Hi Mike just a suggestion , to make sure you monitor closely and do regular inventory of your grocery supplies , weekly , if not every 2 days to prevent losses . Our friend with same restaurant business had a real bad experience and learned a lot after finding out some unloyal and dishonest employees , gradually helping themselves to their restaurant grocery supplies . It is possible to happen to any businesses of any form not just in the Philippines but everywhere else . , Just be CAUTIOUS and have a record of how long your supplies last on busy days compared to slow business days . I know it’s hard to keep track due to various daily volume of patrons , but im sure you do check and balance and auditing . I’m not saying you have dishonest employees but an ounce of precaution is better than feeling sorry later . . Sorry I don’t mean to be a downer , but just don’t want to see your trust and kindness being taken for granted and abused coz Such bad experience had really devastated our friend and till now he’s trying to recover from his unexpected losses . More power to you and your business Mike 💪💪💪🎉🎉🍷🍷🍔🍔🌭🍤🍤🍟🍟🍣🥪🥙🥪🍞
Taking inventory regularly makes sense. Also, limiting access to storage areas, tracking items as they are taken for use by staff, and yes, CCTV use... Just normal steps every business needs to take IMO... I was in Food Service club management, and later logistics, for all classes of supplies in the Army for 25 years... Inventory management in all cases was paramount. In war zones or on deployments, or while I'm garrison, literally people's lives depended on having what you need where needed when you need it... Prices are going up, meaning this management is even more important today than back then... 👍😎👍
This is why a restaurant or bar is a lifestyle not just a business. If you are not watching the front and the register, the money walks out the front door. If you aren't watching the kitchen, fridge and storage, your money is walking out the back door.
For nachos you should make a cheese sauce which is white sauce (Bechamel sauce) and add any cheese will melt in the white sauce add some cumin and you get a nice nacho cheese sauce. No one uses pure cheese for nachos. I used to own a Mexican cantina in Manila and nachos with cheese was one of our bestsellers.
Do not buy meat, fruits, vegetables in the shopping mall(supermarket), it way more expensive than the local market. You can also buy directly from the farmer and hog raiser.
He needs receipts for business and tax purposes which is why he does it. A lot of the locals will not give that to him. Those locals don't really follow the business laws.
Dont know where you are getting this information. I have lived there and I do all the grocery shopping back in Toronto. I found many many vegetables and fruits actually cheaper and even better quality in the supermarkets than the local market.
I did a grocery shop in Cebu City yesterday and looking at the prices you paid for meats it's around PHP50-100 cheaper here. It's still way cheaper here than Australian prices that's for sure, but inflation is getting high here like the rest of the world. Marketplace supermarkets have nice Aussie beef (bred here) and Aussie wines are reasonable too. We get our veg at the local market and have started growing our own too, as the quality is poor here as you mentioned. The price of potatoes in the Philippines is very high for some reason. Start that vegie garden you were talking about Mike.
@@GUITARTIME2024Gas just jumped from $3.99 a gallon to $4.69 here in Seattle in one week. A low-end Toyota truck is now $70,000 in America. Ridiculous.
I live in Boracay, I buy fruit at the local Talipapa wet market. I can get a large Papaya, fresh pineapple, Asian apples, grapes, oranges, yellow watermelon, and mango's for about 900 pesos. which is 21.50 Canadian and 16.00 US. If I were to buy the same in Canada it would be at least 91.00 Canadian, 67.50 US. And Boracay is suppose to be more expensive then other areas! I buy eggs for a little over 9 cents an egg Canadian, if I was in Canada the cheapest I could get is 33 cents an egg! And The flavor of the fruits and vegetables aren't even comparable, they are real here! Everything tastes like various flavors of water in North America!
Most of the food prices from your grocery store lists seem to be on par with the prices at Walmart, in central California. Here are a few prices, from my most recent grocery shopping: Apples average about 1 USD each, depending on the variety/type (Envy apples, for example, are more expensive) & size/weight. Bananas (Cavendish, I believe) average about 0.25 USD each, depending on size/weight. The cheapest ground beef (70/30) here is about 4-6 USD per lb. Large eggs are currently running between 3-4 USD per dozen, which is high (usually runs between 2-3 USD per dozen). Chicken thighs, with bone-in, runs between 2-3 USD per lb. FYI - packaged shredded cheese is treated to slow mold development. This treatment also results in the cheese not melting as easily or smoothly as block cheese. Best to use packaged shredded cheese only for menu items where you do not need to melt the cheese, such as tacos. Note: garlic is ridiculously easy to grow. No reason to ever buy it more than once. Just take a few of the cloves and push them into a container of dirt. Make sure container has holes at the bottom, to allow excess water to drain. Each clove will grow a new bulb. Put the container in the sun and keep it moist, but not drenched. Never buy what you can grow! :)
I think if you really do shopping properly. 1. Go to the Market for Meat, fish, and vegetables+ Fruit (SM over inflatabled prices. Use vacuum sealer to keep food fresh, freeze the rest. 2. Batch cook meals freeze them. 3. Buy a bread maker, make your own bread products. 4. We buy ketchup. Lastly im in the UK right now, im sending tinned foods condiments etc in balikbayan box 😂 cash and carry size. Fill up the pantry
I first came to the Philippines in 1988 and to Bacolod in 1992. I lived there in the 90's and we spend our summers there at our home. I'm in California and I just watched the video. The prices were very close to our prices. Some things were expensive and some were cheaper. However. you and I both know the quality is very different. Don't even get me started on the ground beef or the burger buns. Onions the size of golf balls and lettuce soft balls. Forget tomatoes and cheese. You pay $10 for Kraft cheese slices. Anyway when I go back I will take the ferry and visit you at the Beaver. Love your blog, new girl and daughter. Hang in there.
But their rice taste much better than we buy in West. Coconut, mango and pineapple taste much better in PH than in west. Local fresh products always are better quality than imported and who know how many years old. Its simply too hot for onions or lettuce in Philippines.
@@PavolKosik-b3u Depends on what you buy. Most Americans are hung up on Basmati or Jasmine. You will find that taking up 90% of the shelf space at most grocery stores. I find Basmati to be expensive and also very bland when eaten plain. Its needs sauce or spices. If you like good tasting plain rice, find Calrose. Its what all the Asian restaurants in California use, and its something most Filipino have never had. Its all we buy.
@@JohnLee-yp8vj Good for you. Do you know a business? Are you his bookkeeper? Then shut up. He has talked about why does what he does. Stop being a keyboard warrior thinking you know everything.
I shop for one person, and I cook most of what I eat. Buying things in bulk (rice, cereals, oak milk) to save money. My meals follow a similar pattern, so I have lunches. My average cost for 2 weeks of food (1 week with fresh fruit) is approximately $160.
I bought my first mango. The grocery store by me here in the US had mangos but they were green. Are there different varieties or should I wait, or buy one that's yellow. I wasn't that impressed with the taste? A mix of bitter/sharp and sweet.
As for what you bought, here in USA Oregon, Chicken wings usually run $2.00-$3.50 per pond 250-400peso/kilo. Chicken breast is usually $2-5 per pound, 250-600/kilo. Hamburger is typically $4 per pound or more unless on sale, which is 495peso/kilo, sometimes you can get frozen patties or a sale for less. Bananas 60-80peso per kilo here. Apples, oranges and lemons are much cheaper here depending on which of the 20 types of apples you buy. Honestly many meat, fruit, veggie prices in the Philippines are about the same or higher than North America unless you go to the public market/wet market. Some of the processed foods there are cheaper for local brands. But food is not really where you save money going to the Philippines. It's rent, dental, medical, haircuts, phone service, etc. Those things are 70-90% lower than the USA and (I think) Canada.
