waikatoguy

Ok,
I've been a member here for ... what? .... about a year. You may already know that I'm an old fella, born and bred kiwi, obviously (see username) living in the Waikato. I got to this forum somehow through google doing some genealogy research. The ancestors that gave me my surname worked in cotton mills in and around Manchester through the 1800's and my surname is a small village in Cheshire.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I see a lot about NZ being SO expensive. How much more expensive is it, I hear you ask? No? Well ... we're going to find out anyway. It could be quite helpful to people thinking of moving out here becuase when people say things are so expensive in NZ, hopefully others can see just exactly by how much, at least in the grocery line. Yes, I'm going to do a great big grocery shop (in fact, I'll be doing two). One in NZ and one in the UK. The premise will be one weeks shopping for 2 adults and 2 children of consumable grocery items (no electrical items, clothes, utensils etc). It's probably a good idea not to use any 'specials' either. I'll try and use the same brandnames, where available, otherwise I'll try and choose mid-value items of the same product and same weight in both countries. Where one of the coutries has a 'special' I'll choose a similar brandname not on special. You guys should also keep me on my toes by pointing out my errors.

For NZ I'll be using Countdown online.
http://shop.countdown.co.nz/

Can anyone direct me to a similar site for the UK (ie a midrange supermarket).

So far these are the items I have on my list. I'll work out the weights etc as I go, because I'm pretty useless at grocery shopping.

1 bag potatoes
1 cauliflower
1 cabbage
carrots
frozen peas
frozen beans
frozen chips
courgettes
1 chicken
8 sausages
mince
4 rump steaks
4 ham steaks
2 loaves bread
2 litres milk
2 litre icecream
bananas
apples
can stir fry sauce
rice
dried spaghetti
kellogs cornflakes
weetbix
dozen eggs
butter
block cheese
pack of yoghurt
4 pack toilet rolls
1 tube toothpaste
1 bar soap
1 bottle shampoo

Any additions or deletions I need (no products specific to the UK as these will obviously be more expensive here if they need to be imported)?
Not sure how long this will take. It will depend on spare time.

waikatoguy

Actually, I think where there is no similar brand, I'm going to have to use whatever the cheapest brand is of the same product in both countries. Otherwise there'll be too much controversy about which brands I have chosen.
And for toothpaste and shampoo, perhaps I should use 1/4 of the price because I'm thinking that a family will only use that much in a week.

Assanah

OK, here some prices from Germany (some things I couldn't find online and I have to admit I don't know what weetbix are). I chose medium prices, not the cheapest not the most expensive and no special offers and I also just picked one from the countdown website to compare:
1 cauliflower 0.77€
Potatoes (2.5kg) 2.50€
1 cabbage 0.59€
courgette 1.34 per kg
carrots 0.92€ per kg
frozen peas 1.40€ 450g
frozen beans 1.09€ 450g
frozen chips 1.13€ 750g
1 chicken 5€ per kg
8 sausages Nürnberger 300g 2.60€
mince
4 rump steaks
4 ham steaks
2 loaves bread 500g 0.93€ (German bread not toast)
2 litres milk 1.30€8
2 litre icecream 1kg 1.40€
bananas 1.70€ per kg
apples 1.99€ per kg
can stir fry sauce
rice 0.57€ per 500g
dried spaghetti 0.82 per 500g
kellogs cornflakes 2.71€ per 500g
weetbix
dozen eggs 10 eggs 2.23€
butter 0.93€ 250g
block cheese Edamer 400g 2.28€
pack of yoghurt 0.29€ per 100g
4 pack toilet rolls 8rolls 2.99€
1 tube toothpaste Colgate tube 1.09€
1 bar soap 0.50€
1 bottle shampoo Herbal Essence 250g €3.42


Happy comparing

waikatoguy

This is what I have so far using Tescos and Countdown after doubling the UK price of each item through the exchange rate.

New Zealand
$4.95 2.5kgs white washed potatoes
$3.98 1 Cauli
$1.98 1 Cabbage
$0.75 1 kg carrots
$6.99 3 pack courgettes (imported)
$11.10 Countdown chicken 1.3kgs = $8.99
$3.99 Meadow Fresh standard 2L
$5.16 Kellogs Cornflakes 725 kgs = $4.99
$2.55 Homebrand 10 eggs. Dozen = $3.06

United Kingdom
$3.00 2.5kgs Tesco White potatoes
$1.94 1 Cauli
$1.54 1 Cabbage
$1.80 1 kg carrots
$3.28 3 pack courgettes
$9.50 Tesco chicken 1.6kgs
$2.72 Tesco whole milk 2L
$5.36 Kellogs Cornflakes 750 kgs
$2.38 Tesco 10 eggs

So far carrots and cornflakes are the only things cheaper in NZ.

