I wrote an article about shopping for groceries in 2007. I compared the price from the time we came here in 2000 – to the year 2007. So it’s been more than 7 years again.
For those who think that the Philippines is a cheap place to live, look at the jump in prices. And, think about the future, these price increases will only continue, you can be sure it won’t turn around.
I want to compare the prices then from 2007 – to the end of 2014. I was looking at the price from the year 2000 – 2007 and it was really a big difference. Just looking at it, now it really made a big jump on the prices.
Philippine Prices 2015
| Grocery Item | 2000 Price | 2007 Price | 2015 Price |
| Chicken per Kilo | P70 | P115-120 | P140-160 |
| Can of Coke | P8.75 | P15 | P23 |
| Noodles (Ramin/Lucky Me) | P3.25 | P5.95 | P8 |
| Egg | P1.50 | P3.75 | P7 |
| Rice per Kilo | P16 | P29-30 | P49-65 |
That’s just a few items that was on top of my head when I was writing the first post. Every 7 years it looks like the prices of the items almost jump twice as the previous price. Nowadays, you really have to wonder how can a family here in the Philippines that lives below the poverty line afford to eat descent meals everyday.
Inflation in the Philippines
The businessmen here were getting wiser though. Just for example they know the typical Filipino family can’t afford to buy the big tank of LPG/Gasul/Price Gas (the regular tank content about 11 kg inside), they now make a smaller tank content of 2.7 kg. If I remember we bought our 11 kg tank and full tank for P2k – P2,500 I think. That was around 15 years ago. We bought the bigger tank too. I can’t remember how much did we pay for that. To refill the biggest tank it will cost P3,500. The 11kg it’s between P700 – P900. I don’t know the 2.7 kg though. It must be cheaper. The prices will vary too.
Talking about the rice, the most important food in the Philippines. The 49 pesos rice, it’s already good. The low end rice might cost P30 (they called that NFA). Higher price rice the better. What I usually do with our rice, I will buy the 49 pesos, then I will buy some red color rice (denorado) and the black rice (they call it tapul in Bisaya). I mix all those rice and the color changes. Just put small amount of the tapul. If it’s white all the time it gets boring. It cost a little bit more but everyone in the house likes it. Even Bob, he eats rice porridge in the morning for breakfast. He likes the colored rice.
I just went to Swiss Deli today to buy bread. We like to buy their Ciabata bread. When we bought that bread many years back the bread was longer and cheaper. Now the ciabata bread got shorter and price higher. It just shows all the products really went up. Same with the powdered juice here like Tang, Nestea, Eight O’clock and many others. Prices were too higher and the content gets smaller.
It’s really easy to get imported items now, with S & R just around the corner from us. If you’re loaded with dough buying at S & R is not a pain for you. They almost have anything you want. I was looking at their meats. They have Wagyu meat, meat from Australia, New Zealand. Good looking meat. Imported seafoods & fish from the States.
Luckily, the people that lives below the poverty line now can afford at least for the clothing too. They had choices for Ukay-Ukay or those clothes that’s made in China or something that they sells now in many shops in Davao. 2 shirts sometimes cost 180 pesos or below. The thinner people really can get all the fashion they want. So many choices for them. I guess for bigger people just go for the ukay-ukay then.
Have fun living here! Cheers!!!