Everyday Groceries Cost HOW MUCH in Canada? | COMPARING 12 Common Foods that Every Family Buys 2025

We just spent over $75 on 12 basic grocery items at our local Canadian supermarket, and the prices honestly shocked us. As a family of seven, we know grocery costs well, but seeing these numbers laid out really puts things into perspective.

This shopping trip is part of our plan to compare grocery prices across different countries. We’ll be doing the same shop in Portugal and England, then comparing these costs against average salaries in each place. This will show you where your money goes furthest and how much of your wages actually go towards feeding your family.

Key Takeaways

• Basic grocery items in Canada cost over $75 for just 12 staple products from a single shopping trip

• We’re comparing grocery prices across Canada, Portugal, and England to help families understand cost of living differences

• Grocery costs will be evaluated against average salaries to show which countries offer the best value for families

Overview Of Grocery Shopping In Canada

Our Canadian Superstore Shopping Experience

We visited our local Canadian Superstore to pick up 12 basic food items. The total cost came to over $75, which was quite shocking to us. The prices we found don’t include the 5% tax that gets added on top.

We made sure to buy store brands for everything. This meant choosing President’s Choice and No Name products. These are the superstore’s own cheaper brands. We did this to make fair comparisons when we shop in other countries.

Here’s what we spent on each item:

ItemSizePrice (CAD)Price (EUR)Price (GBP)Milk1 litre$2.95€1.87£1.60Cheddar cheese200g$3.99€2.53£2.17Eggs12 large$7.15€4.53£3.88White bread1 loaf$1.97€1.25£1.07Pasta500g$1.50€0.95£0.81Rice2kg$9.00€5.70£4.89Chicken breasts0.8kg$16.00€10.40£8.69Toilet roll12 rolls$6.00€3.80£3.26

Some of these prices seemed quite high when we converted them to other currencies. The chicken had only three large breasts in the package. The eggs were free-run, which means the hens live in open barn spaces.

Shopping During Busy Holidays

We picked the worst possible day to film this shopping trip. It was Good Friday, which is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The store was packed with people everywhere.

Walking around with a camera on such a busy day was stressful. We normally prefer to shop when fewer people are around. But we decided to film anyway to show you real grocery prices.

The crowds made everything take longer than usual. We had to wait in longer queues and navigate through busy aisles. Next time we’ll definitely choose a quieter day for filming.

Family Of Seven Grocery Needs

As a family of seven, we normally buy much larger quantities of everything. The amounts we bought for this comparison are tiny compared to our usual shopping.

For milk, we usually buy the large gallon jugs instead of one-litre containers. We typically need three or four of the big containers each shopping trip.

We normally buy four to six loaves of bread at once. One loaf disappears very quickly with seven people in the house. The small 200g block of cheese would barely make one round of sandwiches for everyone.

Our regular grocery budget is much higher than the $75 we spent on these 12 items. We shop every two weeks and spend significantly more to feed our large family. These basic items represent just a fraction of what we need to buy.

We don’t usually buy the cheapest store brands for everything. We normally choose mid-range products that offer better quality whilst still being affordable for a large family.

Detailed Breakdown Of 12 Canadian Essential Groceries

Milk Pricing And Comparison

We bought one litre of milk for this comparison. This isn’t our usual size since we’re a family of seven and normally buy the massive gallon containers. We go through loads of milk each week.

The one litre cost us $2.95 Canadian dollars. That works out to:

• €1.87

• £1.60

Cheddar Cheese Expense

We picked up 200g of cheddar cheese. This tiny amount would disappear after making just one sandwich for our family. We never buy this small size normally.

The President’s Choice brand cost $3.99 Canadian. In other currencies:

• €2.53

• £2.17

Eggs: Free-Run And Shop Brand

We bought the store’s own brand eggs. These are free-run, which means the hens live in an open concept barn environment. They’re not the poshest eggs but they’re the shop’s standard option.

The 12 large eggs cost $7.15 Canadian. That equals:

• €4.53

• £3.88

White Bread Cost

We got regular white bread from the No Name brand. This is Canadian Superstore’s own label. One loaf might seem reasonable but it adds up when you need four to six loaves at once like we do.

