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Many Ukrainians who have left the country since the war began say that food prices in Europe are too high. Is this really true? Let’s take a look in this blog and talk about the current prices of some products.

Of course, I’m not going to write about all the products, because it would take too much time.

For example, I took Ukraine, Poland, and Norway. All prices will be written in euros to make it easier to understand the difference.

Let’s start with Ukraine:

1. Bread costs €0.96-1.08 per loaf.
2. Eggs – €1.19 per 10 pcs.
3. Chicken fillet – 5.5-8 € per 1 kg.
4. Beef – 8-20 € per 1 kg.
5. Salmon – 11.5 € per 1 kg.
6. Cheese – 7-12 € per 1 kg.
7. Potatoes – 1 € per 1 kg.
8. Apples cost €1.4 per 1 kg.

I should note that I do not take into account all types of products, all regions of Ukraine, and every store – these are rather approximate prices based on my personal experience.

Given Ukrainian salaries, not everyone in Ukraine can afford to buy meat every week. In my opinion, prices are too high for the level of income. But how are things in other countries?

Let’s continue with the comparison to make sure we understand our question.

Poland

The same list of products. Let’s see how the neighboring country rates food.

1. Bread costs €0.80-1.00 per loaf.
2. Eggs – €1.50-2.00 per 10 pcs.
3. Chicken fillet – 4.50-5.50 € per 1 kg.
4. Beef – 8.00-10.00 € per 1 kg.
5. Salmon – 10.00-12.00 € per 1 kg.
6. Cheese – 5.00-8.00 € per 1 kg.
7. Potatoes – 0.50-0.70 € per 1 kg.
8. Apples – 0.80-1.20 € per 1 kg.

Here, the prices are also approximate, but as we can see, the grocery basket in Poland will be cheaper than in Ukraine.

Norway

The same list of products, let’s see how things are going there.

1. Bread costs €2.50-3.00 per loaf.
2. Eggs cost 3.50-4.50 € per 10 pcs.
3. Chicken fillet – 9.00-12.00 € per 1 kg.
4. Beef – 20.00-30.00 € per 1 kg.
5. Salmon – 15.00-25.00 € per 1 kg.
6. Cheese – 10.00-15.00 € per 1 kg.
7. Potatoes cost €1.50-2.00 per 1 kg.
8. Apples cost €2.50-3.50 per 1 kg.

Obviously, prices in Norway are much higher. This country is known for its high food prices, which is related to the standard of living and tax policy.

Discounts

Perhaps this is the most interesting point, as discounts work differently in the countries represented.

In European countries, stores are usually closed on weekends, so there are often discounts before these days that allow you to save money.

For example, in Poland, discounts range from 15% to 30%.

While in Ukraine, stores are open every day, which changes the approach to discounts.

In Ukraine, discounts are rare, and they often indicate that the goods are spoiled or will soon go bad. Sometimes stores offer promotions from manufacturers, although the discounts are usually insignificant.

Features.

To better understand the situation, let’s discuss the minimum wages in these countries.

Norway: the minimum wage is about 2500 € per month. Groceries are not a big financial burden for Norwegian residents.

Poland: the minimum wage is about €950 per month. This allows residents to provide themselves with the necessary products.

Ukraine: the minimum wage is €180 per month, and the average is about €400. This is almost half the minimum wage in Poland.

Conclusion.

Despite such a large difference in salaries, food prices in Poland are equal or even lower than in Ukraine.

We can conclude that it is not easy for Ukrainians: it is difficult to stay in the country and equally difficult to leave it to earn money.

I hope that after reading this blog, you will better understand Ukrainians or other people who leave their homes to improve their standard of living.

Sources:

https://www.numbeo.com/food-prices/country_result.jsp?country=Ukraine

https://talentup.io/blog/average-salary-in-ukraine