Here's how much 10 grocery staples cost in France vs. Canada
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.
Grocery comparison
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.
Bread
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €1.39/$2.08 (500g) — 41 cents/100g
Walmart: C$1.97 (570g) — 34 cents/100g
Eggs
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €2.89/C$4.32 (one dozen)
Walmart: C$4.08 (one dozen)
Partly skimmed milk
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €0.99/C$1.48 (1L)
Walmart: C$2.83 (1L)
Chicken
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €6.30/C$9.43 (720g) — C$1.30/100g
Walmart: C$23 (seven fillets)
Potatoes
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €1.19/C$1.78 (1kg)
Walmart: C$6.97 (2.26kg) — C$3.08/kg
Tomatoes
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €2/C$2.99 (200g) — C$1.49/100g
Walmart: C$2.97 (283g) — C$1.04/100g
Avocado
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €1.39/C$2.08 (per piece)
Walmart: C$1.47 (per piece)
Strawberries
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €3.99/$5.97 (500g) — C$1.19/100g
Walmart: C$4.97 (453g) — C$1.09/100g
Basmati rice
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €2.55/C$3.81 (1kg) — 38 cents/100g
Walmart: C$6.97 (907g) — 76 cents/100g
Lay’s chips
Carrefour.fr | Walmart.ca
Carrefour: €1.49/C$2.23 (155g) — $1.43/100g
Walmart: C$3.97 (235g) — $1.68/100g
Out of the 10 grocery items, we found five cheaper at Carrefour.
Some notable differences include basmati rice, which is significantly more expensive at Walmart Canada at 76 cents per 100g than just 38 cents per 100g at Carrefour. Potatoes are also pricier in Canada and cost C$3.08 per 1kg versus C1.78 per 1kg in France.
What country’s food prices would you like to see compared to Canada’s next? Let us know in the comments, or email us at [email protected].
This article was originally published on June 13, 2024. The prices have since been updated.