How much do you spend on groceries? If you want to see a more general analysis of cost of living, check out my Cost of living in Ecuador video: ruclips.net/video/XgXH9kVTS6E/видео.htmlsi=x_8sy5f6RHaZtCaF Edit: I found the butter! •the lowest price for a stick of butter was at 0.89 cents. -the intermediate price was around $2.59 to about $3.41 -the highest priced butter was at $5.60 and it was Danish and there was also a $4.41 box of butter from France. I bought 3 different types of butter. One that was the cheapest, one that was a little more expensive at $1.22, and one that was a bit more expensive than that at $1.56. I got these three in order to taste them since i’ve never tried them before and I’m hoping to find my “permanent buy” brand of butter.
I cook for fun and stress relief. I buy fat bags of rice, beans, lentils. I buy lots of potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, mangos, pineapple, etc. I buy lots of meat (pork, chicken, shellfish, fish, and beef). I usually try to save and cook in the animal fat because SABOR!!!! I buy eggs, butter and queso and pancitos (unless I am making them). We do this all at the mercado for between $40-65 a week (3 people). But we still go to the supermercado for personal care products like soap, shampoo, lotions, razors, etc etc. Which is about $10-20 more per week.
I am living in Colombia, on the carib. coast, which is suppose to be one of the most expensive places, and it was interesting to see how much more expensive your purchases were, item by item. Thanks for being so detailed and accurate.
Ohh I had no idea that the carrib. coast was so expensive. I always try my best to give the most detailed and accurate information and I appreciate you taking the time to check it out.
Thanks for the video! I also see why you did not talk about "Let's go to the mercado..." Safety is the prime worry there. Though we do go there each week and the prices are vastly better than most stores. We recently went and got pork for $2.50 lb, Colossal shrimp for $3.50 lb, beef for $3.00 per lb and a whole chicken for $8. Eggs and veggies are similarly cheaper at the mercado. Some friends of ours go as a "shopping group" each week for security. But some things, you just have to go to the supermarket for.
@@BPe-ie9jeI've lived in Ecuador for 5 years and have never once seen anything dangerous at a mercado except for much better prices and local specialties. This is just classist nonsense from rich gringos who prefer the bougie, overpriced, supermarket because it's more like what they are familiar with from their 1st world orgins
@@jamielivingston7765I don't think they're referring to the meat being dangerous if they try to go shopping in a group. Definitely sounds like a personal safety issue 😳.
Thank you so much Lisa for taking the time to check it out. Between us, I am planning more videos like this in different places to give separate values.
Bring clothe napkins from states. Wash w your laundry. Use to wrap items, packing. My mother never used paper napkins. Swore by economy of using cloth napkins. Always room in laundry.
I have been wanting to make a video like that for a long time but it may be difficult. There’s a lot of things I have to look into with friends and family and even then specifics might be impossible. My previous cost of living video might be able to help you out for now but if I find a way to make the video adequately I’ll give it a shot.
Hi Ace, thanks for sharing another helpful video. I watched it the full way through, and thanks to your Spanish subtitle addition, we'll watch it again as a group. I'm like # 186.
Thanks for the great Content. It’s nice to see your video right after dons live stream. Help me a lot with the cost of living budget coming to live in Ecuador soon
Indeed I have! Not sure if you watched until the end because around the end I mentioned that if you shop at comisariato or the market that things will be much cheaper but because of certain factors I just found it more convenient to shop at Supermaxi.
This is a great, detailed video. I prefer to simplify my life. I wash my floors with water and a cloth. It works for me. I do not use laundry detergent every time I wash my clothes. At first this sounds gross. If my clothing is mildly soiled, I just wash them in hot water and they get just as clean. I use fluoridated mouthwash about once every other day. I never use sunscreen as the chemicals kill reef life. I use a hat instead. The oil you chose appears to be palm kernel oil, which is not all that good for you my friend. Your purchases are 100% reasonable. I just choose to consume less as it makes my life simpler and less expensive. Oh, and I live in Honolulu where a pint of ice cream in Waikiki goes for around $13.00.......so I have learned to economise.
I think as long as you live comfortably and are happy, then what you do is definitely awesome. I definitely don’t use oil to make my food but it made sense to get because I know it’s what most people generally use. And OH MY GOODNESS $13 FOR ICE CREAM! I hope it comes with music 😂
Another question I have: Butter. What you showed us is margarine. I noticed that the supermercados have tons of margarines. Is there are reason there are so many margarines but sometimes real butter is hard to find?
I did indeed realize after that I had been eating margarine my whole life which is a big F in my book but I have rectified that now lol The question is good and I have started asking around but no one can give me a solid answer. In fact, the most prominent answer I get is that most people actually think they are eating butter. People ask for butter in restaurants and they get margarine. If I had to speculate, I think it’s a combination of misinformation and cost. No one thinks twice since it looks like butter and for people who have a limited budget (restaurants included) they just find it easier to serve the margarine. All that being said, now that I’m informed I will always go straight for the butter and look at the packaging because even the butter section has some margarine mixed in there.
Thank you for this very informative video. I can tell that it must have taken you a lot of time and effort to put together. The price of food in the Supermaxi was mind-blowing to me. There are certain things that I decided I need to figure out how to live without (like napkins) because they are so expensive. I appreciated the prices at the mercado. Fortunately I eat mainly fruits, grains and vegetables. If I liked fish and seafood I'd be in good shape. Question: was this shopping trip supposed to be for a week or a month?
Not a problem! It definitely took a lot longer to make than even I expected and since I brought my brother along to help with the filming/pics he was not happy lol Mercado prices are definitely ideal for most things but it was just more convenient for us to get things in supermaxi due to certain factors. I could nickel and dime a lot of things but then it would’ve just been adding more effort/movement or spending on transportation (buses or taxis) which didn’t make sense to me. As for the trip, it’s kinda split. The food stuff was definitely for use during the same week (same day for most of it) but the rest was meant to last as long as possible. To me this is more realistic for anyone (or maybe just me) not looking to stress out thinking about “I need to buy x lbs of oil to last specifically y amount of time” since I was hoping to show prices and let everyone get a general idea of what they might spend depending on their shopping list.
We’re going back from Cuenca to the midwestern USA for a week pretty soon. I should do a comparison between this and what we can get at Wal-Mart to see what the difference ends up being. One of the issues I have here (not your fault) is I can’t see a direct comparison
A comparison would be awesome! I’ve been wanting to do one as well but don’t want to bother anyone in the states to help with something like that lol Definitely keep us updated!
Hi, qq, why haven’t you gone to the fresh market? I lived in Ecuador for about three years, and the fresh market has way better prices on meats, fruits and vegetables. I get it that Supermaxi, is a more nicer place to shop at but it’s kind of expensive. You also have options besides Supermaxi, like TIA, AKI, Mi Comisariato to name a few, well at least for toiletries!
Great video. You go beyond for your viewers and that's wonderful. I was wondering if you know if a line company (similar to Amazon) can ship to Ecuador. I noticed that on the bottom of the Bonella is the word Margarina. Isn't that Margarine, not butter? Living in North Central Florida I spend about $450.00/ mo. on food and personal. I noticed that we shop differently however based on this video I would spend about the same as I do here. Thanks again for another excellent video.
You can get butter, but in general they make no distinction between margarine or other oil products and actual butter. For that matter, butter is hard to find; it's only in the big supermarkets like Supermaxi or Aki as far as I know. Amazon ships here but you can basically double the price + as a rule of thumb for shipping and tax. It's better to shop around the way you did in 1990 😂
Appreciate you checking it out and always glad to give value! Indeed I have made a big mistake but in my defense, I have always thought it was butter. My parents and everyone I know calls it butter so I didn’t even look at the package for more than just the brand and color and assumed it was. I am definitely going to go eagle eye the next time I go shopping to actually look for butter and maybe make a community post and update my pinned comment on this video. When it comes to the Amazon thing, Amazon actually works here but it seems to have restrictions in what they offer. Don talked about that once actually. A lot of my friends recommend Laarbox which is a courier service that I also mentioned in a different video. And we are definitely going to shop differently but I really wanted to give an idea so that everyone could add or remove certain items that they don’t need. Also, $450! That’s a lot!!!
