Watermelon and avocados for 30 euros: the myth of fruit prices in Spain
17 euros versus nearly 50 euros: two fruit baskets, the same shopping list, opposite prices. Real inflation or a premium label?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
One watermelon, four avocados and the shopping bill: how much are we overpaying?
How much does it really cost to fill a fruit basket? The debate over a watermelon and four avocados costing 30 euros has peine the discussion about inflation and shopping habits. A shopper at a street market breaks down his receipt: a kilo of cherries at 3.5 euros, melon, carrots, six peaches, six Golden apples, half a kilo of green beans and two bananas. Total: 17 euros. "I don't think it's expensive," he concludes. At the opposite end, another consumer pays nearly 50 euros for premium varieties: fashion watermelon, limited-edition bollo melon, cherries from Zaragoza and seedless grapes. "I'd rather not buy cheap and bad," he justifies.
In between, the political blame game: VAT, the minimum wage or "imaginary inflation". But the uncomfortable truth is that, with the right choices, one family can spend 17 euros and another 50 on similar products. The difference is not inflation, it is the quality market. And while avocados keep climbing, the shopping basket remains a thermometer of how much we are willing to pay to avoid taking home a melon that tastes like cucumber.
How much does it really cost to fill a fruit basket? The debate over a watermelon and four avocados costing 30 euros has peine the discussion about inflation and shopping habits. A shopper at a street market breaks down his receipt: a kilo of cherries at 3.5 euros, melon, carrots, six peaches, six Golden apples, half a kilo of green beans and two bananas. Total: 17 euros. "I don't think it's expensive," he concludes. At the opposite end, another consumer pays nearly 50 euros for premium varieties: fashion watermelon, limited-edition bollo melon, cherries from Zaragoza and seedless grapes. "I'd rather not buy cheap and bad," he justifies.
In between, the political blame game: VAT, the minimum wage or "imaginary inflation". But the uncomfortable truth is that, with the right choices, one family can spend 17 euros and another 50 on similar products. The difference is not inflation, it is the quality market. And while avocados keep climbing, the shopping basket remains a thermometer of how much we are willing to pay to avoid taking home a melon that tastes like cucumber.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (71 replies).
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