The price was $1.97 Canadian. Converting that:

• €1.25

• £1.07

Pasta Costs

We already have loads of pasta at home, so buying this felt a bit silly. We got 500g of pasta, which should be available in most shops for comparison.

This cost us $1.50 Canadian. In other money:

• €0.95

• £0.81

Rice Amount And Worth

We bought medium grain white rice from the No Name brand. This was a 2kg bag, which seemed quite dear to us.

The rice cost $9.00 Canadian. That works out to:

• €5.70

• £4.89

Chicken Breast Package

We got President’s Choice chicken breasts. The pack was 0.8kg since we couldn’t find exactly 1kg. There looked to be about three large breasts in the package.

This cost $16.00 Canadian. Converting:

• €10.40

• £8.69

Toilet Roll Options

We tried to find a four-pack but the smallest available was 12 rolls. These were No Name brand from Canadian Superstore. We don’t usually buy the cheapest option but wanted to make fair comparisons.

The 12 rolls cost $6.00 Canadian. That equals:

• €3.80

• £3.26

Note: These prices don’t include the 5% tax that gets added at checkout.

Converting Costs to European Currencies

Currency Exchange Calculations

We worked out what our Canadian grocery shop would cost in European money. Here’s how the prices look when you change them to euros and pounds:

ItemCanadian DollarsEurosPoundsMilk (1 litre)$2.95€1.87£1.60Cheddar cheese (200g)$3.99€2.53£2.17Eggs (12 large)$7.15€4.53£3.88White bread (1 loaf)$1.97€1.25£1.07Pasta (500g)$1.50€0.95£0.81Rice (2kg)$9.00€5.70£4.89Chicken breasts (0.8kg)$16.00€10.40£8.69

Some prices seem quite high when we convert them. The bread costs over a pound, which feels expensive. The eggs work out to nearly £4, which is a lot more than we expected.

These conversions help us see what our money would buy in different countries. It’s useful if you earn money in one country but shop in another.

Tax Differences Between Countries

The prices we paid in Canada don’t include tax. We have to add 5% tax on top of everything we bought. This makes the real cost higher than what we show.

In England, the prices you see include the tax already. You don’t have to add anything extra when you get to the till.

This makes it tricky to compare prices fairly. Our Canadian prices look cheaper than they really are because the tax comes later. English prices show the full amount you actually pay.

When we do our comparison videos, we’ll need to remember this difference. The real cost of shopping in Canada is 5% more than these prices show.

Family Grocery Spend Insights

Fortnightly Shopping Total

As a family of seven, we spend quite a bit every two weeks on groceries here in Canada. Shopping for this many people means we buy in much larger quantities than most families.

When we normally shop, we pick up three or four gallon jugs of milk at once. We also buy four to six loaves of bread in a single trip. These bulk purchases really add up when you’re feeding seven people.

Our usual shopping patterns:

• Milk: 3 gallon jugs per fortnight

• Bread: 4-6 loaves per shopping trip

• Cheese: Much larger blocks than 200g portions

• Bulk buying: Essential for managing costs

Spending Patterns For Large Families

Large families shop very differently than smaller households. We rarely buy the single-serving or small portion sizes that work for one or two people.

The small 200g block of cheese we bought would disappear after making sandwiches for just one meal. That tiny amount just doesn’t work when you’re feeding seven people.

Key differences in our shopping:

• Single items become multiple purchases

• Small portions aren’t practical

• Bulk sizes offer better value

• Shopping frequency stays the same but quantities increase

We stick to store brands like President’s Choice and No Name to keep costs down. Even with these budget-friendly options, feeding a large family requires careful planning and bigger budgets than most people expect.

The quantities we normally buy would shock people who shop for smaller families. What seems like a lot of food to others is just our regular fortnight’s supply.

Future Global Food Price Comparisons

We’re planning to document what the same essential grocery items cost in different countries. After shopping in Canada and spending over £75 on just 12 basic items, we want to see how prices compare elsewhere.

Our plan is to buy the exact same products when we move to Portugal and during our holiday in England. We’ll also look at average wages in each country to show how much of someone’s salary goes towards food shopping.