@@GMAceM Thanks for the tip about Laarbox! Amazon works, at about double the price, with restrictions, as you mention. However, for several items, I have found the exact same item at the exact same price here in Ecuador, so it's better to shop around first. Sometimes the price is even lower than the amazon price. Of course, if you literally don't care at all and will spend absolutely whatever just to have it shipped to your door, you can do that! I never have, but I've noticed it also takes a long time. No 2-day shipping!!
No. The little stores are even more expensive. We always pack them in our suitcase before we go!! Also, bring Tylenol, Aleve, Aspirin, Antihistamines, Dramine, or any other over the counter medicine you think, you might need in Ecuador. Almost impossible to find there. They do not sell most of these products, and if you do happen to find them, they are very expensive!!
Thank you so much Kathy! Where I’m at, there doesn’t seem to be a Walmart style place. Tuti offers some cheap options for some very specific things (no toiletries where I went) but they also recently started regulating when they turn on the air in their store which makes the experience kinda uncomfortable. There are some places around the city (specific stores) that offer discounts certain days but they’ve upped their prices and it doesn’t make sense (to me) to make an extra trip to another place just to hopefully find 1-2 things that are cheaper. Comisariato has some things that are cheaper BUT like my dad has said before, “the $1-2 that we save going to comisariato means nothing if we spend $3-4 on taxis”. That’s something I didn’t get to mention in the video but it’s part of the reasons why I found it more convenient to just shop at supermaxi because at least I could walk there and take a taxi back, comisariato and such are just much further away and walking with my recording gear is not a good idea lol
I spend exactly $0 at Supermaxi. I have always considered it a rich people store. I shop at the municipal markets and Comisariato or Gran Aki, sometimes Tuti, also the little mom and pop stores for what I cannot get at the market.
Believe me, Ecuadorians believe it’s a rich people store as well but for this video it just made more sense to shop there. When it’s not for the video I shop at various places as well but in smaller bursts.
Dang dude, no wonder you got that buttery skin, $32 face wash 😂 Great video, we don't buy any American brands when we shop (other than JIF peanut butter), local mouthwashes, soaps, and so on.
Buttery??? 😂😂😂 Ironically when it comes to that face wash I’ve only ever bought it twice (this being the second time) in the span of 2 years because it lasts a loooong time. Appreciate you checking out the video!
I all honesty I had the same thought. Buyer beware, when it comes to basic hygiene and washing products, there is no real price-quality relationship. Any neutral soap-lotion does the job. Any fluorinated toothpaste will do its job, no need for a brand. Brush often, use well shaped toothpicks regulary and you teeth and gum stay healthy. Keep the money for things where quality counts.
Interesting video and comments from your viewers! I won't kick a dead horse - but butter is the BEST dude! Seriously. You'll never see margarine the same way again. I am moving to Ayampe in one week and this was very interesting. I plan to shop like the locals for the most part. I know I can't be too brand specific and need to be flexible. I am mostly concerned about my cat. Any chance you could do a video on cat and dog food options from the local vets and grocery stores? I'm at a loss on the cat food and litter and need to explore when I get there I guess.
Appreciate you checking out the video and joining the conversation in the comments as well. I might be a little late but just to give you a quick overview on dog/cat food: -the cheapest brands can normally be found in both -most pet owners don’t recommend the cheapest brand (generally “ProCan”) because it’s supposedly bad for pets. -vets tend to have brands that aren’t in big stores but the brands they carry might vary from one vet to the next and possibly even one city to the next -high quality (I assume) pet food is EXPENSIVE. I’ve seen small bags at $30+ Hope this helps!
Some notes: The "butter" wasn't butter at all, it was margarine. I wonder what butter costs. The prices for the ground beef were 4.35 USD per kilo for the 15% fat one, and 11.56 USD per kilo for the 1% fat one. The size of the packs doesn't matter, only price per kilo does. The mouthwash was absurdly overpriced. It costs more in Ecuador than it does here in Canada, which is already egregious considering Listerine is just repurposed floor cleaner, and mouthwash is unnecessary if you just brush your teeth. I'm surprised enough Ecuatorians buy this stuff for it to even be on the shelves. Maybe this is a store in a rich neighborhood. I wonder what the price variance is based on time. Around here the beef can cost three times more at its highest than at its lowest. I just buy it at 1/3 the cost every few months and freeze it.
Good video, thanks. FYI. That is NOT butter, that is margarine, very different! Health-wise, you are most probably better off using oil than margarine for cooking.
Thank you for checking it out! Indeed I did mess up and didn’t notice it was margarine. I always thought it was butter because my parents told me it was. Next time I go shopping in looking for actual butter.
Great video. Here in the states it would be around 3/4 more expensive here. It costs about &200/300 up per week just for food items without any hose hold goods.
We shop at Supermaxi only for a few items that we can't easily find, such as Jiff peanut butter, an occasional pack of M&M's toiletries, some spices or condiments, etc. As it is more expensive and closer to the prices in the USA. Most of our actual food is purchased at the local, Mercado, for our produce and the local butcher shops or bakeries. For those items and we dramatically save a lot of money over the prices in the USA.
YOU ARE NOT WRONG, IT IS, WE ARE US CITIZENS AND HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 10 YEARS, THERE IS NO COMPARISON. WE ARE 2 ADULTS AND ONLY SPEND $600 OR LESS EACH MONTH FOR FOOD, PERSONAL NEEDS, AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THE DUDE IN THE VIDEO NEED TO RETHINK WHAT HE BUYS.
We shop at Gran Aki which is far more affordable. We get our groceries delivered and rarely go over $250/month for two people. Granted, we eat vegan at home so maybe saving $30-50 on meats. Super/Megamaxi is way overpriced.
Aki is great and Comisariato as well but when calculating the cost difference the fact that we need to take taxis to get to those two places makes it so they don’t make sense cost-wise. It’s like I mentioned in the video, I don’t generally buy everything at once and our shopping dynamic makes it so that we’re shopping for things almost every day/every other day (this in part because of the business). That being said, I’m pretty odd when it comes to my nutrition (especially in comparison to other Ecuadorians) since I eat once a day (and do prolonged fasts) and eat low carb.
Oh no, I have failed you! 🥲 I knew I was overlooking something. As soon as I have a girlfriend I’ll see if I can ask her to help me out with that. Thank you so much for checking the video out!
@@darrellandsondraholden9457 think about it DUDE, as a follower and a human I'm allowed to make requests. DUH. 🙄 I'm not criticizing his choices, I'm just making a request.
Always fancy, never not fancy ✨😂 Ok but being serious, a friend who’s a dermatologist recommended it to me and after I did some research I saw that it was really good so I’ve just gone with it. I’ve only ever bought it twice (this being my second time) and it lasts a really long time so it feels like a good investment. Skin care is important and I’m still really bad at it lol
It is what it is. That’s why in my last video (about the reality as an Ecuadorian) I talked about that it’s tough for Ecuadorians because it truly is. You see what you can spend money on and just ignore the things you can’t. Some people go the route of financing everything but I’m not a fan of that.
I don’t agree with you, my wife and I been living here for 9 years and shop at MegaMaxi every 21 days and it doesn’t cost 838$ ! When it cost that much it’s because we bought 24 bottles of wine on special ! Average cost per visit is around 500$ wich includes everything, meat, veggies, pasta , cheese, bread, canned food, toiletries etc..and of course a dozen of bottles of wine and 12 beers. No prepared food of any kind , I cook better than any of these and more healthy… And we buy veggies and fruits from the truck that goes by twice a week and spend 6-7$ / week so add 25$ for the period of 3 weeks , so we’re still below your spending …compare to the prices in the USA or in Canada it’s way cheaper in Ecuador!
