Grocery prices in France vs. Canada: We compared 10 items

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

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Canadians continue to feel the pinch as grocery item prices remain high. We’ve previously compared the cost of food in Switzerland and Australia, and this time, we wanted to know how French shoppers are faring.

Bloomberg Tax reports that as of January, the hourly minimum wage in France increased to €11.65 (C$17.27), which is pretty much on par with Canada’s federal minimum wage, which went up to C$17.30 in April this year.

To understand food prices in both countries, we compared prices at the French supermarket chain Carrefour with Walmart Canada. We also picked several food items and used the latest conversion rate of €1 to C$1.48. According to money transfer service Wise, France’s standard value-added tax (VAT) is 20% — 10% for goods and services, and 5.5% is applied to food, gas, and electricity.

Where possible, we tried to find similar package sizes. Also, remember that prices at Carrefour are just a tiny sample of food costs and don’t accurately represent prices across France, just as Walmart Canada prices don’t accurately represent prices throughout the country.

Here’s how 10 grocery items compare in France vs. Canada.