The surprise of some vloggers who compared the prices in Romania with those in 11 countries. “Now I realize how serious it is with us”
Two Romanian vloggers wanted to find out how expensive Romania is compared to other countries, and their conclusion is surprising to many. Romania can be cheaper than Bulgaria, but more expensive than Italy or Sweden, is the conclusion of their analysis.
Prices in Brussels exceed those in Bucharest. PHOTO: Video capture
The vloggers known as 2Hoinari personally went to supermarkets in 12 countries and compiled a price list. For this, they bought the same minimum basket of products in each country, choosing strictly the basic products. Then, they compared the final price, after which they made a ranking from the cheapest to the most expensive country. Young people warn us: “the results are surprising and may change your mind about where life is actually more expensive”.
Among the foods included in this minimal basket were chicken, eggs, bread, oil, sugar and vegetables. Other necessary, non-food products also entered the basket, including laundry detergent.
Minimum basket price in 12 countries. PHOTO: Video capture
In total, the two were in 11 countries, and they compared them with Romania. “So now I realize how serious it is with us”Corina said at one point, and Alexandru completed her: “What is happening to our country?”
The surprise from Bulgaria
Vloggers even titled the video “Supermarket Mafia”, suggesting that prices are influenced by business strategies and reduced competition in some countries, including ours. In Romania, large chains dominate the market and can influence shelf prices. Moreover, in recent years there have been several signals that sometimes the big supermarket chains would have some agreements regarding certain prices, but the Competition Council has not been able to prove anything.
In Bulgaria, in Ruse, the young people came to the conclusion that a shopping basket costs 320 lei. Obviously, there are many products cheaper or even much cheaper than in Romania, but even so the daily basket in Bulgaria is 9 lei higher. However, it should be noted that in the meantime there have been price increases in Romania, and from January 1st there will be a new stage of price increases. Moreover, inflation in Romania, approximately 10%, is by far the highest in the European Union.
It is cheaper than here in Sweden, Spain and Greece
One of the surprises is Greece. Compared to Romania, where the shopping basket is 311 lei, Greeks pay less for the same products. Thus, the experiment of the young people of the two vloggers in a supermarket in Greece shows that a Greek will take out of his pocket the equivalent of 277 lei for the same products for which a Romanian pays 311.
The surprise is even bigger in Sweden. In a supermarket in Stockholm, Corina and Alexandru paid only the equivalent of 261 lei for the same products. It is not a secret, however, that the salaries of Swedes are incomparably higher than those of Romanians. “You probably won't believe how much it costs here,” the vloggers warned their followers.
In Spain, the prices are also lower than in Romania, at least in terms of the shopping basket. “Stay tuned, you won't believe it“, said the two. In a supermarket in Barcelona, Romanian vloggers paid 252 lei, more precisely the equivalent in euros. It was cheaper only in Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova, where to buy exactly the same products they paid the equivalent of 153 lei. Another country where prices are lower than in Romania is Turkey. Faced with high inflation, Turkey is still cheaper than Romania, and for the same products you pay 277 lei.
There are also more expensive countries like Romania. Besides Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Malta are other countries where the basket of basic products costs more than in Romania. The most expensive is in the United Kingdom: in London the basket is 428 lei. Followed by Malta (424 lei), Belgium (408) and France (340).
