"Cheaper for Canadians to live in the US": Woman shares eye-opening shopping experience

A recent trip to the grocery store in Texas made for an eye-opening shopping experience for a Canadian woman who relocated to the US earlier this year.

TikToker Samantha Brookes posted a video in March about how her Texas grocery haul was significantly cheaper than what she experienced as a shopper in Canada.

“When I tell people it’s cheaper to live in the US, here is proof, just with a few pieces of groceries. I didn’t show my whole shopping cart, but I promise I’ll do it on my next trip,” wrote Brookes in the caption.

“My frustration is with the cost of living and how much it truly costs in Canada to be able to live, and there’s no quality of life,” she said in the video, which has received nearly 500,000 views so far.

@samanthabrookes2 When i tell people its cheaper to live in the U.S. here is proof just with a few pieces of groceries. I didn’t show my whole shopping cart but i promise I’ll do it on my next trip. #costofliving #snowbird #texas #tiktokviral #canadianproblems ♬ original sound – Samantha Brookes

“It’s the most frustrating thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and it just continues to get worse.”

She then goes on to say that living in the States — or at least where she’s located in Texas — is much more affordable, even with the exchange rate, especially when it comes to buying groceries.

Brookes provides a cost breakdown of some basic items she purchased at H-E-B, a Texas-based supermarket, and Trader Joe’s.

We’ve looked up the same or similar items at Real Canadian Superstore for a basic price comparison.

Chicken breasts

Brookes compared a 1.65-lb package of thin-sliced chicken breast priced at US$6.57, which is equivalent to around C$9. That equates to US$3.98 (C$5.45) per pound.

No thin-sliced option was available online at the Superstore, so we went with a 3.1-lb pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts selling for C$27.

This brings the per-pound price to C$8.06.

Chicken drumsticks

At H-E-B, a 4.03-lb pack of drumsticks was priced at US$3.99, which works out to C$5.47. The per unit price is US$0.99 (C$1.36) per pound.

At Superstore, chicken drumsticks are currently on sale for C$1.97 per pound. At the regular price — C$10.88 per 1.03-kg pack — the drumsticks would be around C$4.79 per pound.

Eggs

A carton of a dozen eggs at H-E-B totalled US$1.89, or around C$2.59.

Meanwhile, the cheapest carton of a dozen eggs at Superstore is C$4.12.

Flour

A 2-lb bag of all-purpose flour at H-E-B was US$1.32 or C$1.81.

At Superstore, a slightly larger 2.2-lb bag of all-purpose flour is C$2.49.

Marinara sauce

Brookes paid US$1.99 (C$2.73) at Trader Joe’s for a 24-oz (709 ml) jar of Marinara sauce.

At Superstore, PC brand marinara sauce currently sells for $4.29 per 700-ml jar.

Pasta

Brookes showed a 454-gram pack of Trader Joe’s gnocchi priced at US$1.99 or C$2.73.

At Superstore, a 500-gram pack of PC gnocchi is C$2.79 per bag.

Balsamic glaze

Trader Joe’s balsamic glaze is US$2.99 or C$4.10 for a 250-ml bottle.

Superstore’s PC balsamic glaze of the same size is priced higher at C$4.79.

Overall, Brookes’ haul of US grocery items was cheaper than Canadian prices at Supstore, with the exchange rate factored in.

Is the grass greener?

Many folks in the comments shared similar frustrations with the increasing cost of living and grocery prices in Canada.

“$1.99 for tomato sauce????? 😭 I could dream of that price,” said one person.

“My jaw dropped at the price of chicken,” wrote another. 

One person said they lived in a border city in Canada, meaning they frequently shopped in the US for groceries. “A lot of stuff is great… however, the meat is not on the same level. Canada has higher standards on meat,” they noted.

Other commentators said they had moved or were considering moving to Canada due to affordability issues they were experiencing in the US.

“In January, I packed up from Texas to come to Canada again because Texas is just as bad in rent and utilities,” said one person.

“I lived in Texas for two years while my husband was working there. I hated it and couldn’t wait to move back to Canada,” said another.

Another commenter noted that the US is still extremely costly for services like healthcare: “We were visiting my in-laws. My son got an ear infection. It was $450 just to go to a clinic for antibiotics. Canada is still ‘eh okay by me.”

While moving away from Canada is becoming a popular, if not necessary, choice for folks who can no longer afford to live in this country, many who have made the decision to leave have also shared the downsides of relocating.

Have the unaffordability crisis and growing grocery prices made you think about leaving Canada? Let us know in the comments, or email us at [email protected] to share your story.

This article was originally published on April 2, 2024. Canadian prices and conversions in it have since been updated.

With files from Daily Hive’s Amir Ali

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