Israel has the sixth-highest cost of groceries in the world, according to a new study by money.co.uk that analyzed the average cost of a “standard” trip to the grocery store in 36 countries around the world.
According to the research, the average cost of groceries in Israel totals $28.45 per person a week – a figure higher than that of the US, Denmark or Canada.
The most expensive country to shop for groceries was Switzerland, with an average weekly cost of $48.16. Switzerland is known for its high cost of living, with meat prices being particularly high at $7.94 for 300g for chicken fillets and $5.20 for 100g of beef.
Conversely, the cheapest country to purchase groceries was Turkey, with a meager $8.95 average cost – only about a fifth of Switzerland’s. Colombia came in second place with an average spend of $9.71 per week.
The study also analyzed the cost of groceries in comparison to average weekly earnings, finding that the country with the least affordable groceries per capita was Mexico, while the Netherlands was considered the most affordable country.
Although the Netherlands average cost was $22.28 – compared to $14.47 in Mexico – the average monthly income in Mexico is $1,352, while the average monthly income in the Netherlands is over $4,900, or just 1.97% of cost/earning compared to 4.65% of individual earnings in Mexico, more than twice as much.
Grocery prices have gone up across Israel since the start of 2022, which has led to a backlash. Prices for goods such as fruits, Osem products, and even diapers have risen in the last few months, angering shoppers and leading to calls for boycotts. Israel’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.8% in 2021 and increased another 0.1% to 2.9% this year as of January 30, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported in January.