So, here I am in New Caledonia. And as any right-thinking economist does, when they do their shopping, I’ve sourced comparative prices from New Zealand so I can check for systematic price differentials. 🙂
Here’s the shopping bill from the local supermarket, expressed in South Pacific Francs (XPF):
I’ve typed all of the items into Excel, and converted to them to New Zealand dollars using Google: https://g.co/kgs/YhmEzEd Every 1000 XPF is approximately $NZ15
Then I’ve gone to Woolworths New Zealand online, and priced comparable items (see below)
| Shopping Item | Size | Qty | Price (XPF) | Total (XPF) | Estimated NZ Price | Price (NZD) | Converted to NZD | Actual NZ Cost | |||||||
| Dozen Free Range Eggs | 12 eggs | 1 | 680 | 680 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.200 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11.070 | $10.20 | $11.07 | Try to find large free range. Not mixed or 10 egg packs | 11.5 | 12.35 | 10 | 12 | 9.5 | |
| Sunflower Oil | 1 Litre | 1 | 228 | 228 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.420 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7.200 | $3.42 | $7.20 | Different size – generate a per litre price | 0.68 | 0.43 | 1.1 | 1 | 0.39 | |
| Meadowfresh New Zealand Milk | 1 Litre | 1 | 139 | 139 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.085 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.778 | $2.09 | $2.78 | Easy priced – NZ product | 2.68 | 3.24 | 2.68 | 2.61 | 2.68 | |
| Small Canned Tuna | 160 g | 2 | 350 | 700 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5.250 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.916 | $10.50 | $5.83 | Comparatively sized product | 14.05 | 21.57 | 21.57 | 14 | 19.95 | |
| Large Canned Tuna | 400g | 1 | 550 | 550 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8.250 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6.465 | $8.25 | $6.46 | per kg cost | 12.27 | 12.12 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 18.82 | |
| Cheese | 200g | 1 | 570 | 570 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8.550 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.788 | $8.55 | $4.79 | per 100g cost | 2.4 | 2.25 | 2.89 | 2.1 | 2.33 | |
| Yellow Curry Paste | 400g | 1 | 410 | 410 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6.150 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10.656 | $6.15 | $10.66 | per 100g cost | 2.27 | 2.27 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.58 | |
| Plain Egg Noodles | 454g | 1 | 250 | 250 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.750 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.985 | $3.75 | $4.98 | per 100g cost | 1.14 | 1.02 | 1.17 | 1.02 | 1.14 | |
| Powdered Coconut Milk | 60g | 2 | 160 | 320 | #DIV/0! | $0.00 | $0.00 | No New Zealand equivalent | |||||||
| Quarter Cabbage | ?? | 1 | 465 | 465 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6.975 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.533 | $6.98 | $2.53 | I didn’t expect this to be priced! | 2.29 | 2.99 | 1.645 | 1.745 | 3.995 | |
| Bag of Carrots | 1 kg | 1 | 295 | 295 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.425 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.938 | $4.43 | $3.94 | 2.39 | 3.33 | 2.99 | 6.98 | 4 | ||
| Onions | price each | 2 | 60 | 120 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.900 | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.440 | $1.80 | $0.88 | 0.22 | ||||||
| 4727 | $66.11 | $61.13 | |||||||||||||
| Exchange Rate (XPF to NZD) | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.015 | 108% |
According to the internet, this shop was about 8% more expensive than the equivalent shop in New Zealand. While there’s large variation in prices – most notably tinned tuna in New Zealand is cheaper! – this small sample isn’t showing a lot of system variation in price:
Shoulder ham, about $NZ30 per kg
I was trying to take these photos quickly – too quickly, sorry. Still you can make out what they are, and their XPF prices