Portuguese Food Costs

When we relocate to Portugal, we’ll visit a local supermarket there. We want to purchase the same 12 essential items we bought in Canada.

We plan to choose store-brand products in Portugal, just like we did with the Canadian Superstore brands. This will help us make fair comparisons between countries.

The items we’ll price include:

• Milk (1 litre)

• Cheddar cheese (200g)

• Eggs (12 large)

• White bread (1 loaf)

• Pasta (500g)

• Rice (2kg)

• Chicken breasts (1kg)

• Toilet rolls (pack)

British Shopping Expenses

During our trip to England, we’ll do the same shopping comparison. We’ll likely visit Tesco and buy their store-brand equivalents of our standard items.

The British prices will include tax, unlike the Canadian prices which had 5% tax added at checkout. This should make the comparison more straightforward.

We’ll convert all the British prices into Canadian dollars and euros so you can easily compare costs across all three countries.

After we complete all the shopping trips, we’ll create a comparison video. This will show average family salaries in each country and calculate how many hours someone needs to work to afford these basic groceries.

Comparing Grocery Expenses to Typical Wages

Comparing Standard Wages

When we looked at grocery prices, we realised you can’t just compare the cost of food between countries. The average salary in Portugal is completely different to here in Canada. It’s also completely different to England.

We want to show you how many hours someone would need to work in an average family to buy this same amount of food. This gives you a much better idea of what things really cost.

If you’re earning your income in another country, this comparison becomes really interesting. For us, we’d want to know how much our Canadian dollars could buy in Portugal. If you’re looking at earning your income outside of Canada, this might interest you too.

What Part of Your Pay Goes to Food

We spent over £75 on just 12 basic items at our local grocery store. That’s quite shocking when you think about it. This wasn’t even a full shop for our family of seven.

Here’s what we found for our grocery costs:

ItemCanadian PriceEuro PricePound PriceMilk (1 litre)$2.95€1.87£1.60Cheese (200g)$3.99€2.53£2.17Eggs (12 large)$7.15€4.53£3.88Bread (1 loaf)$1.97€1.25£1.07Pasta (500g)$1.50€0.95£0.81Rice (2kg)$9.00€5.70£4.89Chicken (0.8kg)$16.00€10.40£8.69Toilet roll (12 rolls)$6.00€3.80£3.26

These prices don’t include the 5% tax on top either. When you add that up, it shows how much of your weekly wage goes just on basic food items.

For our family of seven, we spend quite a lot every two weeks on groceries. When you break this down by hours worked, it really shows you where your money goes the furthest.

Tips And Subscriber Engagement

Comparing Costs With Other Viewers

We’d love to see how these 12 basic items cost where you live! Pop down to the comments and let us know your local prices.

You can help us build a bigger picture of grocery costs around the world. Tag us when you do your own price comparison at your local shop.

This makes it easier for everyone to see real differences between countries and regions. We’re all dealing with rising food costs, so sharing this information helps us all understand the bigger picture.

Telling Us About Your Area’s Prices

When you share your local costs, try to use your shop’s own-brand items like we did. This makes the comparison more fair since every shop has cheaper store versions.

Items to compare:

• 1 litre milk

• 200g cheddar cheese

• 12 large eggs

• 1 loaf white bread

• 500g pasta

• 2kg white rice

• 1kg chicken breast

• Toilet roll (however many in the smallest pack)

Let us know if your prices include tax or not. In Canada, we need to add 5% tax on top of what we showed you.

Don’t forget to mention which country and city you’re shopping in. This helps us see patterns between different places.

Following Along For Future Price Videos

Hit that subscribe button to follow our journey as we compare grocery costs across three countries. We’re planning price comparison videos in Portugal and England using the same items.

You’ll also want to stay tuned for our salary comparison video. We’ll show you how many hours the average family needs to work to buy these groceries in each country.

This gives you a much better picture of where your money goes furthest. Raw prices don’t tell the whole story when wages are so different between countries.

We’re a family of seven about to move across the world, so these comparisons really matter to us. They might help you too if you’re thinking about moving abroad or just want to understand cost of living differences.