I have been and lived in many places. All and all if you compare apples to apples it cost less to live in small town U.S. than it does in the Philippines. I can see living in the Philippines for the women but if you are going there to save money, you not going to. People retire in the big cities in the U.S. then say the Philippines is cheaper. Yes it is and small town U.S.A. is a lot cheaper than big city U.S.A.!
@@lifeshacks3995 Depending on the state people can find small towns that are cheap to live in as long as you are close to a Walmart or other major discount grocery chain. But as for truly living cheaper than you can in the Philippines that would be basically impossible in the USA without some type of government program like Medicare. Also if you compared small town USA to small town Philippines aka "the provinces", then costs in the Philippines drop also. Now if you tried to exactly replicate your USA life it is expensive in the Philippines, using imported things and living with everything on time payments and loans, driving too big a vehicle everywhere because you can barely afford the payments. Yeah, that life might cost as much or more. But if you are willing to live Filipino "middle class" especially in the small town, it is far easier to "live within your means" and save money or live a decent life. No place in the USA can you get a trike ride to the grocery store round-trip for $2-3 bucks, or if grab is available for $5-6. No place in the USA can you get a haircut for $2. Or clothes or a watch mended for $1-4. You cannot get a cleaning service for $5 twice a week. Or a live-in maid/cook/assistant for $125 plus room and board. You cannot get unlimited phone and data for $10/mo. You cannot rent a solid concrete 2bd house with a yard and carport for under $100, sometimes under $50. Then hire a crew of 2-3 guys to pretty up whatever you want in it for $20 a day labor. A person in the Philippines could actually get around using just trikes, grab, and taxi for $200/month, but anyplace in the USA buying, maintaining, fixing, insuring, fueling, and replacing even a basic used car will be $200mo minimum. Heck in the Philippines most people pay less for a years car insurance than one month in the USA. So if you did buy a older car and have a mechanic there make it reliable for about $10-20/hr labor, you still would be saving. Would your life be a carbon copy of the USA? No, not at all. But where could you get a long term lease on a small 2 bd house for under $100, internet and cable for $20-50, phone for $10, utilities for $50-150, a live-in maid/cook/helper for under $150 TOTAL, incidental monthly (bank/netflix) for $30, transport $50-200, insurance and medical for $200, and groceries for scratch cooking (you have a cook) for $300/mo. ?? Add $200/month for incidentals. That's under $1,300 a month. That's not even really scrimping. Lots of expats can get this cheaper. That's not a American lifestyle, but when have you even met a person who has a live in maid/cook, and calls a driver for where ever they want to go? Gets monthly massages? Gets 3drinks, snacks, pool, karaoke, and a drive home for UNDER $10??? I could replicate my US life for $800 in the Philippines.
@@Budabudaboo-c3o Many people in the U.S. don't know about small city U.S.A. Try to compare "the provinces" to small city U.S.A. is totally ridiculous! I live about 1 mile outside the city limits. The city has 3 Walmart's and other stores like target store etc. A Civic Center that they use for live bands, opera, etc. Two general type hospitable and another one for eyes and hearing. I don't drive anymore so I use a bus to go to one of the 3 parks they have. I go to the one that has an outdoor wave water pool, a heated indoor pool and another pool at the Wellness Center where the water level is low so people who are hurt or have bad joints can do aquacise. The park has a BMX track, walk trail with exercise stations along the trail. Many fields and 20 tennis courts and in case you are waiting for someone they also have a full library with computers etc. Now how can you compare that to the provinces? The only bad thing about where I live is transportation. The bus doesn't run at night and you have to book it ahead of time and hope they have a time slot for you, other than that it picks you up at your door and drops you off anywhere you want to go and it comes with a lift in case you are in a wheel chair. Since I am outside the city limits it cost me $6, I think it's $2 inside the city. My health insurance gives me $75 per 3 months to use to pay for the bus and when I can't use the bus and take a cab and my health insurance pays for 20 rides. Yes, I am old and get Medicare, so? Sometimes I go out to eat at an all you can eat place and it cost me less than it did in the Philippines. They have over 200 items and you can get everything from shrimp to ice cream. The heated pool I swim at cost me $1 in the Philippines it was somewhere around $6.50 USD. For me I can live cheaper in the U.S. than in the Philippines.
@@Budabudaboo-c3o Hi, I gave you a reply back but I don't see it here, maybe taken down? Here is what it said: Many people in the U.S. don't know about small city U.S.A. Try to compare "the provinces" to small city U.S.A. is totally ridiculous! I live about 1 mile outside the city limits. The city has 3 Walmart's and other stores like target store etc. A Civic Center that they use for live bands, opera, etc. Two general type hospitable and another one for eyes and hearing. I don't drive anymore so I use a bus to go to one of the 3 parks they have. I go to the one that has an outdoor wave water pool, a heated indoor pool and another pool at the Wellness Center where the water level is low so people who are hurt or have bad joints can do aquacise. The park has a BMX track, walk trail with exercise stations along the trail. Many fields and 20 tennis courts and in case you are waiting for someone they also have a full library with computers etc. Now how can you compare that to the provinces? The only bad thing about where I live is transportation. The bus doesn't run at night and you have to book it ahead of time and hope they have a time slot for you, other than that it picks you up at your door and drops you off anywhere you want to go and it comes with a lift in case you are in a wheel chair. Since I am outside the city limits it cost me $6, I think it's $2 inside the city. My health insurance gives me $75 per 3 months to use to pay for the bus and when I can't use the bus and take a cab and my health insurance pays for 20 rides. Yes, I am old and get Medicare, so? Sometimes I go out to eat at an all you can eat place and it cost me less than it did in the Philippines. They have over 200 items and you can get everything from shrimp to ice cream. The heated pool I swim at cost me $1 in the Philippines it was somewhere around $6.50 USD. For me I can live cheaper in the U.S. than in the Philippines.
Just wondering if you try to buy stuff at S&R? How different would that be from Costco? For vegetables and fruits, you might as well buy them smaller out of town wet markets closer to farms.
Have you thought about Amazon or a similar online outfit for ordering your non-perishables? Of course, you'd have to plan well ahead since delivery is not quick but shipping would be free for large orders.
He needs receipts for business and tax purposes which is why he does it. A lot of the locals will not give that to him. Those locals don't really follow the business laws.
I dont know if you have been there, I have, the local "wet" markets honestly are not cheaper than the supermarkets. I introduced my Filipina who had never shopped at the SM supermarket, and she was shocked to see the prices actually lower than the public/wet markets. But all in all groceries are really expensive there.
Yes everyone we know the markets are cheaper. OMG, that is not the issue the issue is he needs a receipt showing what he is buying for his business. So he can show the government there. He has explained this in other videos.
You have mentioned markets in this vlog. Are you siding on the convenience? Shopping in a grocery comes with added costs since they have plenty of overhead. Are there any open-air markets near you?
I live in Florida and lean beef can cost anywhere from $6-9 a pound. It depends on the ratio like 80/20, 93/7. Now, beef, like 75/25 or 73/27, has a meat-to-fat ratio of about $4-6 a pound. Which is a lot more than over there. It is cheaper there than here.
It's hard to find any beef in Texas now for under $8-$9 per lbs. and that's for the worst cuts. We are known for beef! Gas is still really cheap though.
I'm originally from Sarasota, FL and currently residing in Makati city since 2020. I had no idea how expensive things had gotten until I started using the Walmart app to order food to be delivered to my father back home..