Tomsk

Good on you Waikatoguy, seems like a great idea. I'm a Brit, & after 4 years here I went back to the UK on holiday in May this year. For me the biggest difference was in choice, there was far, far more choice in UK supermarkets, but overall I didn't see a massive price difference. At least not until I hit the book section, 3GBP for a new release paperback novel!! There are inevitable seasonal differences, but overall it didn't seem that much cheaper there. But maybe I got it wrong, your researches will be interesting.
Having said that I remember getting all steamed up whilst I was living in the UK about how the major supermarket chains were screwing farmers & small suppliers & killing off the high street. And I generally hated the "ping" philosophy of cooking, so many ready meals available at inexpensive prices that many people I knew never cooked, they shoved ready meals in the microwave, ready to eat when the microwave pinged. Those will be impossible to measure in your calculations as where a lot of kiwis will go to KFC drive through Brits will do a M&S ready meal. Rotorua has a similar population to my old home town in the UK, Dartford, but Rotorua has 4 MacDonalds, 2 KFC, 2 Burger King, 1 Wendy's, 3 Subway. Dartford had McDonalds x 1, Burger King x1. Both have several fish & chips, Chinese take away etc. NZ is, for sure, leader in the crap, zero nutrition, take away food stakes. High cost too!
For comparison UK supermarkets, Tesco & Sainsbury's probably middle range, Waitrose a bit posh, Asda & Morrison's a bit less posh, Aldi & Lidl European stores that tend to have a smaller range but really good prices. In my opinion.

phyns

Wee bit off topic but I've found the site below handy to decide what to bring from the UK.

http://www.priceme.co.nz/

waikatoguy

I've tried to be as accurate as possible. It was hard to compare properly. For example the cabbages in the UK seemed different to the NZ ones and stuff like that. Not sure whether this is enough to feed a family of 4. It worked out that NZ was 11% more expensive (on this grocery list) than the UK.

New Zealand
$4.95 2.5kgs white washed potatoes
$3.98 1 Cauli
$1.98 1 Cabbage
$0.75 1 kg carrots
$6.99 3 pack courgettes (imported)
$2.69 Homebrand Frozen Peas 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand Mixed Veges 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand frozen chips 1kg
$5.80 Talley's 2L French Vanilla icecream
$11.10 Countdown chicken 1.3kgs = $8.99
$9.00 Standard beef mince 1kg
$21.82 1 kg rump steak
$7.50 500g Deli shaved ham
$14.75 500g lamb steaks
$2.94 2 loaves homebrand sandwich bread 600g
$3.69 Flora Lite spread 500g
$3.99 Meadow Fresh standard 2L milk
$4.50 Homebrand 500g Edam Cheese - $8.99 for 1kg block
$5.49 6x125g Fresh N Fruity yoghurt
$1.99 1kg bananas
$2.50 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.30 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.16 Kellogs Cornflakes 725 kgs = $4.99
$2.55 Homebrand 10 eggs. Dozen = $3.06
$2.69 Cottonsoft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.29 Macleans Freshmint toothpaste 90g
$2.39 Bar Simple soap
$2.00 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 300 ml = $5.99

Grand Total for NZ = $NZ147.17

United Kingdom
$3.00 2.5kgs Tesco White potatoes
$1.94 1 Cauli
$1.54 1 Cabbage
$1.80 1 kg carrots
$3.28 3 pack courgettes
$1.98 Country Store Mixed Veges
$2.20 Tesco Mixed Veges
$1.78 Country Store frozen chips 1.2 kgs = $2.14
$2.76 Tesco Vanilla 2L icecream
$9.50 Tesco chicken 1.6kgs
$6.00 Tesco beef mince 1kg 800g=$4.80
$26.88 1 kg Tesco rump steak
$3.72 500g Tesco value ham
$16.66 500g lamb steaks
$2.16 2 loaves Tesco medium sliced bread 1 800g loaf = $1.38 = $1.08p for 600g
$3.40 Flora Lite spread 500g
$2.72 Tesco whole milk 2L
$5.32 Tesco 500g Edam block cheese - $5 for 470g block
$5.52 Activia 6x125g yoghurt - 4pck 125g = $3.68
$1.36 1kg bananas
$3.30 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.00 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.36 Kellogs Cornflakes 750 kgs
$2.38 Tesco 10 eggs
$3.96 Nouvelle Soft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.00 Macleans Freshmint 100 mls
$1.30 Bar Simple soap
$2.25 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 200 mls = $4.50