The $838 is indeed a high value but like I said in the video, that’s because it takes into consideration the things that I bought and were multiplied by 4. I also mentioned that some things you wouldn’t even have to buy monthly so there are values that one month you’ll see but the next you won’t. Overall, there’s definitely going to be a difference between how much each person spends depending on people in the family, eating styles, and of course how they shop but I just wanted to give an idea of what that would be like. Thanks for checking out the video and sharing your values as well!
This video is to give you a understanding, you want price per ounce and priced per ml. This video gave me a good understanding of how much do you need to live on a monthly base. Now if you need exact prices to the cent, you might want to go to Ecuador and do a video yourself with all the things you requested… Unreal smh 🤦🏼♂️
Glad the video was able to help! Everyone is going to have their preference and I’m just glad the way I made the video is able to help some people out.
@@MJWINNER_Sketchbook999 Yes we do have a lot of inter trade from Ethiopia, Asia and India which makes trade possible and prices down. Somalia is a nice place.
It is not really that expensive if it is only for yourself. I spend about $75 in average per month buying those things. You can even spend less than I do.
@@edgartoepel7473 Well, I spend that buying those things. But for total monthly expenses, you have to add bills, rent, transportation, etc. If 2 people live together, they could save in this others things I mention.
@@edgartoepel7473 They could. But also you have to take account you will have to pay bills, transportation, rent, etc. But, in this other things you could save if 2 people live together.
The only products that are really cheap in Ecuador are fruits and vegetables from Ecuador. Milk, bread and eggs may be cheaper than in the USAbut are in Ecuador more expensive than in Europe.
Is that $800 in the states? That would be a lot but at the same time it also depends on how many people it’s for and I’m also still thinking about that amount being a lot here in Ecuador, maybe in the states it’s standard (?)
If you want to live like a person from the first world in a lesser developed country it will be more expensive. I never go to box stores like Megamaxi unless i am looking for an ingrediente that an American or Euoropean récipe calls for....otherwise you can live way under $200 per person pero month ...and more healthy!
No lie when I’m in Ecuador I buy in the Mercado my Spanish is bad but I buy food with my cuzin he died from the Covid 19 so now I go to my uncle and aunt there rich they’re to scared to shop in the market 34:31
Statistically speaking, these results are so off and aren't representative of anything other than your especific needs of that day, the way you do your price analysis doesn't make sense, you can't compare 2 different things only going by price or size and then just multiply by 4, you need to have some kind of coherence between price per g/l/oz to compare it, not just about the size of the bottle. Who needs that damn much salt in their diet? Margerine isn't butter, expensive skincare (although necessary) isn't groceries, and most of all the more expensive products you only replace once or twice a year, unless you use 2 toothbrushes at once, eat salt by the spoonful, and deep fry your food like crazy! The price of things also depends on the addition and the quality of the ingredients, not just size... This video isn't even a demonstration of this guy's standard "grocery shopping", let alone the average prices of anything. Even if we only stay within Supermaxi, this is a silly way to go around budgeting or price comparison. Are you buying packs of 4 for yourself or are you buying for a family of 4? For proper analysis it is fundamental that you make this type of distintion. From an economic point of view, this video is nothing more than an example of how much some things cost that day, but it's not representative of any type of sampling at all, it's not methodological, just random. This video leads you to faulty conclussions, and any economist and sociologist (like me) would reject your results.
@@lvovodessa No, you got exactly the wrong conclusion from this video and that is the point. I do economic analysis like this for a living, if you want to know the real cost of things you need to understand what the "Basic food basket" is. I know the creator is well intentioned, it's not a criticism of his character, but of his results. I've taught sociology classes at university level and deal with economics PhDs in an almost daily basis. Think about this, for example, he picked skincare that is an expensive imported brand, so let's analyse: Are expensive imported brands of skincare groceries? No. You can get other good quality products for much less, he picked those products out of his desire to spend that money on that, it's sumptuary, not basic. Import taxes and shipping costs make imports much, much, more expensive in Ecuador. Also, he went to an expensive posh supermarket, a lot of the prices are higher just because of that. If you go to a different market, with $10 you leave with KILOS of stuff, KILOS. He didn't talk about the prices of REAL necessities, who the heck needs Himalayan salt? Nobody, let alone 2 types. Basic salt is cheap as heck. Organic produce in Ecuador is waaaay cheaper, I've lived in expensive countries in Europe, these products cost there much more, trust me, I know. A big avocado here is 50c or 3x$1, in Europe you pay like $2 for a tiny avocado. If you check the basic basket it's cheap in comparison, like 1/3 of the price, but he didn't talk about most basics. He talked about Sriracha, for crying out loud, since when is that basic grocieries? He buys garlic salt, which is more expensive than actual fresh garlic. When he compares the prices of mince meat the comparison itself it's wrong! He says there's one for $1.92 and another for $5.25, he doesn't even realise they're 2 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS therefore you can't compare just like that. Etc. etc. etc... Then he just multiplied things by 4... it doesn't make sense. If he were a student of mine or any decent economics proffesor, he'd get a big zero. And finally, why are things more expensive in Ecuador than in other Latin American countries??? Answer: The US dollar, and he didn't even tell you that. Rents are cheap as heck, a few hundreds for a whole house or flat, gas is so cheap it's almost free, just like water and electricity... but no, you just saw superficial data and went with it. The creator is enthusiastic, I applaud him for that, but his results are incorrect, I am being objective.
They don't normally make a distinction between butter and margarine. If you ask for butter, you'll get margarine. You can find it, but read the label, be specific if you want to avoid margarine, and be prepared to be disappointed at an eatery because butter is not what they think of when you say butter.
@@octonion 😂 Not Kerry Gold. I don't really know why; there are cows everywhere, but I've only ever seen 1 kind of real butter and 1 kind of fresh milk, and that's in Super/Mega Maxi or Aki. Otherwise, it's margarine and box/bag milk. Whole aisles are full of those items. That's not to say it doesn't exist; I don't know everything, but it's not as much of a thing.
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU BUYING? WE ARE A FAMILY OF 2 ADULTS AND WE SPEND LESS THAN $600 EACH MONTH ON GROCERIES, PERSONAL ITEMS, AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COMBINED *AND* WE SHOP AT SUPER MAXI, BUT ALSO THE LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETS, AND BAKERIES. THINK YOU BETTER RETHINK WHAT YOU BUY.
Probrably is for family of 4 i do not need to watch the full video ?? i was in quito 3 months alone food is cheap and did not need to cook traveling cheap by bus people nice
It’s actually a single person analysis. In other words, it’s literally what I buy to live here comfortably for a month. Of course like I stated in the video the food stuffs I did multiply since buying them all at once wouldn’t have made sense. Having a bunch of food sitting in the fridge or around the house would’ve just led to it expiring.
bruh why would you buy a 20 dollars sunscreen lmao, of course if you only go for groceries in supermarkets it will get expensive, however if you buy those same items in different locations (like insted of canned foods) you can get the actual beans in a bigger quantity and way cheaper, around 500 in monthly expenses and not the 800 you just explained. This would also depend if the foreiner who comes has a bad habit of eating a lot, like a ridiculous amount which it cannot compare to Ecuadrian calories consumption, but whatever, my best advice to foreigners is, why would you even want to come here? just so you know the us army is here with a pass free to do whatever they want to, but if you're just a gringo going through you middle life crisis, you should reconsider that maybe you just need help or therapy cause there is not ANY reason to move from a developed country to a twisted one like Ecuador.
