Vancouverites share how much they're spending on food per day

What’s one thing that nearly every Vancouverite can agree on? It’s that groceries are getting more and more expensive. Many Canadians say their main source of financial insecurity comes from affording day-to-day essentials like gas and groceries, and doctors are being asked to keep an eye out for scurvy due to food insecurity.

Plus, with many struggling to live in Vancouver already, it begs the question: how much are people actually spending on food in the city?

Reddit user BarcaStranger posted in r/Vancouver asking how much people spend on food per day in Vancouver, sharing that they spend around $15 to $20 cooking at home and that friends have told them they “spend too much.”

How much do you spend on food per day in Vancouver?
byu/BarcaStranger invancouver

The thread quickly blew up, and many people added how much they spend on food in the city.

One user shared that they spend around $300 to $350 on food a week on groceries for two people. However, they did note this included other household and non-edible items.

“Even spending that high amount we still can’t buy all the things we ‘want’ to purchase like fancy cheeses, salamis, nuts, some fruits like papaya or raspberries and some meats like steaks,” they shared, adding that it makes them “super angry” because “in 2019, the same weekly trip would come to around $150, not $350.”

Comment
byu/BarcaStranger from discussion
invancouver

“This makes me feel seen!” responded another user. “I live downtown with my wife and no car so [we] buy at the IGA. We don’t buy anything crazy and every month it’s $1,300 ish”

But some people were shocked at the cost, with one person adding, “Bro you’re spending $50/day COOKING YOUR OWN FOOD. How?!?!”

Others still thought that these prices were too good to be true.

“I… have an insanely hard time believing this,” added another person.”I’m on EI and can barely afford anything. I don’t drive. I buy the cheapest stuff I can find. And it’s $150 a week just for myself. I’m skinny and don’t even eat much, nor do I buy luxury items.” They added that they avoid carbs and eat meat every night.

“I buy the cheapest meats I can find but just the meat alone is $100 a week minimum,” they said.

Comment
byu/BarcaStranger from discussion
invancouver

Some people left tips on reducing the cost of their grocery hauls, including meal planning and making large meals in bulk to freeze. However, some users pointed out that this is not possible for everyone.

“Just waiting for the influx of people to be surprised you don’t have a giant chest freezer in your 400 sq ft apartment so you can buy massive amounts of products in bulk to eat affordably,” said one user.

Comment
byu/BarcaStranger from discussion
invancouver

“Or the people who live off rice, tomato, with egg and some seasoning and are like what kind of idiot spends over $1.67/meal,” responded another.

“Or the people who expect you to eat the exact same meal prep every day. Sorry I’m not eating chilli every day for the rest of my life even though it would save me money,” said a third.

How much are you spending on food in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments.

You might also like:

Still hungry? Discover Dished Vancouver on TikTok