ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

American mom in London compares grocery prices between US and UK. The difference is eye-opening

She pointed out that average wages weren't very different at the time
UPDATED AUG 13, 2024
Cover image source: A trolley full of groceries in Cardiff. | Getty Images | Photo by Matthew Horwood
Cover image source: A trolley full of groceries in Cardiff. | Getty Images | Photo by Matthew Horwood

According to the latest government data, food inflation has fallen in recent weeks. However, this hasn't reduced the burden on consumers as grocery prices are still up by 25% since the pandemic, as per an Intuit Credit Karma report. While this is common across the globe, Americans seem to be feeling the heat a little more. A TikTok creator from the UK did a price comparison between grocery items in the U.K. and America and we are shocked. 

Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai
Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai

Creator and mom Abigael Lanai (@abigaellanai) posted the video last year. Lanai, who is originally from Colorado, currently lives in London, where she shops from the popular grocery chain Sainsbury's.

In the viral video, Lanai compares the prices of everyday grocery items from the U.K. chain with the prices of the same items from King Soopers, an American store she used to visit. 

The first item in her comparison was whole milk, which Lanai got from Sansbury's for £1.65 for 2.27 liters (about half a gallon). She then converts the cost to dollars which comes out to be $1.99. However, the price of half a gallon of milk from King Soopers was about $2.49, significantly higher than the UK. 

Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai
Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai

The next item that Lanai compares is apples. She shows that one red gala apple in the UK costs about £0.25 or $0.30. In America, the same apples were available in small and large sizes. The small went for $0.67 while the large went for $0.95, double and triple what it costs in the U.K. respectively. 

Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai
Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai

Lanai them comes to comparing ground beef. She shows that 500g (~1.1 pound) of minced beef costs £1.99 in the UK at the time. The same item should cost about $2.40 in the US after conversion. However, to no one's surprise, the same 80% lean ground beef in the US cost $5.49 at the time. 

Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai
Screenshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai

Lastly, Lanai comes to veggies, comparing the price of a bag of carrots in the two countries. Lanai says that the item costs £0.50 in the U.K. which was about $0.60 at the time. Again, to no surprise, she shows that the same item in the US costs $1.99, or $1.39 more than the U.K.

Screeshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai
Screeshots from the video | TikTok | @abigaellanai

At the end, Lanai said that the prices may differ based on location and income disparity but she does mention that for their family, money goes a lot further in the UK.

Viewers of Lanai couldn't agree more. "I would spend maybe $500 euro a month for a family of 5 in Europe. In America I pay $900," commented user@hypercatalexis.

Screenshot from the comments | TikTok | @sofa28281
Screenshot from the comments | TikTok | @sofa28281

Meanwhile, some argued that the purchasing power of people in the two countries also varies according to the prices. "I think we need to look at this through relative purchasing power though, wages in the USA are far higher than the UK," mentioned user @beanbaginahurry.

However, Lanai clarified that the average wages did not differ by much at the time, which makes it cheaper for people in the U.K.

For more such comparisons, vlogs, and mom content follow Abigael Lanai (@abigaellanai) on TikTok.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Culkin has been a clue on the game a whopping 42 times since he was a child star.
9 hours ago
The guest was happy with the valuation, and fans got to learn a cool story about a big guitar brand.
10 hours ago
The idea of owning human remains, no matter how old, was not something Harrison was a fan of.
11 hours ago
The fumble is considered the most epic one on the show in decades of his history.
14 hours ago
This was a much-needed result for fans who had been clamoring for a Bonus Round winner for weeks.
15 hours ago
“Coming into the end there, you’ve got no money. Then that one tossup and then all of a sudden $44,000,” host Ryan Seacrest reacted to the win.
1 day ago
Several Walmart employees also jumped in to explain things in response to the video.
1 day ago
It's unusual to see objects literally from out of this world on the show, and incredibly fascinating.
1 day ago
She was very interactive with the studio audience and was calling out to them later.
2 days ago
It wasn't just any ordinary rock as it was claimed to be a lot older than our planet.
2 days ago
Harrison was not convinced and called an expert who came up with something he hadn't expected.
2 days ago
She revealed details about what happens once someone does win a car on the show.
2 days ago
Cuban loved the business and its numbers but was clearly in two minds about offering a deal.
2 days ago
Rick Harrison has reason to doubt Chum Lee but sometimes, he does really good work.
2 days ago
The guest was clearly not expecting such a high valuation for something she treated as a toy.
3 days ago
She knew what to do long before the game reached its most definitive moment and won big.
3 days ago
He had been a fan of the show for many years and had fulfilled his dream of being on it.
3 days ago
The guest had no idea about the lamps or their history and was fascinated by the story.
4 days ago
Things like this rarely see the light of day, especially in a case that has been kept such a secret.
4 days ago
Rick Harrison made a desperate attempt to get the historic machine but things didn't go well.
4 days ago