WOW, YOU ARE JUST A BIT NEGATIVE. WE COME FROM A DEVELOPED COUNTRY AND WE LOVE IT HERE, BEEN HERE 10 YEARS. AND YOUR POLITICAL COMMENT ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY IS NOT ONLY NOT RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION, BUT A BIT IGNORANT. I AM A U.S. CITIZEN AND THINK YOU SHOULD 'DO YOUR HOMEWORK' BEFORE YOU 'BASH' ANY MORE U.S. CITIZENS. WE HAVE BEEN HERE 'HELPING YOUR PEOPLE' AND 'HELPING THE IMMIGRANTS' AND WE'RE NOT HERE BECAUSE OF A MID-LIFE CRISIS. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE THE LORD CALLED US TO BE HERE AND WE ARE OBEDIENT TO THAT CALL. WE LOVE THE COUNTRY, LOVE THE PEOPLE, AND LOVE OUR MINISTRY. IF YOU THINK LIVING IN THE U.S. IS MUCH BETTER...YOU ARE VERY MISTAKEN. WE HAVE NO INTENT OF EVER GOING BACK THERE.
The saddest part about this video is the young man has no concept of what corporate colonialism is. The highest priced items were American corporation hygiene products. Why produce a video without the forethought about American corporations and the exploitation of our economies? Also supermarkets essentially destroy local economies from fish mongers, to butchers, bakers, and cheese makers. How are you bilingual and lack this basic principle in colonialism and market caps?
Some tips on how to shop in supermarkets in Ecuador. 1. Before you go shopping, make a list and don't forget to take a cheap calculator with you (never use your smartphone as a calculator). 2. Break this list into sections. Each section should have no more than 4-5 positions. At the top of the list should be goods that do not require refrigeration. At the end of the list should be foods such as vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products. 3. When you arrive at the supermarket, leave your backpack in the storage room. If you don't have a backpack or bag, still select a locker, close the locker door and put the key in your pocket. 4. Grab your cart and start shopping according to your list. Usually at first it is soap, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. Before adding a purchase to your cart, make sure that the barcode numbers on the product you have chosen match the numbers on the price tag (usually the last four digits). If it doesn’t match, try to find the price tag where the numbers on the barcode of your product match the numbers on the barcode on the price tag. 5. Next, decide on the price on the price tag. If it suits you, then write down the name of this product, which is indicated on the packaging, in SPANISH in your list and indicate the price that you found on the price tag. Only after this, add the item to the cart. Do the same with the rest of the products from the first section on your list. 6. After adding 4-5 items from your list to your cart, add up the prices of these items and write down the total cost. Then go to the cashier to pay. Walking up to the cashier with your calculator and list in SPANISH in hand, let the cashier know that you know what you are buying and how much it costs. 7. As soon as the cashier starts scanning your purchases, focus your attention on the cash register display. The display window is very small, but 4-5 positions fit in it and you can see them. You also see on the display the price that the cashier sets. By holding your list with the prices you took from the price tag in your hands, you can easily check that the price you have to pay is correct. If you come to the checkout with a large number of purchases, then you simply will not be able to control it. And, as a result, you will leave the supermarket with purchases for which you paid 25-30% more than you should have. What to do if the price on the display does not match the price you saw on the price tag on the floor. Don't panic. Show the cashier your list and indicate the correct price. Typically, the cashier goes to another cash register, checks, and returns with the correct price. But, if the cashier does not agree with your price, then politely ask him to remove this item from the cash register. Yes, you will leave the checkout without purchasing anything, but you will not allow yourself to be deceived. 8. If everything is in order, you pick up your purchases and put them in your storage locker. 9. Take the cart again and return for the next 4-5 purchases. And so on until you buy everything you planned.
Your process is paranoid and insane. To put this much energy into buying groceries, you must be retired and in need of some hobbies. I've shopped at Supermaxi for 5 years and always wear my backpack and use my smartphone. Just check your itemized receipt quickly for any prices that are out of whack
How much do you spend on groceries?
If you want to see a more general analysis of cost of living, check out my Cost of living in Ecuador video:
ruclips.net/video/XgXH9kVTS6E/видео.htmlsi=x_8sy5f6RHaZtCaF
Edit: I found the butter!
•the lowest price for a stick of butter was at 0.89 cents.
-the intermediate price was around $2.59 to about $3.41
-the highest priced butter was at $5.60 and it was Danish and there was also a $4.41 box of butter from France.
I bought 3 different types of butter. One that was the cheapest, one that was a little more expensive at $1.22, and one that was a bit more expensive than that at $1.56. I got these three in order to taste them since i’ve never tried them before and I’m hoping to find my “permanent buy” brand of butter.
75 to 100 a week minus delivery
I cook for fun and stress relief. I buy fat bags of rice, beans, lentils. I buy lots of potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, mangos, pineapple, etc. I buy lots of meat (pork, chicken, shellfish, fish, and beef). I usually try to save and cook in the animal fat because SABOR!!!! I buy eggs, butter and queso and pancitos (unless I am making them). We do this all at the mercado for between $40-65 a week (3 people). But we still go to the supermercado for personal care products like soap, shampoo, lotions, razors, etc etc. Which is about $10-20 more per week.
I am living in Colombia, on the carib. coast, which is suppose to be one of the most expensive places, and it was interesting to see how much more expensive your purchases were, item by item. Thanks for being so detailed and accurate.
Ohh I had no idea that the carrib. coast was so expensive. I always try my best to give the most detailed and accurate information and I appreciate you taking the time to check it out.
It’s well-known that Colombia is cheaper.
Thanks for the video! I also see why you did not talk about "Let's go to the mercado..." Safety is the prime worry there. Though we do go there each week and the prices are vastly better than most stores. We recently went and got pork for $2.50 lb, Colossal shrimp for $3.50 lb, beef for $3.00 per lb and a whole chicken for $8. Eggs and veggies are similarly cheaper at the mercado. Some friends of ours go as a "shopping group" each week for security. But some things, you just have to go to the supermarket for.
Why do you say mercado isnt safe ??? Please expound on. tks
@@BPe-ie9je maybe they mean the meat?
@@BPe-ie9jeYou could get robbed.
@@BPe-ie9jeI've lived in Ecuador for 5 years and have never once seen anything dangerous at a mercado except for much better prices and local specialties. This is just classist nonsense from rich gringos who prefer the bougie, overpriced, supermarket because it's more like what they are familiar with from their 1st world orgins
@@jamielivingston7765I don't think they're referring to the meat being dangerous if they try to go shopping in a group. Definitely sounds like a personal safety issue 😳.
Thanks! An incredible effort to document all this. I paused to look at the shelves a hundred times in this video.
Thank you so much Lisa for taking the time to check it out. Between us, I am planning more videos like this in different places to give separate values.
Thanks!
Thank you so so much for your support!
I appreciate your time in this video. ❤
Thank you for sharing this.
That an awful wastebof napkins. I would go for the reusable waahable rags.
Not a problem!
That’s nothing, just wait until you go to an outing that involves chicken wings, napkins everywhere!
Ecuador napkins remind me of using 2 sheets of single layer toilet paper.😮
Bring clothe napkins from states. Wash w your laundry. Use to wrap items, packing. My mother never used paper napkins. Swore by economy of using cloth napkins. Always room in laundry.
Excellent video! super helpful!
Thank you Sir. Your finding are similar to my own. It maybe hard , but if you could do a vid on rents in 2024 I think it would be great.
Plusvilia is a good site to see some rents. Or many many many Facebook groups for rentals/sales.
I have been wanting to make a video like that for a long time but it may be difficult. There’s a lot of things I have to look into with friends and family and even then specifics might be impossible. My previous cost of living video might be able to help you out for now but if I find a way to make the video adequately I’ll give it a shot.
Very valuable video! In Barbados, I spent around $200 -$250 USD a month on groceries.
Hi Ace, thanks for sharing another helpful video.
I watched it the full way through, and thanks to your Spanish subtitle addition,
we'll watch it again as a group. I'm like # 186.
Great info! That nacho style dinner your brother made looks YUM!