I wrote a whole long comment but cant find it back. So now in short: some stuff you showed there is more expensive than here in Western Europe! Like the fruit and bread OMG. Ground beef around the same which is also shocking (that some prices are same…. How can I retire there and live ‘cheap’..). Find ways to let a local backery bake some buns or so. Make deals with local suppliers and check all their stuff before you put in your kitchen, negotiate with them it MUST be fresh and below supermarket prices including delivery. Saves you money and time and helping local community.
@markeuringer8106 he struggles with his business he's not even aloud to cut a carrot or wipe a table down only his partner can or worker if he caught big trouble be deported, so he frustrated I'm thinking
In Ontario, for what you bought, easily $1,000 CAD and that would probably last a week or two as a restaurant owner. The average family of 4 in Toronto spends about $300 a week!
I am from Canada and have lived in Philippines, you are so wrong, superstore, Walmart, Costco have much lower prices and much better variety and quality. Shopping in Philippines makes me sad.
Bananas here in Vegas is like $.50/lb so about $1.10/K; yellow onions about $1.00/lb; apples depending on the type anywhere between $1-$2.99/lb more expensive if organic. Bacon on sale about $5/lb. Watermelon for a big 5-6 lb seedless would probably be about $5-$6 each. Oranges about $1/lb. Chicken breast is about $1.99/lb chicken wings are expensive $2.99/lb Costco or Sam’s bulk price. Legs and thighs are cheap here $.99/ lb even goes down to $.49/lb on sale.
I live in Dumaguete half the year, and the other half in FL. I don't care what anyone tells you the groceries are more expensive in the Philippines. I argue with guys all the time. My GF and I shop a lot, we hit all the supermarkets and Belcris in Dumaguete. It's a fortune there. BTW I'm in the states right now, since the end of April. I lean towards the Walmart neighborhood store, best prices. My GF just came back to Dumaguete from her hometown. And she said the prices are higher now than when we left. I don't want to hear about the markets, they're not cheap. The veggies are so expensive. Here's the but, restaurants are fairly reasonable, I can't figure that out yet. I'm not one but surprised that you spent 360.00 is that Canadian or USD. Thank you for listening.
my theory is that it's the grocery stores are the culprits. I don't believe this bull they operate on very slim margins. The economics don't add up. When restaurants can bypass grocery chains they get product at a lot cheaper price.
Germany has super cheap groceries and most food items here are cheaper if you get the low cost items. But same is true in the Philippines, if you buy local products that they grow in their local farms its super cheap. If you want to get apple and beef and milk... well its way expensive than in the west. Just need to adjust.
@@jonaske8049Yes same here in your neighbor country The Netherlands. It is even cheaper here than Germany but some things are more expensive such as beer lol
You are spot on man. I am from Canada and have lived in Philippines. Grocery prices are far cheaper in Canada with much better quality and variety. The reason restaurants are far cheaper to eat at in Philippines is that the cost of building out a restaurant there is substantially less and labor and rent is substantially less.
@@jonaske8049 I'm happy you're buy super cheap veggies. I can't find them. I bought one large Idaho potato and it was 2 USD, no lie. We have a big outdoor market in Valencia on Sunday. OMG talk about expensive.
My wife says that grocery prices are about the same here on the Costa del Sol in Spain, with only slight variations on certain products, but generally it's the same. So when I say that a family of four can live as cheaply in Spain as in the Philippines, few people believe it. In fact, we live even cheaper here since healthcare is free for EU/EEA citizens. Some things are a bit more expensive, like dining at upscale restaurants, but otherwise, the cost of living is pretty similar as long as you don’t live in Madrid or Barcelona, where it’s more expensive.
Hi Mike are you able to maintain a 28% to 32% profit margin on your ingredients cost and still remain relevant in the local market with your bar menu prices
Here In Toronto my grocery for a week is 100 Canadian dollars only for 1 person plus the rental apartment cost for 1 bedroom at present cost 1900 to 2k . That's how expensive the rent at present.
where i am i cant get beef, every time i try its like chewing cardboard or else its gristle and i suspect its carabow. maybe i need to ask them to add 30% fat when they grind it up? we cook a hamburger and they burn the pan is so dry ! price wise, 700 peso cooking gas is now 1200 peso everything has gone up.
I have a suggestion for your ground beef problem, why dont you grind your own meat? Buy a grinder. It will make you stand out since it is made to order like IN and Out Burgers here in California
Having been in the restaurant/bar business in the US for a few decades, we have wholesale distribution. What are the big hotels in your area doing for their supplies?
I always buy all fruits, veggies, eggs, seafood, chicken, pork etc at open market here and save so much over the supermarkets. Larger supermarket shopping is reserved only for western foods like ground beef, steaks, mustard, pickles, seasonings, frozen Angus hamburgers and the likes. Corner supermarkets are much cheaper here for sugar , coffee, pasta, canned goods etc.
My wife says to find a local fisherman and buy it fresh off the boat for pre market prices. To buy fruits from a fruit vender 1/2 price savings. But we also eat out every day. 500-1000 pesos 😅😅 living in Ayala development.
just got back from the pines i notice a big increase in items more expensive than Australia except for fish its still cheap , the price increase is due to the packaging costs ,go to the tellipopa ,local markets for a better deal .
Supermarket prices are amazingly similar to those in the US. Here are some examples (converted to kilos) Oranges: 1.82 kilos $5.00 Mangoes: $1.00 each Sugar: 1.82 kilos $3.00 Watermelon (whole, seedless): $5.00 in season; $8.00 out of season Onions: $2.20/kilo Bananas: $1.32/kilo Lemons: about 50 cents each Apples (Gala): 1.36 kilos $4.00 Ground Beef: $11.00/kilo Bacon: $11.00 kilo. These are heartland prices. In the Northeast or West Coast add 20% - 50% to these prices.
I own 3 restaurants and buy whole sale in bulk. The prices some cheaper some more expensive compared to US. The chicken is way cheaper over there. So is your labor which is crazy in the states.
Hi Mike, just for the chicken breast and tights that you got, we pay here in Montreal $190 or php 7,790. Also, because we are on a healthy diet and eat only organic, we pay $700 to $800 per week for 2 bags of groceries NOT 4 😥. Everything is super super expensive.... You're lucky to have left Canada 5 years ago.
Except for the fruits everything is much cheaper here in Germany. Especially alcohol, beer, even juices and you get 100 percent fruit juices for cheaper than the fake ones there. We have a turkish vegetable shop close by where I usually do the shopping the chicken you get there is probably about the same price and ground beef is also almost the same here. I was a little bit shocked to see how expensive live in Phil actually is, ofc cheese and potatoes, carrots, onions are much cheaper here also.
Michael, I live in Vancouver. My wife and I spend $500/month on groceries. This doesn’t include going out for dinner etc. Just groceries at home. We make a lot of our own meals from scratch versus ready to eat meals. I can’t stand the taste of the pre-prepared food. Our costs for groceries are then roughly 21,000 Philippine Pesos. My friend has 2 teenage boys and his groceries are $1200-1400. Crazy times here and it really isn’t getting much better.
Thanks for the heart bro! I grew up in Toronto and since I'm 11 I've been living in germany. But now I am really feeling like dipping my toes into the philippines and maybe actually moving there.... Would it be ok if I maybe reach out and ask a few things when the time comes?
