Supermarket price comparison: how costs compare to other European nations

Study digs into how the prices we pay for things like egg, milk and nappies compare with those on the continent.

It has been difficult of late not to feel like we’re being ripped off by our supermarkets.

The prices we pay for our groceries have gone up at such an alarming rate that the level of trust we feel in supermarkets has dropped to the lowest level in almost a decade.

There have been calls for price caps or for the competition authorities to get involved too, in order to prevent supermarkets from milking us unfairly.

But are we really being ripped off? How do grocery prices in the UK compare with those we might pay in other countries?

Shopping at the supermarche

Research by the BBC and Circana dug into the costs of 23 household goods, like loo roll, ketchup, nappies and pasta in a handful of countries across the continent.

And it found that with some items we are paying more than our European cousins.

Ketchup is a good example here. In the UK, we pay a typical £1.92 for ketchup, and while that’s only 3p more than you would pay in Italy, it’s certainly at the costly end.

In France for example, ketchup would set you back a typical £1.37.

Toilet paper is another item that we appear to be paying through the nose for. Our typical £3.80 spend compares poorly with Germany (£2.87) and Italy (£2.66) for example.

Here are some of the other items pinpointed by study which we appear to be paying a premium for, compared to those on the continent.

Saving at the supermarket

However, it’s worth noting that this wasn’t a uniform trend.

Indeed, there were all sorts of items where the prices we pay in the UK were substantially cheaper than would be the case in supermarkets and hypermarkets overseas.

Below are some of the clearest examples where the price in the UK is much cheaper than elsewhere:

• France ‒ £67.57
• Spain ‒ £52.75
• Italy ‒ £52.16
• UK ‒ £51.72
• Netherlands ‒ £50.68
• Germany ‒ £47.25

Dealing with rising costs

It’s worth emphasising that this study is a relatively small snapshot, but also that it doesn’t cover how those prices have changed over the last year.

Because what’s put household finances under great strain is not just the actual cost of the food, but the speed with which it has risen. 

Thankfully the pace of food price inflation seems to be slowing.

The latest data from Kantar World Panel shows that, in the four weeks to 11 June, like-for-like grocery inflation fell to 16.5%. 

That’s the lowest rate seen in 2023 which is welcome, but still represents the sixth-highest monthly figure in the last 15 years.

That is always going to hurt, but even more so when costs are rising in so many other areas of our lives.

It’s also important to note that the Circana study didn’t include the German deep discounters Aldi and Lidl when putting together prices for the UK.

These stores are winning a lot of customers over though because of the low prices and decent quality of the produce.

Kantar research into supermarket market share shows that since Christmas Aldi’s share has grown from 9.1% to 10.2%, making it the fourth biggest supermarket in the country. Lidl meanwhile has grown from 7.2% to 7.7%.

By contrast, the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons have all seen their share drop over the same period.

Essentially shoppers are far more likely now to shop around for their groceries, and particularly utilise deep discounters where possible, in order to keep costs low. 

While we might not have the low prices enjoyed by German shoppers, we do now have some of their budget supermarkets in place within the UK which can help us all save a few quid on our food.