Woman Compares USA Food Prices to France’s and Some Are Shocked by the Results

A French-living TikToker was comparing the cost of groceries in France compared to the United States, highlighting a video from one irate social media user who highlighted how purchasing just five items at a suburban store came out to over $50.

The woman, who goes by France Survival Guide on TikTok (@francesurvivalguide) wanted to compare the cost of a similar shopping list at a Carrefour retailer in the European country.

The guy bought himself some deodorant, a four-pack of toothbrushes, milk, cereal, and detergent for a whopping $51.05 after taxes. The TikToker noted that the store was located in Paris and that it wasn't exactly a retailer known for its high prices, but that it was indeed her favorite store.

She also cautioned that "sizes are a little bit different" when compared to the quantities that folks get in the United States, but that she was going to do as best as she could to match the guy's shopping list for the most accurate pricing comparison she could make.

The first thing up for purchase was the 2-pack of Dove deodorant that the man purchased which came out to $12.79. The TikToker pointed out how Nivea One deodorant came out to €2.14, which comes out to about $2.35 due to current exchange rates, so a two-pack of deodorant came out to less than half in Paris compared to the suburban store the guy she stitched in the clip paid.

A larger stick of Mennen came out to €3.58, which is $3.94 — still significantly cheaper than what her US counterpart paid. She highlighted that a 2-pack of Women's Dove Deodorant costs €8.18 ($8.99), nearly $3 cheaper than what it costs in America.

She then decided to head to the cereal aisle to see how much the popular breakfast offering costs in the EU, but she said that she was having difficulty finding Cheerios, so she compared Corn Pops and Frosted Flakes' "Maxi" sizes, aka the big jumbo family sized boxes, which were priced at €3.75 and €3.95 ($4.12 and $4.34 respectively), which is still around $1 cheaper than the $5.29 amount the other guy paid.

She added that she didn't see any cereal that cost more than the aforementioned offerings, before heading over to the dental aisle to see how much toothbrushes cost: "She was shocked to see that a 4-pack of toothbrushes cost the dude $9.99, whereas she was able to find a 4-pack in Carrefour for €1.93 ($2.12), followed by another for €2.15 ($2.36), and the most expensive variety cost €3.03 ($3.33).

She then turned her sights on detergent. She hunted down a comparable quantity which cost €11.31 ($12.34) to the American TikToker's $15.99, but noted that there were smaller quantities that cost less. She then wanted to compare the cost of a gallon of milk to what a gallon would cost in Gay Old Paris.

She noted that milk is measured in liters and that 3.7 liters is to a gallon, and then began to measure the quantities accordingly. As it turns out milk was the only thing on the list that cost more: €4.23 ($4.65) to $3.89.

The TikToker then compared the total cost of grocery bills: if someone opted for all the higher cost items at Carrefour in Paris, they would pay €30.95 ($34.02) to the $51.05 that the other TikToker spent during their suburban shopping excursion.

The Parisian transplant said she wasn't surprised by the price difference: "Wow, look at those prices. I'm not surprised, at all. I estimated between 25 and 30 for the French prices. Now the 23.46, those were the lower-end items that I probably would buy. And the 30.95 were the comps to his items, as closely as I could get to his items. But wow look at that, look at the savings!"

She continued, "I've been telling you, France is affordable. Even Paris. Even Paris."

The TikToker drove her point home even further, writing in a caption for the clip: "Don’t get me wrong—Inflation has hit France too. Prices have gone up across the board, and gas is much more expensive in Europe. But in general, Paris is way more affordable than LA"

Folks who responded to her video seemed to echo her favorable outlook on Parisian pricing models for consumer goods: "When a baker charged me $5 for a croissant. He said 'cheaper than Paris' lol I said 'croissants are a dollar in Paris,'" one commenter wrote.

Others thought the American guy stitched into her video would've been able to get his groceries for a much cheaper price if he picked a different store to shop at or was more astute at looking up deals.

"he went to target is the problem," one said.

Another wrote: "Dude’s just bad at shopping…"

The USDA has reported that food inflation is at some of the worst rates they've ever been in the United States, steadily increasing since 2021.

Have you felt the burn at grocery stores and restaurants? Or do you feel that while prices are high, one can still manage their grocery bills as long as you are a bit more savvy in your supermarket sweeps.