$7.99 a pound for black Angus ground beef in North Carolina at our country store outside of town. Steaks are $20 a pound. Boneless chicken breast and pork chops average $5-$6 a pound i believe from last i bought. And bacon is $9.99 a pound. Mind you all the meat is non gmo fed so that does add a little to the cost.
gmo fed cows really is that real thing? who would they find to eat it? i wouldn't eat corn chips ether gmo crap. whats funny is the government say smoking is bad for you it causes cancer! but here have some gmo chips we even made the extra big bag for you. mmmm gmo🤣
@@leonbrodeur8982 yes meat is crazy in USA right now hamburger meat at 8 dollars a pound. Chicken and pork usually around 5 dollars . Sometimes you can find a sell but you can’t count on it . I say on aver
@@BradF-ko3gimost food in the U.S. is gmo fed. They want you unhealthy so you'll be dependent upon the pharmaceutical companies which will then make you even more sick. Hell the cereal here has TSP as an ingredient here for your children. If you don't know what that is you'll be surprised by a search as to what they feed the children here. Not to forget but our president also loves to sniff children so what else would you expect from here?
yep, same in Canada. The government here tells you its only about 3-4% increase month over month so as to not make it seem so bad but if you compare the food prices to a year before and the year before that, it works out to about 40 to 50 % more. Not to mention the unrelenting amount of taxes that don't make sense.....sheeeesh! I need to go to the Philippines
@@kenpoed MONTHS AGO ( SHOULD Have Been YEARS ) , I SAW The LIGHT { TRUTH ) And STARTED to SELL My STUFF And BEGAN The PAPER WORK >>> To MOVE THERE :O)) !!!!!!!!
Hi Mike a friend of mine came home from Canada, she was shocked with the price at the grocery stories because the prices are almost the same in Canada. Just a cent difference.
I'm in the US... Grocery prices have easily tripled since 2019. Any time I hit the grocery store for a full run it's $300+. Often $200+ just to do a top-up trip.
In America, the prices from 5 years ago have gone up 2 1/2 times. So what used to cost $100 now costs $250 approximately. Some items more Some a little less but all are more expensive.
It also helps to find good suppliers and establish a relationship with them for a good price and reliable supply because they can depend on your business.
You should find out where Jollibees buys their ketchup and other items... Also, can you order a large shipment internationally and have them shipped to you?
unless you are eating rice every meal it's going to be about the same as prices in Wisconsin. Even going to the public markets... It will be like 250 pesos for each item. 250 for 1 kilo of pork, 250 pesos for potatoes, 200 for mangos. Everything adds up quick and prince hypermart is like going to walmart for prices. I think the meats though are way cheaper!
Live in Indonesia!!!! 80% cheaper than the USA. I'm living in a 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom for 1.5 juta which is about $100 a month. I'm telling you, if you lived in Indonesia, you would save at least 30% of what you are spending in the Philippines but if you're calling Jakarta or Bali Indonesia then you are saying the most to live in Indonesia. I live on a SSDI income from the United States, so I chose a sensible area to live on Java island in Surakarta area . I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed!!!!
Good to know, my wife is Indonesian and we are considering moving over in a few years maybe to Malang, sadly there are far more English videos for Philippines and Thailand, so few on "real" Indonesia as in not Bali.
Mike in Canada,I have already done my research ,food is about 2-2 and half times more than the Philly Willy,some things 3 times more.Canada is rapidly becoming one of the most expensive places in the world.
I recently viewers a YT video on this topic, it was current, about a lawsuit in Canada against the largest grocery retailer over there, Watson maybe? I don’t recall specifics just that prices were exorbitant & several man on street interviews with frustrated Canadians. I think price fixing was an issue & false advertising….
I totally disagree, have been both in Canada and Philippines within the last 6 months and Canada is way less expensive, better quality and better variety
@@kenpoed taxes are an issue. But the prices aren’t rising because of them. They are going up much more frequently than taxes. Also, it very much matters where and how one shops - it’s art, it’s science, and takes discipline, planning, flexibility, and the will to learn in order to get the most and best quality out of you shopping penny or peso, but especially when we have so many competing options with the penny. If you don’t know the going price/kg or /100g of your staples then you’ve got a ways to go. Do you buy something on sale at say Save-On or Safeway from a display spot without checking it in it’s section and compare /g, 100g, ml, litre, against other sizes? Do you even know how to do that? The price tag will usually have small print indicating that. How about quickly checking your phone for flyer at other stores like RCSS, etc. They will price match and then you’ll find anything else you buy will be cheaper too. Is that too inconvenient? When have we not paid more for convenience store shopping.
Straws & napkins are very pricey here (US rural area Walmart & fancier groceries & co-ops). Seems like has been steadily inflating in past 4 years but in past year to year and a half grocery prices have skyrocketed). I will try to return & post specifics. But everything still seemed less expensive there in Phil except bacon. & we like fancy bacon when we eat it. But Philprice was higher, for the bacon I think without rewinding, however the kilos & metrics still throw me.
Bread=5 dollars........hamburger=6 dollars lb.....milk=5 dollars gallon........tuna can=2 dollars Apples 4 dollars lb.......chicken whole already cooked=8 dollars bag of chips=11 dollars Salmon=all you can eat/catch......moose....comes wrapped in fur and around 1200 lb's CHuCK in Alaska
Sorry i couldn't watch the entire thing. But if you also bought imported stuff, ofcourse you have to factor in the importation costs. Why as much as possible, if there's a local version available and the quality is almost the same, just go for the local one. It's the same when you buy Filipino products abroad. Ofcourse they're gonna be a lot more expensive there than here.
They were cheaper in the Philippines, but not for a long time. Not only that, but the quality is lower for many items. Inflation is hitting harder, I'm hearing 15% a year in the Philippines in the last almost 4 years. In the USA it had been 8%, but is now soaring at a higher rate.
With prices that you're pay being all over the place, how do you make a profit? What do you use to track food cost and profit vs loss? Also it might be a good idea to go to a digital menu, place a QR code at every table that takes them directly to the menu so that way you can update pricing more often if needed.
If you're heading into SM to do grocery shopping then you're heading the wrong direction. Whether you're feeding customers or feeding a family, gotta maximise use of the markets and minimise the mall !
There are certain items you can only find at SM and other large malls. The reality of living in a small town in a developing country is you don't have many options to choose from.
Fruit is meant to be eaten, not juiced. It's imbalanced with too much sugar and none or less of the fiber. These supply costs and shopping times can't be feasible unless you're charging a fortune.Personally, Id simplify the menu down to very few things and when adding to the menu, try to make the most uses of your ingredients, somewhat like taco bell. Seems like logistics could be a better business. Are there no local bakers to have make buns? I'd consider a smoker and center a menu around some pulled and maybe sliced pork butt(shoulder). Easy to reproduce, hard to beat for tenderness and flavor, pork should be easier to get, and the smells will drive in business.
Hey! Mike look for supplier there in Roxas or someone in Iloilo so that you can get discounted price that’s what locals do. You can tell your gf to communicate with them with you around. As for buns you can look for a bakery to do it for you.
Admittedly I am a pretty good shopper, but I can get that stuff here in Vancouver for cheaper overall than you paid there, which is kind of mind blowing. I am pretty reluctant to buy anything that isn't on sale. Not sure how the "average person" makes it there on their wages.
Lots of the stuff you can get of lazada. Bacon, ketchup, spices etc. I can higly recomend it. i bet you would save alot of time and headake by finding good vendors there.
Hi sir Mike, if you like to save much buying grocery for your house not your business might as well check wholesale store if there is any in the province that you are living right now for example puregold or other local wholesale grocery where it can be less expensive for catchup so on and so fort, you can check also a wet market or palengke for fresh meat fish and chicken it's much affordable kase pede tawad, check your budget for food in a month how much it will cost, for shampoo for soap for detergent for soy sauce cooking oil buy the biggest bottle those in ina buy one take one just check the exp date, you can also estimate how much you and your family are consuming in a, week or a month, in any part of the world everything is expensive, because of inflation, it's up to the family or person how they can budget and spend money wisely and save more, I think the best way to observe how family survive here in the Philippines is to observe how local middle income and above family spend everyday, you just need to spend money to thing you really need everyday ✌️ pls "do not get this the wrong way"
Well that's still way cheaper then Winnipeg Canada and with covid the prices went up easily 17% after we were told there would be no price gouging, id say get a bread maker and make your own buns for penny's. you have a yard grow your own veggies.
