Grocery Shopping: The Best Places to Fill your Basket

From petrol prices to Netflix subscription fees, almost every area of our daily lives has been impacted by the cost of living crisis. There is one area that has felt the hike most though. Recent ONS data has revealed that the increased price of food shopping is the number one reason behind higher living costs, with 95% of households feeling the strain when it comes to their groceries.

With some renters potentially using the price of outgoings to inform where they choose to live, CIA Landlords has looked into the average cost of groceries in cities across the UK. The research has revealed which locations offer the cheapest food shop, and where might squeeze the purse strings a little tighter when buying essentials such as bread, milk, cheese, wine, and eggs. This has also been compared with average rental prices in each city, to give a broader perspective on the outgoings of renters. 

For those wanting to take grocery shopping into account when booking their holiday, the team has also looked into food prices across OECD capital cities.

Stoke-on-Trent is the cheapest city for a grocery shop in the UK

For those in the UK looking to save money on their grocery shop, Stoke-on-Trent has been revealed as the best city to do so. The northern city offers the cheapest food shop of all cities analysed, with supermarket essentials  totalling just £17.06. 

Residents benefit from some of the most affordable items in the UK, with a loaf of bread costing £0.81 and eggs £1.69. Rent in the city is also relatively cheap, with monthly fees on a one-bed apartment in the city centre at just £662.50, the fourth cheapest of all cities analysed. 

Swansea has come in as the second cheapest city for groceries, with those in the Welsh city spending just 1p more than Stoke-on-Trent on their essential shop. Whether you’re mashing them, roasting them, or frying them, potato fans will be pleased to know that potatoes in Swansea are the cheapest of all cities analysed, at just £0.61 for a kilogram. In terms of other outgoings, rent in the city is even cheaper than Stoke-on-Trent, with monthly fees on a one-bed in the city centre at just £630. 

Offering a typical food shop of £17.49, Leicester has come in as the third cheapest location in the UK for groceries. For those who enjoy a nice tipple, the city is home to the cheapest wine of all cities analysed, with a mid-range bottle costing just £6.00. Rent is a little higher in Leicester compared with the rest of the top five cheapest cities though, with monthly fees coming in at £760. 

Kingston-upon-Hull (£17.82) comes in fourth place. Those renters who are looking to really cut costs might do well relocating to the northern city, as Kingston-upon-Hull offers the cheapest rent of all UK cities, at £452.50 per month for a one-bed in the city centre. Birmingham (£18.12) rounds off the top five cheapest cities for grocery shopping.

Top ten cheapest cities in the UK for groceries:

The most expensive grocery costs in the UK can be found in London

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most expensive place to shop for essential items is London, with a total grocery shop costing around £22.50. Items like bread (£1.30), milk (£1.27), and eggs (£3.06) will set you back significantly more in the capital than in any other city analysed. Rent is also very expensive compared with other cities, with monthly fees on a one-bed in the city centre around £2,081.

Bristol is the second most expensive city for food shopping, with the price of essentials coming in at £20.31. Rent is also very high in the city, though it is almost half the cost of London rent, at £1,137 per month. 

With an average total of £19.96, Glasgow is the third most expensive city for groceries. Rent in the Scottish city is significantly cheaper than in London or Bristol though, with rent for a one-bed in the city centre around £790 per month. So, while a supermarket sweep might set you back a little more here than in other cities, residents will at least enjoy relatively affordable rent. 

Rounding off the top five most expensive cities for food shopping are Manchester, (£19.94) and Newport (£19.88) – though both cities are just a few pence behind the top three.

The top ten most expensive cities in the UKf or groceries:

Bogota, Colombia is the cheapest international city for groceries, with an average shop totalling £14.69

While many people may be looking to cut costs at home, as we head into summer, lots of holiday-makers might also be looking to save money whilst abroad. 

Flights and accommodation are key areas where we can save, but what about when you’re actually at your destination? For those people who enjoy a self-catered holiday, the research has also taken into account the price of groceries in international cities. 