Oh it was absolutely amazing! I wish I had recorded it before it was in the plate but I let my desire to eat it get the better of me lol
Thanks for the great Content. It’s nice to see your video right after dons live stream. Help me a lot with the cost of living budget coming to live in Ecuador soon
Are you from UK/ USA?
Not a problem, appreciate you checking the video out!
amazing video thanks for all the information
Thanks for checking it out!
Hey Buddy, have you heard about...Coral Hiper Mercados , Super Mercado Comisariato , Tuti , Fresh Produce Mercado, a lot cheaper than Super Maxi ?????
Indeed I have! Not sure if you watched until the end because around the end I mentioned that if you shop at comisariato or the market that things will be much cheaper but because of certain factors I just found it more convenient to shop at Supermaxi.
This is a great, detailed video. I prefer to simplify my life. I wash my floors with water and a cloth. It works for me. I do not use laundry detergent every time I wash my clothes. At first this sounds gross. If my clothing is mildly soiled, I just wash them in hot water and they get just as clean. I use fluoridated mouthwash about once every other day. I never use sunscreen as the chemicals kill reef life. I use a hat instead. The oil you chose appears to be palm kernel oil, which is not all that good for you my friend. Your purchases are 100% reasonable. I just choose to consume less as it makes my life simpler and less expensive. Oh, and I live in Honolulu where a pint of ice cream in Waikiki goes for around $13.00.......so I have learned to economise.
Great what you do. Anything that works and makes life simple is not a bad thing so well done.
I think as long as you live comfortably and are happy, then what you do is definitely awesome. I definitely don’t use oil to make my food but it made sense to get because I know it’s what most people generally use.
And OH MY GOODNESS $13 FOR ICE CREAM! I hope it comes with music 😂
I think it is vegetable oil - also not good for your health. Palma de Oro is the brand name.
$13 for a pint. Yes, a young Hawaiian girl does the hula as you walk out the door with no money!@@GMAceM
Another question I have: Butter. What you showed us is margarine. I noticed that the supermercados have tons of margarines. Is there are reason there are so many margarines but sometimes real butter is hard to find?
I did indeed realize after that I had been eating margarine my whole life which is a big F in my book but I have rectified that now lol
The question is good and I have started asking around but no one can give me a solid answer. In fact, the most prominent answer I get is that most people actually think they are eating butter. People ask for butter in restaurants and they get margarine.
If I had to speculate, I think it’s a combination of misinformation and cost. No one thinks twice since it looks like butter and for people who have a limited budget (restaurants included) they just find it easier to serve the margarine.
All that being said, now that I’m informed I will always go straight for the butter and look at the packaging because even the butter section has some margarine mixed in there.
Simple answer...margarine is cheaper, butter is more expensive.
Thank you for this very informative video. I can tell that it must have taken you a lot of time and effort to put together. The price of food in the Supermaxi was mind-blowing to me. There are certain things that I decided I need to figure out how to live without (like napkins) because they are so expensive. I appreciated the prices at the mercado. Fortunately I eat mainly fruits, grains and vegetables. If I liked fish and seafood I'd be in good shape. Question: was this shopping trip supposed to be for a week or a month?
Not a problem! It definitely took a lot longer to make than even I expected and since I brought my brother along to help with the filming/pics he was not happy lol
Mercado prices are definitely ideal for most things but it was just more convenient for us to get things in supermaxi due to certain factors. I could nickel and dime a lot of things but then it would’ve just been adding more effort/movement or spending on transportation (buses or taxis) which didn’t make sense to me.
As for the trip, it’s kinda split. The food stuff was definitely for use during the same week (same day for most of it) but the rest was meant to last as long as possible. To me this is more realistic for anyone (or maybe just me) not looking to stress out thinking about “I need to buy x lbs of oil to last specifically y amount of time” since I was hoping to show prices and let everyone get a general idea of what they might spend depending on their shopping list.
We’re going back from Cuenca to the midwestern USA for a week pretty soon. I should do a comparison between this and what we can get at Wal-Mart to see what the difference ends up being. One of the issues I have here (not your fault) is I can’t see a direct comparison
I'd love to have that info. Thinking of doing a comparable Walmart run here in FL as well
That would be great. You should do a comparison and post your findings.
A comparison would be awesome! I’ve been wanting to do one as well but don’t want to bother anyone in the states to help with something like that lol
Definitely keep us updated!
Hi, qq, why haven’t you gone to the fresh market? I lived in Ecuador for about three years, and the fresh market has way better prices on meats, fruits and vegetables. I get it that Supermaxi, is a more nicer place to shop at but it’s kind of expensive. You also have options besides Supermaxi, like TIA, AKI, Mi Comisariato to name a few, well at least for toiletries!
Great video. You go beyond for your viewers and that's wonderful. I was wondering if you know if a line company (similar to Amazon) can ship to Ecuador. I noticed that on the bottom of the Bonella is the word Margarina. Isn't that Margarine, not butter? Living in North Central Florida I spend about $450.00/ mo. on food and personal. I noticed that we shop differently however based on this video I would spend about the same as I do here. Thanks again for another excellent video.
You can get butter, but in general they make no distinction between margarine or other oil products and actual butter. For that matter, butter is hard to find; it's only in the big supermarkets like Supermaxi or Aki as far as I know. Amazon ships here but you can basically double the price + as a rule of thumb for shipping and tax. It's better to shop around the way you did in 1990 😂
Appreciate you checking it out and always glad to give value!
Indeed I have made a big mistake but in my defense, I have always thought it was butter. My parents and everyone I know calls it butter so I didn’t even look at the package for more than just the brand and color and assumed it was. I am definitely going to go eagle eye the next time I go shopping to actually look for butter and maybe make a community post and update my pinned comment on this video.
When it comes to the Amazon thing, Amazon actually works here but it seems to have restrictions in what they offer. Don talked about that once actually. A lot of my friends recommend Laarbox which is a courier service that I also mentioned in a different video.
And we are definitely going to shop differently but I really wanted to give an idea so that everyone could add or remove certain items that they don’t need. Also, $450! That’s a lot!!!
@@GMAceM Thanks for the tip about Laarbox! Amazon works, at about double the price, with restrictions, as you mention. However, for several items, I have found the exact same item at the exact same price here in Ecuador, so it's better to shop around first. Sometimes the price is even lower than the amazon price. Of course, if you literally don't care at all and will spend absolutely whatever just to have it shipped to your door, you can do that! I never have, but I've noticed it also takes a long time. No 2-day shipping!!
This video is making me terribly homesick for Ecuador. I miss our local Supermaxi! Looking forward to returning home.
Why? Everything is so expensive compared to Mexico, Peru and Colombia.
Ace, great video! I’m floored by the cost of the toiletries. Are there cheaper places to purchase this stuff, like a Walmart type place?
No. The little stores are even more expensive. We always pack them in our suitcase before we go!! Also, bring Tylenol, Aleve, Aspirin, Antihistamines, Dramine, or any other over the counter medicine you think, you might need in Ecuador. Almost impossible to find there. They do not sell most of these products, and if you do happen to find them, they are very expensive!!
Good to know. @@karenweaver8957
Thank you so much Kathy!
Where I’m at, there doesn’t seem to be a Walmart style place. Tuti offers some cheap options for some very specific things (no toiletries where I went) but they also recently started regulating when they turn on the air in their store which makes the experience kinda uncomfortable. There are some places around the city (specific stores) that offer discounts certain days but they’ve upped their prices and it doesn’t make sense (to me) to make an extra trip to another place just to hopefully find 1-2 things that are cheaper. Comisariato has some things that are cheaper BUT like my dad has said before, “the $1-2 that we save going to comisariato means nothing if we spend $3-4 on taxis”. That’s something I didn’t get to mention in the video but it’s part of the reasons why I found it more convenient to just shop at supermaxi because at least I could walk there and take a taxi back, comisariato and such are just much further away and walking with my recording gear is not a good idea lol
I was impressed with Loja’s supermaxi. It was packed!
