I know we probably have had this kind of post before but I wonder if it's possible to say by how much things have gone up or down in Italy in comparison to last year?
Taking a simple shopping basket with a few staples
A kilo of tomatoes
Salad
Bread
Cheeses
Meat
Fish
Milk
wine

and.....

Electricity
Gas
petrol/diesel
phone


It may be interesting, (or not) for those who want to move to Italy to see how it compares to the U.K.








mobile phone use

Ciao, in an nutshell, everything has become chuffin expensive.
This morning I have paid :
Tomatoes, 33 Kgs (for bottling) Euro 1 per Kg.
1 litre milk, Euro 1.45 per litre
1 small loaf Euro 0.81
1 small Mozzarella Euro 1.84 @ Euro 9.50 per Kg.

30 eggs Euro 4.20
500 g. sausage @ Euro 8.50 per Kg.
328 g.filetto @ Euro 31.90 per Kg.
334 g.pork chops @ Euro 8.50 per Kg.
72 g. mortadella @ Euro 12.50 per Kg.

1 telephone bill Telecom landline + broadband, 2 months, Euro 89
1 TIM phone charge Euro 20, wil last about a month.
That is on Euro 528 per month state pensione!!
could go on and on, but no point really.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

forgot to add 5 litres wine @ Euro 1 per litre.
'o nonno

Hello. Sorry but I've been back in Blighty for a while now so GO COMPARRRRREEEEEEEEEE GO COMPARRRREEEEEE.

I love the UK supermarkets. In Sainsburys I get my own scanner, scan my own goods and just pay at the check out. Imagine. Buy one get one frees etc - love those but Italy hasn't caught onto that. GS just does not compare.

You're right. BOGOFs don't exist here.
If anything it's "prendi tre, paghi due" which is a bit different and you don't always want or need three things the same.

It would be nice if Italy cottoned onto the bigger size family milk cartons instead of me (and others) having to go out every other morn for fresh milk or bring home two separate litre bottles instead of one 2 litre bottle.

Ariel - dont know about other towns but in my nearest town the GS has been taken over by .....Carrefour Also all the little Di per Di - they've become Carrefour Express ! Ha thats a joke - they're the most expensive supermarket around.

ps: every time i read go compare i think of that really annoying advert where a man sings Go Compare ....

Yes, My OH hates that advert as well...I sing it quite often
We live in brill area, have Waitrose(loverly but only visited by royalty, Sainsburies, and Tescos and a M&S!!!!! Lurve it... NOT as expensive as I thought it would all be and as you say those glorious "Buy one get one free"
I do miss my little "Sod it" (Todis really) in Italy for certain things... but not really.
The markets here are great. Some are a bit "Fashionable" and full of lovies saying "Oh look darling, olive oil from a snow capped mountain in outer Peru! Must have..." The French farmers markets are a joy for cheeses and breads and juniper sausages and sage filled meats...The languages spoken here around you, well, you could be anywhere... The restaurants ahhhh...... a joy. Not just Italian, Italian, Italian...Well I think I've said enough!

Oh Gio .....I cant read your posts anymore - they make me far too envious
But I know what you mean about choice.
My mum has an M&S food hall near her house and so we did quite alot of shopping there - its just wonderful! Their chinese meal for 2 (which was really enough for 3) was only £11 - bargain.

We have a COOP by us that has scan and pack. From leaving home to getting back home it takes me an hour all in to shop. We have just come back from the UK, some of it self catering and to be honest I probably don't spend any more on the weekly shop here than here. Our local supermarkets have cottoned on to BOGOF's, just not as many.

Utilities are another story but I think that I think they have gone up a lot in the UK since we left. Paying council tax will be a bit of a shocker too when we go back.

Car insurance in Italy was a huge shock compared to the U.K...Our council tax is £25 a month inc of water and that includes rubbish tax. We are in London so I suppose it's the highest charges one could expect. Gas & electric come to £50 a quarter & telephone and broadband are coming in at £16.00 a month. Shopping as I say, depending on what you buy about the same, but with just as much if not more choice in the fruit and veg section. I think we live cheaper here cos we know our way around and how to go about finding out about more stuff...We still have Lidl, but it's C@@p here. Or, is it just that we don't need it anymore!

Wow, what prices. I have just received my Telecom bill for domestic phone calls plus broadband. Euro 89. 2 months. Due by : 10/08/2010. Delivered by postman 20/08/2010. Includes Euro 1.80 for 'late payment' of previous bill; caused by same scenario. Blistering row with Telecom ensued - result; nada, nix, niente, nothing.
Just received my ENEL domestic use bill, Euro 149.96 for 2 months. Due by : 13/08/2010. Delivered by postman 26/08/2010. Includes Euro 1.59 for late payment of previous bill; caused by same scenario. Blistering row with ENEL ensued - result; nada, nix, niente, nothing. Will no longer be rushing to post office to pay.
Both these bills PERHAPS may now be paid just after Christmas if I have any money left from my measly tredicesimo!
ciao for now,
'o nonno

€149 for the leccy?? Blimey Non! Just got mine and it's the regular €32.

£25pm for Council Tax??!! Where you living? In a shed in Wandsworth?

You're very lucky Anderson - mine was about €192 for 3 months

This reminds me of an article in our local paper recently. The village next to ours has problems with the postal service (almost non existent) People have been receiving utility bills like you Ononno, really late - sometimes even 2 months late and so they are then fined or threatened with being cut off !!!