I do splurge on food, but ice still try to be thrifty. I buy the imported goods in the grocery, but I go to the wet markets for fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables at the supermarket can double maybe even triple the price
Fruits and vegetables cost less in Canada than in the Philippines. Even fruits that can't be grown in Canada like mango, banana and avocado are cheaper in Canada. Potatoes cost less in Canada. Baked goods and meats like chicken and pork are cheaper in the Philippines. Overall I would say grocery prices in Canada are more expensive, maybe 25 percent more.
Respectfully, not a chance - where are you shopping for fruits and veg in either country? How can you even compare? Lanzones on Bohol from Camiguin 180p/kg, Davao 50p/kg. You’ll pay $30.00cad/kg if you can even find any in Vancouver, and lots off the vine, not fresh. Mangos when on sale here, ya, comparable prices but they’re not Ph imports. I have a flat ouside the door here. Pineapple is cheaper in Ph, I could go on and on.
Not true Guimaras has tons of mangoes and the quality of mangoes in Canada and bananas is not even good. I can even get fresh bananas,lansones,santol, papaya and langka for free in Iloilo
Four years ago I could not carry $100 worth of groceries,but now I can carry $100 worth of groceries with just one hand I must be getting stronger
EXACTLY today I went and got like 6 item's ONE bag and it was almost 50 dollar's like WTF 🥴
LoL
For less than $20, I need to bring a trolley to the grocery.
@robertriley2863 love your sarcasm... 100%
Yes you're getting stronger and your wallet is getting weaker :)
Hi Mike just a suggestion , to make sure you monitor closely and do regular inventory of your grocery supplies , weekly , if not every 2 days to prevent losses . Our friend with same restaurant business had a real bad experience and learned a lot after finding out some unloyal and dishonest employees , gradually helping themselves to their restaurant grocery supplies . It is possible to happen to any businesses of any form not just in the Philippines but everywhere else . , Just be CAUTIOUS and have a record of how long your supplies last on busy days compared to slow business days . I know it’s hard to keep track due to various daily volume of patrons , but im sure you do check and balance and auditing . I’m not saying you have dishonest employees but an ounce of precaution is better than feeling sorry later . . Sorry I don’t mean to be a downer , but just don’t want to see your trust and kindness being taken for granted and abused coz Such bad experience had really devastated our friend and till now he’s trying to recover from his unexpected losses . More power to you and your business Mike 💪💪💪🎉🎉🍷🍷🍔🍔🌭🍤🍤🍟🍟🍣🥪🥙🥪🍞
Just do like the locals do, put cctv cameras everywhere in the restaurant, watching the till, supplies and more.
Taking inventory regularly makes sense. Also, limiting access to storage areas, tracking items as they are taken for use by staff, and yes, CCTV use...
Just normal steps every business needs to take IMO...
I was in Food Service club management, and later logistics, for all classes of supplies in the Army for 25 years...
Inventory management in all cases was paramount.
In war zones or on deployments, or while I'm garrison, literally people's lives depended on having what you need where needed when you need it...
Prices are going up, meaning this management is even more important today than back then...
👍😎👍
@@biomanjoe76543 yes , agree, 👍👍CCTV in addition to regular inventory
@@smartbiz888 👍👍
This is why a restaurant or bar is a lifestyle not just a business. If you are not watching the front and the register, the money walks out the front door. If you aren't watching the kitchen, fridge and storage, your money is walking out the back door.
For nachos you should make a cheese sauce which is white sauce (Bechamel sauce) and add any cheese will melt in the white sauce add some cumin and you get a nice nacho cheese sauce. No one uses pure cheese for nachos. I used to own a Mexican cantina in Manila and nachos with cheese was one of our bestsellers.
very true over here. One orders a steak here in 100g increments, not by the unit steak. Blue cheese sauce is 'watered down' with cream, etc.
Do not buy meat, fruits, vegetables in the shopping mall(supermarket), it way more expensive than the local market. You can also buy directly from the farmer and hog raiser.
Only thing I do not like is you have to be careful especially chicken.. can be wormy.
He needs receipts for business and tax purposes which is why he does it. A lot of the locals will not give that to him. Those locals don't really follow the business laws.
@@tig3rjax494 did he said that? i dont think thats the case, its easy to make business here unless theres a monopolizing group
@@atabac Yes he has talked about it in another video.
Dont know where you are getting this information. I have lived there and I do all the grocery shopping back in Toronto. I found many many vegetables and fruits actually cheaper and even better quality in the supermarkets than the local market.
I did a grocery shop in Cebu City yesterday and looking at the prices you paid for meats it's around PHP50-100 cheaper here. It's still way cheaper here than Australian prices that's for sure, but inflation is getting high here like the rest of the world. Marketplace supermarkets have nice Aussie beef (bred here) and Aussie wines are reasonable too. We get our veg at the local market and have started growing our own too, as the quality is poor here as you mentioned. The price of potatoes in the Philippines is very high for some reason. Start that vegie garden you were talking about Mike.
How much are potatoes? For example how much would 3~4 potatoes cost?
In America inflation is getting lower.
@@GUITARTIME2024Gas just jumped from $3.99 a gallon to $4.69 here in Seattle in one week. A low-end Toyota truck is now $70,000 in America. Ridiculous.
I live in Boracay, I buy fruit at the local Talipapa wet market. I can get a large Papaya, fresh pineapple, Asian apples, grapes, oranges, yellow watermelon, and mango's for about 900 pesos. which is 21.50 Canadian and 16.00 US. If I were to buy the same in Canada it would be at least 91.00 Canadian, 67.50 US. And Boracay is suppose to be more expensive then other areas! I buy eggs for a little over 9 cents an egg Canadian, if I was in Canada the cheapest I could get is 33 cents an egg! And The flavor of the fruits and vegetables aren't even comparable, they are real here! Everything tastes like various flavors of water in North America!
Inflation is a huge global problem Philippines use to offer cheaper living but circumstances have change dramatically.
Most of the food prices from your grocery store lists seem to be on par with the prices at Walmart, in central California.
Here are a few prices, from my most recent grocery shopping:
Apples average about 1 USD each, depending on the variety/type (Envy apples, for example, are more expensive) & size/weight. Bananas (Cavendish, I believe) average about 0.25 USD each, depending on size/weight. The cheapest ground beef (70/30) here is about 4-6 USD per lb. Large eggs are currently running between 3-4 USD per dozen, which is high (usually runs between 2-3 USD per dozen). Chicken thighs, with bone-in, runs between 2-3 USD per lb.
FYI - packaged shredded cheese is treated to slow mold development. This treatment also results in the cheese not melting as easily or smoothly as block cheese. Best to use packaged shredded cheese only for menu items where you do not need to melt the cheese, such as tacos.
Note: garlic is ridiculously easy to grow. No reason to ever buy it more than once. Just take a few of the cloves and push them into a container of dirt. Make sure container has holes at the bottom, to allow excess water to drain. Each clove will grow a new bulb. Put the container in the sun and keep it moist, but not drenched. Never buy what you can grow! :)
I think if you really do shopping properly.
1. Go to the Market for Meat, fish, and vegetables+ Fruit (SM over inflatabled prices.
Use vacuum sealer to keep food fresh, freeze the rest.