I spend exactly $0 at Supermaxi. I have always considered it a rich people store. I shop at the municipal markets and Comisariato or Gran Aki, sometimes Tuti, also the little mom and pop stores for what I cannot get at the market.
Believe me, Ecuadorians believe it’s a rich people store as well but for this video it just made more sense to shop there. When it’s not for the video I shop at various places as well but in smaller bursts.
Dang dude, no wonder you got that buttery skin, $32 face wash 😂 Great video, we don't buy any American brands when we shop (other than JIF peanut butter), local mouthwashes, soaps, and so on.
Buttery??? 😂😂😂
Ironically when it comes to that face wash I’ve only ever bought it twice (this being the second time) in the span of 2 years because it lasts a loooong time.
Appreciate you checking out the video!
I all honesty I had the same thought. Buyer beware, when it comes to basic hygiene and washing products, there is no real price-quality relationship. Any neutral soap-lotion does the job.
Any fluorinated toothpaste will do its job, no need for a brand. Brush often, use well shaped toothpicks regulary and you teeth and gum stay healthy. Keep the money for things where quality counts.
Interesting video and comments from your viewers! I won't kick a dead horse - but butter is the BEST dude! Seriously. You'll never see margarine the same way again. I am moving to Ayampe in one week and this was very interesting. I plan to shop like the locals for the most part. I know I can't be too brand specific and need to be flexible. I am mostly concerned about my cat. Any chance you could do a video on cat and dog food options from the local vets and grocery stores? I'm at a loss on the cat food and litter and need to explore when I get there I guess.
Appreciate you checking out the video and joining the conversation in the comments as well. I might be a little late but just to give you a quick overview on dog/cat food:
-the cheapest brands can normally be found in both
-most pet owners don’t recommend the cheapest brand (generally “ProCan”) because it’s supposedly bad for pets.
-vets tend to have brands that aren’t in big stores but the brands they carry might vary from one vet to the next and possibly even one city to the next
-high quality (I assume) pet food is EXPENSIVE. I’ve seen small bags at $30+
Hope this helps!
Some notes:
The "butter" wasn't butter at all, it was margarine. I wonder what butter costs.
The prices for the ground beef were 4.35 USD per kilo for the 15% fat one, and 11.56 USD per kilo for the 1% fat one. The size of the packs doesn't matter, only price per kilo does.
The mouthwash was absurdly overpriced. It costs more in Ecuador than it does here in Canada, which is already egregious considering Listerine is just repurposed floor cleaner, and mouthwash is unnecessary if you just brush your teeth. I'm surprised enough Ecuatorians buy this stuff for it to even be on the shelves. Maybe this is a store in a rich neighborhood.
I wonder what the price variance is based on time. Around here the beef can cost three times more at its highest than at its lowest. I just buy it at 1/3 the cost every few months and freeze it.
Well, I will go back to Ecuador soon and I will try to do a video with the same subject.. Cheers Bro. See you on the road 🛣️ 🤙🏾💛💙❤️🇪🇨
That’s awesome, let me know when it’s out! I’d really love to see what everyone else spends on groceries 🧐
Stay safe out in the road! 💯
Good video, thanks.
FYI. That is NOT butter, that is margarine, very different! Health-wise, you are most probably better off using oil than margarine for cooking.
Thank you for checking it out!
Indeed I did mess up and didn’t notice it was margarine. I always thought it was butter because my parents told me it was. Next time I go shopping in looking for actual butter.
No problem. I have a feeling you will never go back to margarina once you try real butter. 😂
Great video. Here in the states it would be around 3/4 more expensive here. It costs about &200/300 up per week just for food items without any hose hold goods.
How big is your family? I buy quite a bit of food weekly and rarely pay over $150 a week
Mi Comisariato and Tia are much cheaper than Supermaxi if you can find them.
I was thinking everything was cheaper there I guess I was wrong
Supermaxi is basically American prices.
We shop at Supermaxi only for a few items that we can't easily find, such as Jiff peanut butter, an occasional pack of M&M's toiletries, some spices or condiments, etc. As it is more expensive and closer to the prices in the USA.
Most of our actual food is purchased at the local, Mercado, for our produce and the local butcher shops or bakeries.
For those items and we dramatically save a lot of money over the prices in the USA.
YOU ARE NOT WRONG, IT IS, WE ARE US CITIZENS AND HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 10 YEARS, THERE IS NO COMPARISON. WE ARE 2 ADULTS AND ONLY SPEND $600 OR LESS EACH MONTH FOR FOOD, PERSONAL NEEDS, AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. THE DUDE IN THE VIDEO NEED TO RETHINK WHAT HE BUYS.
Housing and utilities are cheaper. Groceries are expensive except for Ecuadorian grown vegetables and fruits. Colombia is a cheaper alternative.
No, you are not wrong. This dude is buying things that really aren't necessary.
Noticed many of the things u bought came in bags. Even the detergent
Yes! There’s a lot of bagged products. One thing that I didn’t buy was milk (because I don’t drink any) and that comes in bag form too!
@@GMAceM Interesting
That's pretty normal here.
We shop at Gran Aki which is far more affordable. We get our groceries delivered and rarely go over $250/month for two people. Granted, we eat vegan at home so maybe saving $30-50 on meats. Super/Megamaxi is way overpriced.
Aki is great and Comisariato as well but when calculating the cost difference the fact that we need to take taxis to get to those two places makes it so they don’t make sense cost-wise. It’s like I mentioned in the video, I don’t generally buy everything at once and our shopping dynamic makes it so that we’re shopping for things almost every day/every other day (this in part because of the business). That being said, I’m pretty odd when it comes to my nutrition (especially in comparison to other Ecuadorians) since I eat once a day (and do prolonged fasts) and eat low carb.
Absolutely outstanding video! Buuut.....my wife wants to know where are all the feminine products???😊
Great job, keep up the good work.
Pads are inexpensive but tampons are more expensive. OB tampons as well as a EC brand are about $4 for 15.
Oh no, I have failed you! 🥲
I knew I was overlooking something. As soon as I have a girlfriend I’ll see if I can ask her to help me out with that.
Thank you so much for checking the video out!
Supermaxi and megaMaxi belong to the same cimpany,and they are the most expensive. buying everything there only show higher cost of living in Ecuador.
loved the video. next time can you cater a little more to items for women as well as items for babies and kids? thanks!
Think about it lady...he's a guy, that's why he's showing you what guys buy. Geesh!
@@darrellandsondraholden9457 think about it DUDE, as a follower and a human I'm allowed to make requests. DUH. 🙄 I'm not criticizing his choices, I'm just making a request.
La Roche-Posay?! I didn't realize you were so fancy!! 😁
Always fancy, never not fancy ✨😂
Ok but being serious, a friend who’s a dermatologist recommended it to me and after I did some research I saw that it was really good so I’ve just gone with it. I’ve only ever bought it twice (this being my second time) and it lasts a really long time so it feels like a good investment. Skin care is important and I’m still really bad at it lol
But the basic wage is only 450
It is what it is. That’s why in my last video (about the reality as an Ecuadorian) I talked about that it’s tough for Ecuadorians because it truly is. You see what you can spend money on and just ignore the things you can’t. Some people go the route of financing everything but I’m not a fan of that.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T SHOP AT SUPERMAXI, AND THIS GUY IS PROBABLY NOT THE TYPICAL CITIZEN.
$460 is the legal minimum wage. Most people earn less.
Obviously this guy isn't making basic wage. And his shopping list isn't realistic.
We’re in Ecuador you live in I live in Cerro de Carmen on this mountain
John, why are you talking like you don't know grammar? And why are you telling tons of people online where you live? Are you ignorant?
You are shopping at the most expensive place! You can shop at the local Tienda and save a mountain of money!
