Originally Posted by
Enigma368
Having lived in London for 9 years up to 2016, Canada for 1.5 and now the US for 1 year, I can say pretty confidently that groceries are much more expensive in the US on average than the UK. There are exceptions but most things, especially things like fresh cheese and meat, and most canned goods, cookies, candy etc., are much cheaper in UK supermarkets. This is not just my opinion, there are tons of articles out there outlining how much higher levels of supermarket competition in the UK makes it cheaper for groceries than the US. Beer is also cheaper in the UK, both in supermarkets and especially in bars and restaurants. Most people would not expect to pay more than 4 to 5 pounds($5-$6) for a beer or glass of wine in a UK bar or restaurant whereas in the US a glass of wine or a beer is often $9-$12 each in a bar or restaurant.
There is no question that gas is much cheaper in the US. Ubers are also much cheaper in the US than the UK. I have found eating out in restaurants in Los Angeles to be slightly lower in cost than restaurants in London with the exception of drinks as mentioned. Canada(Vancouver) was much cheaper for eating out, although weirdly groceries were a bit more expensive than both the UK and US. Rent in LA is about the same as London.
Overall I find Los Angeles to be comparable to London on price as a whole. Cheaper gas and taxis, slightly cheaper eating out costs, similar rent, more expensive groceries and drinks in bars.
expatistan.com is a pretty reliable site for comparing up to date cost of living across cities
Supermarket price and experience comparison UK to US:
https://www.businessinsider.com/groc...s-for-lunch-20
So Bay Area is the most expensive place in the world right now (well, not if you qualify by how big a space is, cause then Tokyo and Hong Kong have it beat). And southern California isn't known to be cheap in the US either. But in terms of groceries, as someone else mentioned, it varies widely depending on region. Produce is dirt cheap in California. Because that is where it is from. And very expensive in Alaska, where they grow nothing, and transportation is difficult. And in NYC, it depends on where you are. Corner grocer? Pricey. Trader Joe's, or across in Jersey? Cheap.
Alcohol just doesn't have a rule. In eastern Europe it is cheaper to have a beer than a Coke. But in Scandinavia it is very expensive.
And when you say grocery shopping, it depends on what type of groceries you buy. Ready-made stuff? Yea, cheap in US. Organic? High-end items? Essentials like flour and sugar or processed goods like bread?
Plus, in the US there are coupons, which I don't think are as prevalent in the rest of the world. Look at some of those extreme couponing shows. Even if you don't go so far, often you can find a deal. And if you hop around different stores, you can often save a lot of money if you just buy what they have on sale (they call them "loss-leaders", to get people to come in, when the store actually loses money on the item).