2. Batch cook meals freeze them.
3. Buy a bread maker, make your own bread products.
4. We buy ketchup.
Lastly im in the UK right now, im sending tinned foods condiments etc in balikbayan box 😂 cash and carry size. Fill up the pantry
I first came to the Philippines in 1988 and to Bacolod in 1992. I lived there in the 90's and we spend our summers there at our home. I'm in California and I just watched the video. The prices were very close to our prices. Some things were expensive and some were cheaper. However. you and I both know the quality is very different. Don't even get me started on the ground beef or the burger buns. Onions the size of golf balls and lettuce soft balls. Forget tomatoes and cheese. You pay $10 for Kraft cheese slices. Anyway when I go back I will take the ferry and visit you at the Beaver. Love your blog, new girl and daughter. Hang in there.
But their rice taste much better than we buy in West. Coconut, mango and pineapple taste much better in PH than in west. Local fresh products always are better quality than imported and who know how many years old. Its simply too hot for onions or lettuce in Philippines.
@@PavolKosik-b3u Depends on what you buy. Most Americans are hung up on Basmati or Jasmine. You will find that taking up 90% of the shelf space at most grocery stores. I find Basmati to be expensive and also very bland when eaten plain. Its needs sauce or spices. If you like good tasting plain rice, find Calrose. Its what all the Asian restaurants in California use, and its something most Filipino have never had. Its all we buy.
@@PavolKosik-b3u Rice in the Philippines is subpar compared to the rice in the rest of SE Asia.
@@Pat_KraPao Rice is rice. How can be fresh rice in Philippines be worse than fresh rice in another country?
You should buy some groceries in the local market it’s much cheaper compared to grocery stores
He needs receipts for business and tax purposes which is why he does it.
@@tig3rjax494 wrong he dont earn enough to pay tax for business like that he just lack of survival skills
@@JohnLee-yp8vj Well he talked about it in another video so how would you know?
@tig3rjax494 I lived there 10 years bro
@@JohnLee-yp8vj Good for you. Do you know a business? Are you his bookkeeper? Then shut up. He has talked about why does what he does. Stop being a keyboard warrior thinking you know everything.
I shop for one person, and I cook most of what I eat.
Buying things in bulk (rice, cereals, oak milk) to save money. My meals follow a similar pattern, so I have lunches.
My average cost for 2 weeks of food (1 week with fresh fruit) is approximately $160.
I bought my first mango. The grocery store by me here in the US had mangos but they were green. Are there different varieties or should I wait, or buy one that's yellow. I wasn't that impressed with the taste? A mix of bitter/sharp and sweet.
As for what you bought, here in USA Oregon, Chicken wings usually run $2.00-$3.50 per pond 250-400peso/kilo. Chicken breast is usually $2-5 per pound, 250-600/kilo. Hamburger is typically $4 per pound or more unless on sale, which is 495peso/kilo, sometimes you can get frozen patties or a sale for less. Bananas 60-80peso per kilo here. Apples, oranges and lemons are much cheaper here depending on which of the 20 types of apples you buy.
Honestly many meat, fruit, veggie prices in the Philippines are about the same or higher than North America unless you go to the public market/wet market. Some of the processed foods there are cheaper for local brands. But food is not really where you save money going to the Philippines. It's rent, dental, medical, haircuts, phone service, etc. Those things are 70-90% lower than the USA and (I think) Canada.
I have been and lived in many places. All and all if you compare apples to apples it cost less to live in small town U.S. than it does in the Philippines. I can see living in the Philippines for the women but if you are going there to save money, you not going to. People retire in the big cities in the U.S. then say the Philippines is cheaper. Yes it is and small town U.S.A. is a lot cheaper than big city U.S.A.!
@@lifeshacks3995 Depending on the state people can find small towns that are cheap to live in as long as you are close to a Walmart or other major discount grocery chain. But as for truly living cheaper than you can in the Philippines that would be basically impossible in the USA without some type of government program like Medicare.
Also if you compared small town USA to small town Philippines aka "the provinces", then costs in the Philippines drop also.
Now if you tried to exactly replicate your USA life it is expensive in the Philippines, using imported things and living with everything on time payments and loans, driving too big a vehicle everywhere because you can barely afford the payments. Yeah, that life might cost as much or more.
But if you are willing to live Filipino "middle class" especially in the small town, it is far easier to "live within your means" and save money or live a decent life. No place in the USA can you get a trike ride to the grocery store round-trip for $2-3 bucks, or if grab is available for $5-6. No place in the USA can you get a haircut for $2. Or clothes or a watch mended for $1-4. You cannot get a cleaning service for $5 twice a week. Or a live-in maid/cook/assistant for $125 plus room and board. You cannot get unlimited phone and data for $10/mo. You cannot rent a solid concrete 2bd house with a yard and carport for under $100, sometimes under $50. Then hire a crew of 2-3 guys to pretty up whatever you want in it for $20 a day labor. A person in the Philippines could actually get around using just trikes, grab, and taxi for $200/month, but anyplace in the USA buying, maintaining, fixing, insuring, fueling, and replacing even a basic used car will be $200mo minimum. Heck in the Philippines most people pay less for a years car insurance than one month in the USA. So if you did buy a older car and have a mechanic there make it reliable for about $10-20/hr labor, you still would be saving.
Would your life be a carbon copy of the USA? No, not at all. But where could you get a long term lease on a small 2 bd house for under $100, internet and cable for $20-50, phone for $10, utilities for $50-150, a live-in maid/cook/helper for under $150 TOTAL, incidental monthly (bank/netflix) for $30, transport $50-200, insurance and medical for $200, and groceries for scratch cooking (you have a cook) for $300/mo. ?? Add $200/month for incidentals. That's under $1,300 a month. That's not even really scrimping. Lots of expats can get this cheaper.
That's not a American lifestyle, but when have you even met a person who has a live in maid/cook, and calls a driver for where ever they want to go? Gets monthly massages? Gets 3drinks, snacks, pool, karaoke, and a drive home for UNDER $10??? I could replicate my US life for $800 in the Philippines.
@@Budabudaboo-c3o Many people in the U.S. don't know about small city U.S.A. Try to compare "the provinces" to small city U.S.A. is totally ridiculous! I live about 1 mile outside the city limits. The city has 3 Walmart's and other stores like target store etc. A Civic Center that they use for live bands, opera, etc. Two general type hospitable and another one for eyes and hearing. I don't drive anymore so I use a bus to go to one of the 3 parks they have. I go to the one that has an outdoor wave water pool, a heated indoor pool and another pool at the Wellness Center where the water level is low so people who are hurt or have bad joints can do aquacise. The park has a BMX track, walk trail with exercise stations along the trail. Many fields and 20 tennis courts and in case you are waiting for someone they also have a full library with computers etc. Now how can you compare that to the provinces? The only bad thing about where I live is transportation. The bus doesn't run at night and you have to book it ahead of time and hope they have a time slot for you, other than that it picks you up at your door and drops you off anywhere you want to go and it comes with a lift in case you are in a wheel chair. Since I am outside the city limits it cost me $6, I think it's $2 inside the city. My health insurance gives me $75 per 3 months to use to pay for the bus and when I can't use the bus and take a cab and my health insurance pays for 20 rides. Yes, I am old and get Medicare, so? Sometimes I go out to eat at an all you can eat place and it cost me less than it did in the Philippines. They have over 200 items and you can get everything from shrimp to ice cream. The heated pool I swim at cost me $1 in the Philippines it was somewhere around $6.50 USD. For me I can live cheaper in the U.S. than in the Philippines.