I don’t agree with you, my wife and I been living here for 9 years and shop at MegaMaxi every 21 days and it doesn’t cost 838$ ! When it cost that much it’s because we bought 24 bottles of wine on special ! Average cost per visit is around 500$ wich includes everything, meat, veggies, pasta , cheese, bread, canned food, toiletries etc..and of course a dozen of bottles of wine and 12 beers. No prepared food of any kind , I cook better than any of these and more healthy…
And we buy veggies and fruits from the truck that goes by twice a week and spend 6-7$ / week so add 25$ for the period of 3 weeks , so we’re still below your spending …compare to the prices in the USA or in Canada it’s way cheaper in Ecuador!
The $838 is indeed a high value but like I said in the video, that’s because it takes into consideration the things that I bought and were multiplied by 4. I also mentioned that some things you wouldn’t even have to buy monthly so there are values that one month you’ll see but the next you won’t.
Overall, there’s definitely going to be a difference between how much each person spends depending on people in the family, eating styles, and of course how they shop but I just wanted to give an idea of what that would be like.
Thanks for checking out the video and sharing your values as well!
TOTALLY AGREE! WE SPEND $600 OR LESS A MONTH FOR 2 ADULTS AND THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS, HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, LAUNDRY SOAP, ETC.
Do you drink tropical soda
In general I only drink soda when offered at a hang out with friends and even then I almost never do.
John, are you on drugs? What the heck is tropical soda?
This video is to give you a understanding, you want price per ounce and priced per ml. This video gave me a good understanding of how much do you need to live on a monthly base. Now if you need exact prices to the cent, you might want to go to Ecuador and do a video yourself with all the things you requested…
Unreal smh 🤦🏼♂️
Glad the video was able to help! Everyone is going to have their preference and I’m just glad the way I made the video is able to help some people out.
Expensive country.
Here in Somalia.
Prices are 1/4 of what you paid in Ecuador.
Africa? Hmm.
Hows Business in Brazil
@@MJWINNER_Sketchbook999 Yes we do have a lot of inter trade from Ethiopia, Asia and India which makes trade possible and prices down. Somalia is a nice place.
I'm guessing the minimum wage in Somalia is around 1/4 of Ecuador's
That sounds awesome! It’s always great when you can reduce the cost of living.
It is not really that expensive if it is only for yourself. I spend about $75 in average per month buying those things. You can even spend less than I do.
So, 2 people could not live on $150?
It really depends on what you buy. A 12 oz can of Dr pepper is $1.67 but a liter of Pepsi is .42.
@@edgartoepel7473 Well, I spend that buying those things. But for total monthly expenses, you have to add bills, rent, transportation, etc. If 2 people live together, they could save in this others things I mention.
@@jamielivingston7765 Yeah, but what I want to say is that the lowest total in the video could actually be lower.
@@edgartoepel7473 They could. But also you have to take account you will have to pay bills, transportation, rent, etc. But, in this other things you could save if 2 people live together.
How much money would a 2 adult household need a month to buy groceries in Guayaquil?
Stevia is not monk fruit , but I get the point
Thanks ace. Now I’m hungry.
Sorry about that! Might I recommend an encebollado 👀
Seems not less expensive as the US
The only products that are really cheap in Ecuador are fruits and vegetables from Ecuador. Milk, bread and eggs may be cheaper than in the USAbut are in Ecuador more expensive than in Europe.
I spend $130 today. It’s enough for a few days, not including meats or cheeses. I spend about $800/month honestly.
Is that $800 in the states? That would be a lot but at the same time it also depends on how many people it’s for and I’m also still thinking about that amount being a lot here in Ecuador, maybe in the states it’s standard (?)
THEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SHOP RESPONSIBLY.
Damn yall couldn’t wait until shooting the video 😂y’all got hungry real quick
GM Ace, it’s hard to message you. Can you reach out?
For sure, sent you an email!
Most surprising to me was how expensive dental floss is there. Lol
I’m still quite floored by that myself. I’m wondering if when you use it Music literally plays in the background lol
If you want to live like a person from the first world in a lesser developed country it will be more expensive. I never go to box stores like Megamaxi unless i am looking for an ingrediente that an American or Euoropean récipe calls for....otherwise you can live way under $200 per person pero month ...and more healthy!
ABSOLUTELY INTELLIGENT COMMENT!
No lie when I’m in Ecuador I buy in the Mercado my Spanish is bad but I buy food with my cuzin he died from the Covid 19 so now I go to my uncle and aunt there rich they’re to scared to shop in the market 34:31
JOHN, STOP TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW HOW.
Go to la Cerra de Carmen guallaqil so what’s going on over there
JOHN, DUDE, YOU CAN'T EVEN SPELL GUAYAQUIL CORRECTLY. STOP WRITING.
50$ is more then enough for 1 person in my country
Statistically speaking, these results are so off and aren't representative of anything other than your especific needs of that day, the way you do your price analysis doesn't make sense, you can't compare 2 different things only going by price or size and then just multiply by 4, you need to have some kind of coherence between price per g/l/oz to compare it, not just about the size of the bottle. Who needs that damn much salt in their diet? Margerine isn't butter, expensive skincare (although necessary) isn't groceries, and most of all the more expensive products you only replace once or twice a year, unless you use 2 toothbrushes at once, eat salt by the spoonful, and deep fry your food like crazy! The price of things also depends on the addition and the quality of the ingredients, not just size... This video isn't even a demonstration of this guy's standard "grocery shopping", let alone the average prices of anything. Even if we only stay within Supermaxi, this is a silly way to go around budgeting or price comparison. Are you buying packs of 4 for yourself or are you buying for a family of 4? For proper analysis it is fundamental that you make this type of distintion. From an economic point of view, this video is nothing more than an example of how much some things cost that day, but it's not representative of any type of sampling at all, it's not methodological, just random. This video leads you to faulty conclussions, and any economist and sociologist (like me) would reject your results.
Are you a sweet human.
You’re right, but the video gave good insights in prices in Ecuador. They are pretty high!
@@lvovodessa No, you got exactly the wrong conclusion from this video and that is the point. I do economic analysis like this for a living, if you want to know the real cost of things you need to understand what the "Basic food basket" is. I know the creator is well intentioned, it's not a criticism of his character, but of his results. I've taught sociology classes at university level and deal with economics PhDs in an almost daily basis. Think about this, for example, he picked skincare that is an expensive imported brand, so let's analyse: Are expensive imported brands of skincare groceries? No. You can get other good quality products for much less, he picked those products out of his desire to spend that money on that, it's sumptuary, not basic. Import taxes and shipping costs make imports much, much, more expensive in Ecuador. Also, he went to an expensive posh supermarket, a lot of the prices are higher just because of that. If you go to a different market, with $10 you leave with KILOS of stuff, KILOS. He didn't talk about the prices of REAL necessities, who the heck needs Himalayan salt? Nobody, let alone 2 types. Basic salt is cheap as heck. Organic produce in Ecuador is waaaay cheaper, I've lived in expensive countries in Europe, these products cost there much more, trust me, I know. A big avocado here is 50c or 3x$1, in Europe you pay like $2 for a tiny avocado. If you check the basic basket it's cheap in comparison, like 1/3 of the price, but he didn't talk about most basics. He talked about Sriracha, for crying out loud, since when is that basic grocieries? He buys garlic salt, which is more expensive than actual fresh garlic. When he compares the prices of mince meat the comparison itself it's wrong! He says there's one for $1.92 and another for $5.25, he doesn't even realise they're 2 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS therefore you can't compare just like that. Etc. etc. etc... Then he just multiplied things by 4... it doesn't make sense. If he were a student of mine or any decent economics proffesor, he'd get a big zero. And finally, why are things more expensive in Ecuador than in other Latin American countries??? Answer: The US dollar, and he didn't even tell you that. Rents are cheap as heck, a few hundreds for a whole house or flat, gas is so cheap it's almost free, just like water and electricity... but no, you just saw superficial data and went with it. The creator is enthusiastic, I applaud him for that, but his results are incorrect, I am being objective.