Grand Total for UK = $NZ132.07

waikatoguy

So far, from what I can tell, if you buy the Tesco brand (in the Uk) you save massively on the usual brands. Whereas it seems the NZ supermarket brands like Signature Range don't offer the same discount.

waikatoguy

(Edit from previous post as I made an error with one of the items).
I've tried to be as accurate as possible. It was hard to compare properly. For example the cabbages in the UK seemed different to the NZ ones and stuff like that. And also, with some items like icecream there was no equivalent budget brand for NZ, which was astoundingly half the price for the Tescos brand in the UK (does it taste as good?). And courgettes will be cheap as chips here in a few months, or whenever they're in season. Not sure whether this is enough to feed a family of 4. It worked out that NZ was 15% more expensive (on this grocery list) than the UK as at 1 Sep 2012.

New Zealand (Countdown)
$4.95 2.5kgs white washed potatoes
$3.98 1 Cauli
$1.98 1 Cabbage
$0.75 1 kg carrots
$6.99 3 pack courgettes (imported)
$2.69 Homebrand Frozen Peas 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand Mixed Veges 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand frozen chips 1kg
$5.80 Talley's 2L French Vanilla icecream
$11.10 Countdown chicken 1.3kgs = $8.99
$9.00 Standard beef mince 1kg
$21.82 1 kg rump steak
$7.50 500g Deli shaved ham
$14.75 500g lamb steaks
$2.94 2 loaves homebrand sandwich bread 600g
$3.69 Flora Lite spread 500g
$3.99 Meadow Fresh standard 2L milk
$4.50 Homebrand 500g Edam Cheese - $8.99 for 1kg block
$5.49 6x125g Fresh N Fruity yoghurt
$1.99 1kg bananas
$2.50 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.30 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.16 Kellogs Cornflakes 725 kgs = $4.99
$2.55 Homebrand 10 eggs. Dozen = $3.06
$2.69 Cottonsoft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.29 Macleans Freshmint toothpaste 90g
$2.39 Bar Simple soap
$2.00 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 300 ml = $5.99

Grand Total for NZ = $NZ147.17

United Kingdom (Tescos)
$3.00 2.5kgs Tesco White potatoes
$1.94 1 Cauli
$1.54 1 Cabbage
$1.80 1 kg carrots
$3.28 3 pack courgettes
$1.98 Country Store frozen peas
$2.20 Tesco Mixed Veges
$1.78 Country Store frozen chips 1.2 kgs = $2.14
$2.76 Tesco Vanilla 2L icecream
$9.50 Tesco chicken 1.6kgs
$6.00 Tesco beef mince 1kg 800g=$4.80
$22.88 1 kg Tesco rump steak
$3.72 500g Tesco value ham
$16.66 500g lamb steaks
$2.16 2 loaves Tesco medium sliced bread 1 800g loaf = $1.38 = $1.08p for 600g
$3.40 Flora Lite spread 500g
$2.72 Tesco whole milk 2L
$5.32 Tesco 500g Edam block cheese - $5 for 470g block
$5.52 Activia 6x125g yoghurt - 4pck 125g = $3.68
$1.36 1kg bananas
$3.30 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.00 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.36 Kellogs Cornflakes 750 kgs
$2.38 Tesco 10 eggs
$3.96 Nouvelle Soft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.00 Macleans Freshmint 100 mls
$1.30 Bar Simple soap
$2.25 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 200 mls = $4.50

Grand Total for UK = $NZ128.07

waikatoguy

I guess one thing you have to consider when looking at those figures too is that in NZ, unless I'm mistaken, you pay less income tax, but there is a high goods and services tax instead.

waikatoguy

Have you not seen the advert that sings ... 'Kiwi kids are weetbix kids' ? They're a sort of wheat brick that you have with milk and sprinkle sugar on top. Couldn't find the equivalent in the UK, so I replaced it with Kelloggs All Bran.

sr71

You can't have looked very hard then, it's called Weetabix over there.

skends

all bran is much more expensive than weetabix in the u.k. too!!

scottishstacey

yep its called weetabix here too. not had some for ages!

cheers waikatoguy, that'll be a useful comparison for other members. I was having a look at prices on countdown earlier

cappuccino

Washing powder is cheaper in NZ (but you have to remember to buy front or top loader varieties cos if you put the wrong one in your machine.......)

I just got back from the UK - first stop M&S food hall :-) I also popped in to Iceland for a nosey - how do they sell so many items (ok, highly processed cr@p such as frozen pizzas etc) for £1??