portugal compared to Sainsbury and Tesco and enjoy our savings in the sun.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 3:17 pm
  #54  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by EMR
We will just keep comparing our weekly shopping bills ( excel wine ) in Portugal compared to Sainsbury and Tesco and enjoy our savings in the sun.
Look that's fine and people can compare shopping lists all their life, but I don't see the point? Both UK and Portugal can offer cheap shopping and every location is different. If somebody has a problem that shoes are more expensive in one location, order them online and if you find that one week apples are pricey, just buy the pears.




Retired people are more flexible anyway and can live where they want and it's mainly the housing costs/taxes that make a difference. When it comes to food shopping, Europe is cheap enough and you have choices.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 4:13 pm
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

I mostly lived on sardines on toast when I went to the UK as red meat and fish is sooo expensive. Then to make matters worse, I had to drink tea as the wine was so expensive. Cheapest I could find was just under GBP 5.00 for a 1 liter box wine while here it is €0,68 for a better quality box wine.

Every time our kids invited us to eat out I got a cardiac event just looking at the prices on the menu. A simple meal is around GBP15 while here it is about €7.
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Old Dec 27th 2017, 5:15 pm
  #56  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Hi All

If like me you live in Portugal and spend your hard earned money in Portugal what has the price of anything have to do with life here?

If you want UK prices then why not go back and save a few pennies when you go shopping.

You can't get Spices as cheap in Lidl UK or Portugal as i sell them.

Peter
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Old Dec 28th 2017, 7:21 am
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by Ukkram
Every time our kids invited us to eat out I got a cardiac event just looking at the prices on the menu. A simple meal is around GBP15 while here it is about €7.
That's pretty obvious that eating out is cheaper. It's not the ingredients that are cheaper but the staff. It's easier to sell a meal for €7 when your staff is only getting €650 a month. In Thailand it's even cheaper to eat out.




I wonder when and where you were in the UK if you thought fish and meat was so expensive. You must have been a student. Scotland has some excellent beef/lamb and not pricey + fish is widely available if you're surrounded by the ocean.

Last edited by Moses2013; Dec 28th 2017 at 7:31 am.
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Old Dec 28th 2017, 7:42 am
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

I spent Christmas holidays in the Cotswold area last year. Tetbury and Straud to be more exact.
It may be more expensive as Prince Charles has his private estate and shop in Tetbury and is often seen riding his horse in town.
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Old Dec 28th 2017, 7:59 am
  #59  
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by Moses2013
That's pretty obvious that eating out is cheaper. It's not the ingredients that are cheaper but the staff. It's easier to sell a meal for €7 when your staff is only getting €650 a month. In Thailand it's even cheaper to eat out.




I wonder when and where you were in the UK if you thought fish and meat was so expensive. You must have been a student. Scotland has some excellent beef/lamb and not pricey + fish is widely available if you're surrounded by the ocean.
You are fortunate indeed in the UK if you have access to a good fishmknger.
For most of us its the supermarket or freezer.
As we only buy UK reared meat and poultry in the UK we do not find the equivalent prices in Portugal to be expensive particularly if we buy local cuts and adapt our dishes to suit.
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Old Dec 28th 2017, 9:35 am
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Default Re: Monthly Living Costs in Portugal

Originally Posted by EMR
You are fortunate indeed in the UK if you have access to a good fishmknger.
For most of us its the supermarket or freezer.
As we only buy UK reared meat and poultry in the UK we do not find the equivalent prices in Portugal to be expensive particularly if we buy local cuts and adapt our dishes to suit.
No longer in UK now. Based in Ireland but I think that people just have different buying habits and don't always see what's available in their own country. We have fishmongers and they basically have to knock prices down because people rather eat fish fingers. People wouldn't buy squid here but in Portugal it's suddenly great.


Like parts of the UK people are also lazy and how food is prepared is different. Let's face it that even in the UK (especially Northern Ireland or Scotland) you have the most amazing meat. You could also go to a local farmer or butcher and make a deal but people don't. In Portugal many people have to grow their own food because they have less money. In the UK or here growing your own is more a hobby. Even when you travel to Scotland it's often the tourists buying the salmon. Be it Spain, Portugal or UK I don't see a huge difference in price. The habits are just different.

Last edited by Moses2013; Dec 28th 2017 at 9:37 am.
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