Thats not butter. That is solidified veg oil.
That's true, it is margarine. Butter is about double o triple the price.
They don't normally make a distinction between butter and margarine. If you ask for butter, you'll get margarine. You can find it, but read the label, be specific if you want to avoid margarine, and be prepared to be disappointed at an eatery because butter is not what they think of when you say butter.
You mean I can't get my Kerrygold Irish grass fed butter to fatten up my coffee?!?!😯
@@octonion you can get super yummy butter all day long
@@octonion 😂 Not Kerry Gold. I don't really know why; there are cows everywhere, but I've only ever seen 1 kind of real butter and 1 kind of fresh milk, and that's in Super/Mega Maxi or Aki. Otherwise, it's margarine and box/bag milk. Whole aisles are full of those items. That's not to say it doesn't exist; I don't know everything, but it's not as much of a thing.
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU BUYING? WE ARE A FAMILY OF 2 ADULTS AND WE SPEND LESS THAN $600 EACH MONTH ON GROCERIES, PERSONAL ITEMS, AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COMBINED *AND* WE SHOP AT SUPER MAXI, BUT ALSO THE LOCAL PRODUCE MARKETS, AND BAKERIES. THINK YOU BETTER RETHINK WHAT YOU BUY.
Interesting but not surprising.. toiletries are not that much different than the USA.
A tomato is not a vegetable, Ace
I’ve gotten so used to calling it a veggie because even nutritionists consider it as such but it is indeed a fruit.
AND THIS IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS VIDEO?
Probrably is for family of 4 i do not need to watch the full video ?? i was in quito 3 months alone food is cheap and did not need to cook traveling cheap by bus people nice
It’s actually a single person analysis. In other words, it’s literally what I buy to live here comfortably for a month. Of course like I stated in the video the food stuffs I did multiply since buying them all at once wouldn’t have made sense. Having a bunch of food sitting in the fridge or around the house would’ve just led to it expiring.
thanks for the replay good LUCK@@GMAceM
* GOOD to hear that you dont drink alcohol.
* you are a good fan of Spicey? I can make a curry😅
I don’t think I’ve ever had curry before but I always hear about it in shows/anime I watch. Is it difficult to make?
ARE YOU FLIRTING? SICK.
bruh why would you buy a 20 dollars sunscreen lmao, of course if you only go for groceries in supermarkets it will get expensive, however if you buy those same items in different locations (like insted of canned foods) you can get the actual beans in a bigger quantity and way cheaper, around 500 in monthly expenses and not the 800 you just explained. This would also depend if the foreiner who comes has a bad habit of eating a lot, like a ridiculous amount which it cannot compare to Ecuadrian calories consumption, but whatever, my best advice to foreigners is, why would you even want to come here? just so you know the us army is here with a pass free to do whatever they want to, but if you're just a gringo going through you middle life crisis, you should reconsider that maybe you just need help or therapy cause there is not ANY reason to move from a developed country to a twisted one like Ecuador.
WOW, YOU ARE JUST A BIT NEGATIVE. WE COME FROM A DEVELOPED COUNTRY AND WE LOVE IT HERE, BEEN HERE 10 YEARS. AND YOUR POLITICAL COMMENT ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY IS NOT ONLY NOT RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION, BUT A BIT IGNORANT. I AM A U.S. CITIZEN AND THINK YOU SHOULD 'DO YOUR HOMEWORK' BEFORE YOU 'BASH' ANY MORE U.S. CITIZENS. WE HAVE BEEN HERE 'HELPING YOUR PEOPLE' AND 'HELPING THE IMMIGRANTS' AND WE'RE NOT HERE BECAUSE OF A MID-LIFE CRISIS. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE THE LORD CALLED US TO BE HERE AND WE ARE OBEDIENT TO THAT CALL. WE LOVE THE COUNTRY, LOVE THE PEOPLE, AND LOVE OUR MINISTRY. IF YOU THINK LIVING IN THE U.S. IS MUCH BETTER...YOU ARE VERY MISTAKEN. WE HAVE NO INTENT OF EVER GOING BACK THERE.
So they have American prices. 😂
ECUADOR IS 'AMERICA', IT'S SOUTH AMERICA. BUT, NO, THEY DON'T HAVE U.S. PRICES. THIS DUDE IS WAAAAY OFF. WE HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 10 YEARS.
The saddest part about this video is the young man has no concept of what corporate colonialism is. The highest priced items were American corporation hygiene products. Why produce a video without the forethought about American corporations and the exploitation of our economies? Also supermarkets essentially destroy local economies from fish mongers, to butchers, bakers, and cheese makers. How are you bilingual and lack this basic principle in colonialism and market caps?
OH, PLEASE SHUT UP ABOUT 'CORPORATE COLONIALISM', OBVIOUSLY YOUR PARENTS HAVE WASTED THEIR MONEY SENDING YOU TO COLLEGE, SO YOU COULD BE BRAINWASHED.
Try living in California or Colorado what a joke
Some tips on how to shop in supermarkets in Ecuador.
1. Before you go shopping, make a list and don't forget to take a cheap calculator with you (never use your smartphone as a calculator).
2. Break this list into sections. Each section should have no more than 4-5 positions. At the top of the list should be goods that do not require refrigeration. At the end of the list should be foods such as vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products.
3. When you arrive at the supermarket, leave your backpack in the storage room. If you don't have a backpack or bag, still select a locker, close the locker door and put the key in your pocket.
4. Grab your cart and start shopping according to your list. Usually at first it is soap, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. Before adding a purchase to your cart, make sure that the barcode numbers on the product you have chosen match the numbers on the price tag (usually the last four digits). If it doesn’t match, try to find the price tag where the numbers on the barcode of your product match the numbers on the barcode on the price tag.
5. Next, decide on the price on the price tag. If it suits you, then write down the name of this product, which is indicated on the packaging, in SPANISH in your list and indicate the price that you found on the price tag. Only after this, add the item to the cart. Do the same with the rest of the products from the first section on your list.
6. After adding 4-5 items from your list to your cart, add up the prices of these items and write down the total cost. Then go to the cashier to pay. Walking up to the cashier with your calculator and list in SPANISH in hand, let the cashier know that you know what you are buying and how much it costs.
7. As soon as the cashier starts scanning your purchases, focus your attention on the cash register display. The display window is very small, but 4-5 positions fit in it and you can see them. You also see on the display the price that the cashier sets. By holding your list with the prices you took from the price tag in your hands, you can easily check that the price you have to pay is correct. If you come to the checkout with a large number of purchases, then you simply will not be able to control it. And, as a result, you will leave the supermarket with purchases for which you paid 25-30% more than you should have. What to do if the price on the display does not match the price you saw on the price tag on the floor. Don't panic. Show the cashier your list and indicate the correct price. Typically, the cashier goes to another cash register, checks, and returns with the correct price. But, if the cashier does not agree with your price, then politely ask him to remove this item from the cash register. Yes, you will leave the checkout without purchasing anything, but you will not allow yourself to be deceived.
8. If everything is in order, you pick up your purchases and put them in your storage locker.
9. Take the cart again and return for the next 4-5 purchases. And so on until you buy everything you planned.
So you are saying that these stores are deceiving people on purpose?
nobody got time for this! 🤣 (respectfully)
But I appreciate you for writing all this out lol
Your process is paranoid and insane. To put this much energy into buying groceries, you must be retired and in need of some hobbies. I've shopped at Supermaxi for 5 years and always wear my backpack and use my smartphone. Just check your itemized receipt quickly for any prices that are out of whack
This sounds like a fast way to make normal working people dislike you. Try learning the language and being friendly, and don't be so afraid!
YOU SOUND 'JUST A BIT' OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!