Price Check is a series of posts from every destination we visit that could serve as a shopping list to stock the kitchen at the start of your stay, as well as a cost of living index in a way. We’re including some basic items to get you started plus a local specialty or two.
In Jerez, like Marrakech, it’s much more fun to shop at local markets than at a supermarket, however, unlike Marrakech, you’re not going to get everything you need at the markets, and in Jerez you will find yourself having to head to the Carrefour Express (opposite the Mercado) at some point. Buy a couple of calico shopping bags the first day you shop, otherwise you’ll be paying 10 cents for a plastic bag – although the good news is that those biodegradable plastic bags decompose after six months.
Interestingly, our bag of groceries below came to the exact same price as it did in Marrakech – although we added sugar to this list, which makes Jerez slightly cheaper than Marrakech. Who knew?
We’ve used today’s currency rates below from www.xe.com rounding up/down.
| 1.5 litre water | €0.50 | £0.45 | US$0.70 |
| 1 litre milk | €0.50 | £0.45 | US$0.70 |
| Bottle of local | wine €5 | £4.50 | US$6.90 |
| San Miguel beer | €0.50 | £0.45 | US$0.70 |
| 100g Nescafe | €3 | £2.70 | US$4.10 |
| 250 g Saimaza coffee beans | €2 | £1.80 | US$2.75 |
| Mint tea 50 bags | €1.40 | £1.25 | US$1.90 |
| 1 kg sugar | €0.80 | £0.70 | US$1.10 |
| Jar of cherry jam | €1.80 | £1.60 | US$2.50 |
| 1 loaf of bread | €0.70 | £0.60 | US$0.95 |
| 250g quality butter | €2.50 | £2.25 | US$3.45 |
| 200g Queso Curado | €2.50 | £2.25 | US$3.45 |
| 500 ml olive oil | €3.75 | £3.40 | US$5.15 |
| dozen eggs | €3 | £2.70 | US$4.10 |
| 1 kilo tomatoes | €1.75 | £1.60 | US$2.40 |
| 1 kilo onions | €1.40 | £1.25 | US$1.90 |
| 1 kilo apples | €1.60 | £1.45 | US$2.20 |
| 250g jar smoked paprika | €2.50 | £2.25 | US$3.45 |
| 250 g pistachios | €1.50 | £1.35 | US$2.05 |
| Total: | €36 | £32 | US$50 |
5 comments
Lifecruiser Travel says:
March 13, 2010 at 1:42 am (UTC 11 )
Very interesting comparison. We haven’t been to Marrakech yet, but know Jerez pretty well since one of our best friend lived nearby for 1,5 year and just recently moved away. We loved the prices there
…and Jerez is such a lovely town! Wouldn’t mind going back some day…
Amera says:
March 14, 2010 at 5:40 am (UTC 11 )
I have to say I think you got ripped off in Marrakech! A loaf of bread costs about 2 dH, eggs maybe 5dH, tomatoes, onions and apples probably between 10 and 15 dH. Much cheaper to shop in actual stalls in the market than in a “grocery store” however.
Lara Dunston says:
March 14, 2010 at 6:13 am (UTC 11 )
Lifecruiser Travel – glad you found it interesting! We always find it a fascinating to process to go through to compare prices between places, because often the places that are assumed to be cheapest are not at all. For instance, we spent a couple of months in Antalya writing a few years ago and found the market and supermarket prices more expensive than parts of Italy where we’d spent a few months. And that’s why we decided to undertake this little exercise this year.
Jerez *is* lovely and we’ll be sad to leave tonight.
Thanks for dropping by!
Lara Dunston says:
March 14, 2010 at 6:23 am (UTC 11 )
Hello Amera
Well then it seems *every* person who lives in Marrakech and shops at what is the main supermarket in Gueliz, where we took our prices from, is getting ripped off everyday!
Marrakech is simply a lot more expensive than it was 5 years ago when we last visited, and all the locals told us that.
As we say in these posts, it’s certainly possible to buy some of these things for a little bit less in the local markets stalls, however, it’s also possible to pay a whole lot more. This is why we always recommend people go to a supermarket on their first day to jot down the fixed prices, and then they have something to compare the prices in the market stalls to. If they’re higher, they know their getting ripped off, but if they’re cheaper, they know they’ve got a great deal.
We stayed on the market street of Bab Doukkala which we write about here: http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/02/27/the-rhythm-of-daily-life-and-rue-bab-doukkala/ and we found the prices at the stalls there varied dramatically. One stall holder was selling his goods for twice and three times the price of the supermarket, while others were selling their goods for considerably less. Always pays to shop around, which is what we recommend.
Terence Carter says:
March 14, 2010 at 6:43 am (UTC 11 )
Amera, also the idea is to take the average ‘supermarket’ prices of these items and compare them. During this year-long trip, not every destination is going to have all of the items on our list available in a street market – even if they have a daily market.