@@Budabudaboo-c3o Hi, I gave you a reply back but I don't see it here, maybe taken down? Here is what it said: Many people in the U.S. don't know about small city U.S.A. Try to compare "the provinces" to small city U.S.A. is totally ridiculous! I live about 1 mile outside the city limits. The city has 3 Walmart's and other stores like target store etc. A Civic Center that they use for live bands, opera, etc. Two general type hospitable and another one for eyes and hearing. I don't drive anymore so I use a bus to go to one of the 3 parks they have. I go to the one that has an outdoor wave water pool, a heated indoor pool and another pool at the Wellness Center where the water level is low so people who are hurt or have bad joints can do aquacise. The park has a BMX track, walk trail with exercise stations along the trail. Many fields and 20 tennis courts and in case you are waiting for someone they also have a full library with computers etc. Now how can you compare that to the provinces? The only bad thing about where I live is transportation. The bus doesn't run at night and you have to book it ahead of time and hope they have a time slot for you, other than that it picks you up at your door and drops you off anywhere you want to go and it comes with a lift in case you are in a wheel chair. Since I am outside the city limits it cost me $6, I think it's $2 inside the city. My health insurance gives me $75 per 3 months to use to pay for the bus and when I can't use the bus and take a cab and my health insurance pays for 20 rides. Yes, I am old and get Medicare, so? Sometimes I go out to eat at an all you can eat place and it cost me less than it did in the Philippines. They have over 200 items and you can get everything from shrimp to ice cream. The heated pool I swim at cost me $1 in the Philippines it was somewhere around $6.50 USD. For me I can live cheaper in the U.S. than in the Philippines.
I get a haircut in our area for 50 pesos. @@Budabudaboo-c3o
Just wondering if you try to buy stuff at S&R? How different would that be from Costco? For vegetables and fruits, you might as well buy them smaller out of town wet markets closer to farms.
I like red onion compared to brown onion. Do you buy your groceries in Roxas City if you do which supermarket do you go?
Have you thought about Amazon or a similar online outfit for ordering your non-perishables?
Of course, you'd have to plan well ahead since delivery is not quick but shipping would be free for large orders.
I suggest buying directly from growers or bakers when needed
He needs receipts for business and tax purposes which is why he does it. A lot of the locals will not give that to him. Those locals don't really follow the business laws.
I dont know if you have been there, I have, the local "wet" markets honestly are not cheaper than the supermarkets. I introduced my Filipina who had never shopped at the SM supermarket, and she was shocked to see the prices actually lower than the public/wet markets. But all in all groceries are really expensive there.
Agree much cheaper
The markets I've been to were all cheaper than S&R
Yes everyone we know the markets are cheaper. OMG, that is not the issue the issue is he needs a receipt showing what he is buying for his business. So he can show the government there. He has explained this in other videos.
You have mentioned markets in this vlog.
Are you siding on the convenience? Shopping in a grocery comes with added costs since they have plenty of overhead.
Are there any open-air markets near you?
Thank you so much for this great video.
I live in Florida and lean beef can cost anywhere from $6-9 a pound. It depends on the ratio like 80/20, 93/7. Now, beef, like 75/25 or 73/27, has a meat-to-fat ratio of about $4-6 a pound. Which is a lot more than over there. It is cheaper there than here.
It's hard to find any beef in Texas now for under $8-$9 per lbs. and that's for the worst cuts. We are known for beef! Gas is still really cheap though.
@@FizzBuzz-ce9wz Dang that is crazy. Our gas is around $3 for regular.
I'm originally from Sarasota, FL and currently residing in Makati city since 2020. I had no idea how expensive things had gotten until I started using the Walmart app to order food to be delivered to my father back home..
I wrote a whole long comment but cant find it back. So now in short: some stuff you showed there is more expensive than here in Western Europe! Like the fruit and bread OMG. Ground beef around the same which is also shocking (that some prices are same…. How can I retire there and live ‘cheap’..). Find ways to let a local backery bake some buns or so. Make deals with local suppliers and check all their stuff before you put in your kitchen, negotiate with them it MUST be fresh and below supermarket prices including delivery. Saves you money and time and helping local community.
Hi Michael is your place profitable by now? Just curious
Thanks
Mark
@markeuringer8106 he struggles with his business he's not even aloud to cut a carrot or wipe a table down only his partner can or worker if he caught big trouble be deported, so he frustrated I'm thinking
Very informative vlog
I enjoyed it very much gives me an idea prices in Roxas. It's same as here extreme guaging
In Ontario, for what you bought, easily $1,000 CAD and that would probably last a week or two as a restaurant owner. The average family of 4 in Toronto spends about $300 a week!
Then the average family in Canada needs to stop swallowing everything like walrus
I am from Canada and have lived in Philippines, you are so wrong, superstore, Walmart, Costco have much lower prices and much better variety and quality. Shopping in Philippines makes me sad.
you are lucky if you can manage from $300.
$1200 a month on groceries is insanity.
nice & clean market unlike our public market here in Baguio City. Our City mayor must watch this vlog
I live in the UK and was surprised that a lot of the stuff that you bought was pretty much the same price as here.
Bananas here in Vegas is like $.50/lb so about $1.10/K; yellow onions about $1.00/lb; apples depending on the type anywhere between $1-$2.99/lb more expensive if organic. Bacon on sale about $5/lb. Watermelon for a big 5-6 lb seedless would probably be about $5-$6 each. Oranges about $1/lb. Chicken breast is about $1.99/lb chicken wings are expensive $2.99/lb Costco or Sam’s bulk price. Legs and thighs are cheap here $.99/ lb even goes down to $.49/lb on sale.
I live in Dumaguete half the year, and the other half in FL. I don't care what anyone tells you the groceries are more expensive in the Philippines. I argue with guys all the time. My GF and I shop a lot, we hit all the supermarkets and Belcris in Dumaguete. It's a fortune there. BTW I'm in the states right now, since the end of April. I lean towards the Walmart neighborhood store, best prices. My GF just came back to Dumaguete from her hometown. And she said the prices are higher now than when we left. I don't want to hear about the markets, they're not cheap. The veggies are so expensive. Here's the but, restaurants are fairly reasonable, I can't figure that out yet. I'm not one but surprised that you spent 360.00 is that Canadian or USD. Thank you for listening.
my theory is that it's the grocery stores are the culprits. I don't believe this bull they operate on very slim margins. The economics don't add up. When restaurants can bypass grocery chains they get product at a lot cheaper price.
Germany has super cheap groceries and most food items here are cheaper if you get the low cost items.
But same is true in the Philippines, if you buy local products that they grow in their local farms its super cheap. If you want to get apple and beef and milk... well its way expensive than in the west.
Just need to adjust.
@@jonaske8049Yes same here in your neighbor country The Netherlands. It is even cheaper here than Germany but some things are more expensive such as beer lol
You are spot on man. I am from Canada and have lived in Philippines. Grocery prices are far cheaper in Canada with much better quality and variety. The reason restaurants are far cheaper to eat at in Philippines is that the cost of building out a restaurant there is substantially less and labor and rent is substantially less.
@@jonaske8049 I'm happy you're buy super cheap veggies. I can't find them. I bought one large Idaho potato and it was 2 USD, no lie. We have a big outdoor market in Valencia on Sunday. OMG talk about expensive.
My wife says that grocery prices are about the same here on the Costa del Sol in Spain, with only slight variations on certain products, but generally it's the same. So when I say that a family of four can live as cheaply in Spain as in the Philippines, few people believe it. In fact, we live even cheaper here since healthcare is free for EU/EEA citizens. Some things are a bit more expensive, like dining at upscale restaurants, but otherwise, the cost of living is pretty similar as long as you don’t live in Madrid or Barcelona, where it’s more expensive.
