Shekels vs. Dollars: Comparing groceries

How far do these 20's go?

One of the perks of living America is that stuff is fairly cheap. Taxes are pretty low, there's a lot of brands in any given market promoting competition, and big-box retailers like Walmart and Target offer deep discounts on just about everything, because in a country of 300 million people, big chains can afford to do that. What's a shame however, is how little most Americans appreciate this. In fact, Americans love to complain about how expensive things are, while anyone who is well-traveled outside the U.S knows that we have it wayyyy better than most places. I spent 3 years cursing the Euro before I moved to Israel and met the shekel. The sticker shock I've encountered in Israel is unlike anything else I've seen, and I find myself going out of my way to find things cheaper, especially groceries. Then again, maybe it's all in my head? I figured I'd do a side by side comparison on some of the groceries I purchase the most to find out for sure.

I'm told this falls out of the sky for free. I prefer it in pre-packaged plastic bottles.

So this one actually surprised me. In the Smith household we drink water almost exclusively, so we burn through about 10 of these in a week. The price shown on the Israeli water converts to $4.64 while the comparable pack of Aquafina goes for $5.99 on groceryrunner911.com. That's actually a 23% percent difference, pretty significant. So turns out I'm saving money here on something that's readily available for free in my sink every day. Tov.

Kids love this stuff.

I really try not to drink or buy a lot of juice, but I have a 3 year old, and there are times that I serve water with the best of motherly intentions only to receive this look in return. So we buy juice. I especially like to have orange juice on hand for toddler cold and flu season which typically runs from September to May in my experience. Anyway, at left, the TreeTop brand 64 ounce apple juice goes for $2.89 on the Amazon Fresh website. The Prigat brand at right can be found at just about every market in Israel, and is sold for a whopping $6.62, well over double the price in the states. This is something that appears on weekly shopping lists for a lot of parents. To me, $6.62 feels like a lot to part with for juice every week.

Mmmm...carbs...

Here's another kitchen staple where the price difference isn't really that big, and in this example the Israeli version almost saves you a whole dollar. The American brand bread at left is $2.79 on Amazon Fresh, while the Israeli bread works out to $1.91. 

The incredible, edible egg.

I eat scrambled eggs for breakfast at least 3 times a week, so two cartons of a dozen is normal for a week in our house. I'm trying to learn more about proper nutrition now, partly because in Israel there is no Whole Foods, and I am a lost soul without Whole Foods. But I do try to buy good quality eggs, organic or free-range if not both, because I eat them so much. At home a dozen free-range eggs costs $4.19 on Amazon Fresh, compared to $5.91 in Israel. It may not sound like much at first but it's a cost difference of 30 percent. That's the kind of difference that can add up over time.

Does a body good. Does a wallet bad.

Again we have another slight difference in the price of a half-gallon of milk with U.S. brand Darigold coming in 21 cents cheaper than its Israeli competitor, at $3.09 vs $3.30. Am I the only one that finds both of these pricey? You can't get a half-gallon of milk for under 3 dollars anymore? I'm sure you probably can at places like Walmart, but they don't display information online for groceries that are only sold in store. Still, I did some google research and even the Walmart half-gallons are coming in from $2.75-$2.99. That just feels high to me. Is it inflation maybe? Am I that old?

Like buttah!

Last but not least we have butter. Butter is one of many grocery items that cannot be found in a size that is standard on U.S. shelves. I've never seen a gallon of milk outside the states, only half-gallons. The biggest size butter I've seen in Israel is 200 grams, which is a little less than 2 sticks at home. The Darigold brand is $3.59 for 4 sticks (the smallest size available), making it $1.80 for 2. 200 grams of Israeli butter is $1.96.

Okay. So maybe my perceived sticker shock has been slightly overblown. But on average, groceries are still more expensive here while salaries are much lower. The median income of an American household in 2011 was around $50,000, while for Israeli households it was around $28,000. When you take this disparity into account the picture changes completely. I might complain about prices, but I don't face any financial barriers to making the purchase come checkout time. And that is something for which I am very grateful. I realize this is not the case for everyone, and that a lot of women here go shopping and have to make very difficult choices for their families that I am not forced to face. It makes me realize the value of budget management courses like the ones offered by YEDID throughout Israel that teach citizens how to stretch every shekel. Without this kind of help I imagine it must be extremely difficult for a lot of people to make ends meet.