Travellers looking to eat on a budget will spend the leastin Colombia’s capital city Bogota, with essential food items costing just £14.69 in total. It’s actually the cheapest of all international cities for dairy products like milk (£0.79) and cheese (£3.81). Those looking for affordable accommodation will also do well to head to Bogota, as the average price for one week in an Airbnb is just £203.05 – the cheapest price of all cities analysed. 

Ankara, Turkey comes in second place, with a food shop totalling £15.60. Ankara is cheap when it comes to its carbohydrates, as you’ll find the lowest prices potatoes (£0.46) and bread (£0.39) in Turkey’s capital city. Airbnb is also pretty affordable in Ankara, with a one week stay costing around £214.33, just £11 more than in Bogota. 

With a typical trip to the supermarket totalling around £17.08, Lisbon, Portugal has come in third. Those looking to sample some Portuguese wine will be very happy to hear that Lisbon offers the cheapest mid-range bottle of all international cities analysed, at a mere £3.47. The cost of an Airbnb in the city is a lot pricier than the top two locations however, coming in at £682.46 for one week, which is over three times the price of accommodation in Bogota. 

Warsaw, Poland (£17.75) and Madrid, Spain (£18.42) round off the top five cheapest international cities for grocery shopping. However, accommodation in Madrid is around £733.22 for a one week stay, the highest of all locations in the top five cheapest international cities.

The top 10 cheapest OECD cities for groceries:

Bern, Switzerland is the most expensive international city for groceries

Bern, Switzerland is the most expensive place to do your supermarket shopping, across both international and UK cities. A typical shop for essential items will set you back a huge £41.88, almost three times the price of a shop in Bogata. In particular, local cheese in Bern is extremely pricey, costing a whopping £20.57 for one kilogram. Accommodation in Bern is also relatively expensive, with an Airbnb priced at £862.95 for one week, though this is cheaper than the rest of the top five most expensive international cities.

Given the city is notoriously expensive, it’s perhaps no surprise that Reykjavik, Iceland offers the second most expensive food shop, with totals around £37.80. Those travellers looking to relax with a nice wine in the city will be looking at costs of around £15.71 for a mid-range bottle, which is the most expensive price of all cities. It’s also one of the least affordable places to stay, with one week’s stay in an Airbnb setting holiday-makers back a huge £1,168. 

Over in the US, those heading to Washington D.C. will spend around £32.01 for essential food items. Accommodation is also very pricey in the capital city, with one week in an Airbnb costing just £118 less than in Reykjavik.  

Seoul, South Korea (£31.88) and Paris, France (£30.63) round off the top five most expensive cities for a grocery shop. Seoul in particular does boast relatively cheap accommodation however, with one week in an Airbnb costing travellers just £428.65.  

The top 10 most expensive OECD cities for groceries:

What does this mean for landlords?

Richard Wayman, Finance Director at CIA Landlords says, “Landlords who are looking to buy-to-let need to be aware of the various expenses that renters may face in different cities, as this could inform where they choose to move to. 

“Generally speaking, the cheaper the cost of living, the more desirable the place may be for potential tenants. Alongside grocery expenses, you could consider things like the price of public transport, meals out, childcare, and leisure activities in the area to help inform your decision on where to buy.  

“Doing the research ahead of time should help future-proof your property, ensuring your house or flat stays profitable for years to come.”

Sources and methodology:

To determine the UK ranking, CIA Landlords pulled together a seedlist of cities, based on the top 20 most populated UK cities. The total cost of a grocery shop was based on the sum of the following metrics:

Price of a loaf of bread – 500g fresh white bread

Price of milk – 1 litre of regular milk

Price of eggs – a dozen

Price of cheese – 1kg of local cheese

Price of wine – bottle of mid-range

Price of potatoes – 1kg 

The research also took into account the average monthly rent for a one bed in the city centre.

To determine the international ranking, CIA Landlords pulled together a seedlist of cities, based on the capital cities of all countries who are OECD members. The total cost of a grocery shop was based on the same metrics as the UK city ranking. The research also took into account the average price of an Airbnb for one week. This was calculated by searching for the relevant city using AirDNA, setting the currency to USD, taking the average nightly rate, converting this to GBP using Google Finance formula, and multiplying this by seven to get the weekly rate. To note: Conversion took place on 24/05/2023 9.a.m.