Canada vs. Mexico: We compared the prices of 10 grocery items

It’s no secret that grocery shopping in Canada isn’t cheap, but how does it compare to a trip to the supermarket in Mexico?

Daily Hive has previously compared the cost of food in the US, Australia, and France, and this time, we were curious to see how much it costs to shop in this North American country.

To better understand grocery costs in both countries, we compared the prices of a Walmart located in Mexico City to those on Walmart Canada’s website.

For this grocery run, we picked several basic food items and used the latest conversion rate of  C$1 to Mex$13.51. We’re only using regular prices, not discounted sale prices.

It’s also important to note the cost of living in both countries is very different.

According to the OECD Better Life Index, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita in Mexico is US$16,269, or about C$22,349.

The Better Life Index says that Canada’s average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is around C$47,284.

There are also different food regulations and processing rules in both countries.

Also, remember that the prices at this Mexico City Walmart are just a tiny sample of food costs and don’t accurately represent prices across Mexico, just as Walmart Canada prices don’t accurately represent prices throughout the country.

Here’s how some grocery items compare in Mexico vs. Canada.

Sliced bread

Walmart Mexico: Mex$30/C$2.22 for 624 grams — C$0.36 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$2.87 for 570 grams — C$0.50 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Mexico

Shredded cheese

Walmart Mexico: Mex$109/C$8.08 for 453 grams — C$1.78 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$5.48 for 320 grams — C$1.71 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Canada

Milk

Walmart Mexico: Mex$47/C$3.48 for 1.89 litres of whole milk — C$1.84 per litre

Walmart Canada: C$2.88 per litre

Winner: Walmart Mexico

Eggs

Walmart Mexico: Mex$39/C$2.89 for one dozen eggs

Walmart Canada: C$4.12 for one dozen eggs

Winner: Walmart Mexico

Chicken breast

Walmart Mexico: Mex$59.21/C$4.39 for 426 grams — C$1.03 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$15 for three chicken breasts — C$2.08 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Mexico

Peanut butter

Walmart Mexico: Mex$67/C$4.96 for 510 grams — C$0.97 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$4.27 for 1 kilogram — C$0.42 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Canada

Cheerios

Walmart Mexico: Mex$77/C$5.70 for 340 grams — C$1.68 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$4.97 for 350 grams —C$1.42 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Canada

Olive oil

Walmart Mexico: Mex$140/C$10.37 for 500 millilitres — C$2.07 per 100 millilitres

Walmart Canada: C$7.97 for 500 millilitres — C$1.59 per 100 millilitres

Winner: Walmart Canada

Frozen vegetables

Walmart Mexico: Mex$28/C$2.07 for 500 grams — C$0.41 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: C$6.27 for 2 kilograms — C$0.31 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Canada

Barilla Pasta

Walmart Mexico: Mex$28.50/C$2.11 for 500 grams — C$0.42 per 100 grams

Walmart Canada: Walmart Canada’s website does not have fettuccine listed, so we went with spaghetti instead: C$1.97 for 410 grams — C$0.48 per 100 grams

Winner: Walmart Mexico

Over all, Walmart Mexico and Walmart Canada prices are tied with five points each in this comparison.

Are there any countries where you’ve shopped for groceries and noticed significant price differences compared to Canada?

Let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected].

Source