Here’s how Toronto grocery prices compare with the Philippines

Groceries can be expensive no matter where you are. So we decided to compare prices at Walmart Canada to those of a supermarket in the Philippines.

One Manila resident shared photos during a recent shopping trip at Cash & Carry, a supermarket selling local and international products.

Filipinos can shop at “wet markets,” a popular non-supermarket setting where meat, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and fruit can be purchased for a lower price. However, to make the shopping experience more easily comparable, we looked at a regular supermarket in the Philippines and Walmart Canada in Toronto.

We also calculated the product’s approximate price per unit and used the C$1 to 40.46 Philippine pesos conversion rate. Here’s how shopping in the Philippines compares.

Fuji apples

• Philippines: Fuji apple, 204 pesos/1 kg ($5.04)
• Canada: Fuji apple, $5.50/1 kg

Potatoes

• Philippines: Potatoes, 210 pesos/1 kg ($5.18)
• Canada: Russet potatoes, $3.20/1 kg

Onions

• Philippines: White onions, 192 pesos/1 kg ($4.74)
• Canada: White onions, $6.10/1 kg

Pears

• Philippines: 240 pesos/1 kg ($5.93)
• Canada: $6.60/1 kg

Avocado

• Philippines: 360 pesos/1 kg ($8.89)
• Canada: $1.47 per avocado, so around $7.35/ 1 kg

White bread

• Philippines: Gardenia, 85 pesos/600 g ($2.10 — 35 cents/100 g)
• Canada: Wonder, $3.27/675 g (49 cents/100 g)

Cereal

• Philippines: Nestlé Gold Honey Flakes, 180.50 pesos/370 g ($4.46 — $1.21/100 g)
• Canada: Post Honey Bunches of Oats, $3.97/340 g ($1.17/100 g)

Instant coffee

• Philippines: Nescafe Gold, 293.50 pesos/100 g ($7.25)
• Canada: Nescafe Gold, $8.47/100 g

Evaporated milk

• Philippines: Alaska Evaporada evaporated creamer, 35.50 pesos/360 ml (87 cents — 24 cents/100 ml)
• Canada: Carnation Evaporated Milk, $2.47/354 ml (70 cents/100 ml)

Heinz ketchup

• Philippines: Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 313.50 pesos/1.12 litre ($7.74 — $6.91/1 litre)
• Canada: Heinz Tomato Ketchup, $5.77/1 litre

Jasmine rice

• Philippines: Mrs. Lam Thai jasmine rice, 466.50 pesos/5 kg ($11.52 — $2.30/ 1 kg)
• Canada: Delicious Kitchen premium jasmine scented white rice, $18.97/8 kg ($2.37/1 kg)

Tuna

• Philippines: Century tuna, 45.50 pesos/180 g ($1.12 — 62 cents/100 g)
• Canada: Clover Leaf flaked light tuna, $1.97/120 g ($1.64/100 g)

Yogurt

• Philippines: Nestle Greek yogurt, 291 pesos/500 g ($7.19 — $1.44/100 g)
• Canada: Liberté Greek yogurt, $6.98/750 g (93 cents/100 g)

Ritz crackers

• Philippines: 133 pesos/300 g ($3.28 — $1.09/100 g)
• Canada: $3.48/180 g ($1.93/100 g)

Pringles

• Philippines: Pringles BBQ flavour potato chips, 110.25 pesos/134 g ($2.72 — $2.03/100 g)
• Canada: Pringles BBQ flavour potato chips, $2.97/156 g ($1.90/100 g)

Lay’s potato chips

• Philippines: Lay’s Classic potato chips, 151.50 pesos/170 g ($3.74 — 2.20 cents/100 g)
• Canada: Lay’s Classic potato chips, $3.97/235 g ($1.69/100 g)

Pasta

• Philippines: San Remo elbow pasta, 82.25 pesos, 550 g ($2.03 — 37 cents/100 g)
• Canada: Primo elbow pasta, $1.27 (28 cents/100 g)

Laundry detergent

• Philippines: Breeze laundry detergent, 518.75 pesos for 3 litres ($12.81 — 43 cents/100 ml)
• Canada: Sunlight Morning Fresh laundry detergent, $17.97/4 litres (45 cents/100 ml)

Out of the 18 products featured, around 10 were pricier at Walmart Canada compared to the items sold at Cash & Carry. However, despite the difference, prices of some items in the Philippines were almost on par with prices in Canada. For example, 1 kg of jasmine rice was only seven cents more expensive at Walmart Canada.

Groceries are more expensive at an average supermarket in the Philippines, especially considering the monthly wage. According to a 2022 report by the Occupational Wages Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the average monthly salary of a Filipino worker is 18,423 pesos ($455).

Meanwhile, in Canada, the federal minimum wage increased by 2.4 per cent from $17.30/hour to $17.75 per/hour in April.

Inflation eased to 2.1 per cent in the Philippines in February. However, Canadian shoppers continue to feel the pinch at the checkout counter: inflation rose to 2.6 per cent in February, according to Statistics Canada.