So ground beef is about $4.50/pound? How does it tasted compared to beef in the US? thanks
Man, buying ground beef in Philippines? I would suggest buying large cuts of beef and grinding your own for quality control.
Are the prices in US dollar or Canadian dollar?
Hi Mike are you able to maintain a 28% to 32% profit margin on your ingredients cost and still remain relevant in the local market with your bar menu prices
Here In Toronto my grocery for a week is 100 Canadian dollars only for 1 person plus the rental apartment cost for 1 bedroom at present cost 1900 to 2k . That's how expensive the rent at present.
Bacon at Aldi here in Minnesota is $6.79 per 12oz package. Hamburger is $5 per pound.
where i am i cant get beef, every time i try its like chewing cardboard or else its gristle and i suspect its carabow. maybe i need to ask them to add 30% fat when they grind it up?
we cook a hamburger and they burn the pan is so dry !
price wise, 700 peso cooking gas is now 1200 peso everything has gone up.
Not significantly cheaper than the UK to be fair.
Love the channel and wishing success to the Canadian Beaver.
UK must be really expensive. Its 200-300 percent more than in the US. Especially comparing S and R to Costco or Sams Club.
@@DingusCirc certainly isn't cheap!
Take a drink everytime Michael says "that kind of thing" drink up! 🍻
15:34 Vanilla ice cream? Or sweet vegetable oil Filipino style "ice cream" ?
I have a suggestion for your ground beef problem, why dont you grind your own meat? Buy a grinder. It will make you stand out since it is made to order like IN and Out Burgers here in California
Having been in the restaurant/bar business in the US for a few decades, we have wholesale distribution. What are the big hotels in your area doing for their supplies?
My first stocking for my oceanfront was $1,400 US. Just the basics delivered
I always buy all fruits, veggies, eggs, seafood, chicken, pork etc at open market here and save so much over the supermarkets. Larger supermarket shopping is reserved only for western foods like ground beef, steaks, mustard, pickles, seasonings, frozen Angus hamburgers and the likes. Corner supermarkets are much cheaper here for sugar , coffee, pasta, canned goods etc.
My wife says to find a local fisherman and buy it fresh off the boat for pre market prices. To buy fruits from a fruit vender 1/2 price savings. But we also eat out every day. 500-1000 pesos 😅😅 living in Ayala development.
just got back from the pines i notice a big increase in items more expensive than Australia except for fish its still cheap , the price increase is due to the packaging costs ,go to the tellipopa ,local markets for a better deal .
Thank you nice blogg
Here in Canada it’s too pricey also so we have to watch where the sales are
Some prices like in Toronto..some less, some more expensive.. philipine is not cheap
Do they have an S&R in your area...its a costco type and even carry Kirkland products membership is $14 first month and $7 (usd) there after.
Supermarket prices are amazingly similar to those in the US. Here are some examples (converted to kilos)
Oranges: 1.82 kilos $5.00 Mangoes: $1.00 each Sugar: 1.82 kilos $3.00 Watermelon (whole, seedless): $5.00 in season; $8.00 out of season Onions: $2.20/kilo Bananas: $1.32/kilo Lemons: about 50 cents each Apples (Gala): 1.36 kilos $4.00 Ground Beef: $11.00/kilo Bacon: $11.00 kilo. These are heartland prices. In the Northeast or West Coast add 20% - 50% to these prices.
Mike.. fruits and vegetable you can buy in wet market much cheaper. Much better you buy bulk vege
I own 3 restaurants and buy whole sale in bulk. The prices some cheaper some more expensive compared to US. The chicken is way cheaper over there. So is your labor which is crazy in the states.
Also check out Fiesta Inasal. The owner is Canadian too. They have a restaurant in SM
Hi Mike, just for the chicken breast and tights that you got, we pay here in Montreal $190 or php 7,790. Also, because we are on a healthy diet and eat only organic, we pay $700 to $800 per week for 2 bags of groceries NOT 4 😥. Everything is super super expensive.... You're lucky to have left Canada 5 years ago.
The bacon at 10 bucks a kilo is 4.50 a pound or 450 grams. In Canada now its 6 or 7 bucks for the shrinkflation package that's 375 grams.
Except for the fruits everything is much cheaper here in Germany. Especially alcohol, beer, even juices and you get 100 percent fruit juices for cheaper than the fake ones there. We have a turkish vegetable shop close by where I usually do the shopping the chicken you get there is probably about the same price and ground beef is also almost the same here. I was a little bit shocked to see how expensive live in Phil actually is, ofc cheese and potatoes, carrots, onions are much cheaper here also.
Michael, I live in Vancouver. My wife and I spend $500/month on groceries. This doesn’t include going out for dinner etc. Just groceries at home. We make a lot of our own meals from scratch versus ready to eat meals. I can’t stand the taste of the pre-prepared food. Our costs for groceries are then roughly 21,000 Philippine Pesos. My friend has 2 teenage boys and his groceries are $1200-1400. Crazy times here and it really isn’t getting much better.
I love that we are hearing BINI's "Salamin Salamin" while you are buying tomatoes :) :)
Thanks for the heart bro! I grew up in Toronto and since I'm 11 I've been living in germany. But now I am really feeling like dipping my toes into the philippines and maybe actually moving there.... Would it be ok if I maybe reach out and ask a few things when the time comes?
I live in Mexico for 500 dollars a month. TOTAL.
You can buy directly at the truck that supplies the Market just asked someone where you can buy those.
$7.99 a pound for black Angus ground beef in North Carolina at our country store outside of town. Steaks are $20 a pound. Boneless chicken breast and pork chops average $5-$6 a pound i believe from last i bought. And bacon is $9.99 a pound. Mind you all the meat is non gmo fed so that does add a little to the cost.
Try shopping at Aldi if they have one close. You'll get better quality and save a bucket of money.
gmo fed cows really is that real thing? who would they find to eat it? i wouldn't eat corn chips ether gmo crap. whats funny is the government say smoking is bad for you it causes cancer! but here have some gmo chips we even made the extra big bag for you. mmmm gmo🤣
@@leonbrodeur8982 yes meat is crazy in USA right now hamburger meat at 8 dollars a pound. Chicken and pork usually around 5 dollars . Sometimes you can find a sell but you can’t count on it . I say on aver
We pay about $7 per kilo (2.2 pounds) for bacon in australia. if I ever go to the US I will have to stay away from the baconburgers. lol.
@@BradF-ko3gimost food in the U.S. is gmo fed. They want you unhealthy so you'll be dependent upon the pharmaceutical companies which will then make you even more sick. Hell the cereal here has TSP as an ingredient here for your children. If you don't know what that is you'll be surprised by a search as to what they feed the children here. Not to forget but our president also loves to sniff children so what else would you expect from here?
About 30% to 50% inflation on groceries here in the United States over the last 4 years.
PER YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yep, same in Canada. The government here tells you its only about 3-4% increase month over month so as to not make it seem so bad but if you compare the food prices to a year before and the year before that, it works out to about 40 to 50 % more. Not to mention the unrelenting amount of taxes that don't make sense.....sheeeesh! I need to go to the Philippines
@@kenpoed MONTHS AGO ( SHOULD Have Been YEARS ) , I SAW The LIGHT { TRUTH ) And STARTED to SELL My STUFF And BEGAN The PAPER WORK >>> To MOVE THERE :O)) !!!!!!!!
@@sgtusa90 smart move! Looking to do the same
Hi Mike a friend of mine came home from Canada, she was shocked with the price at the grocery stories because the prices are almost the same in Canada. Just a cent difference.
Northern California..two adults 56 and 63 ..Walmart and a few things from the BelAir 250 US a week. And more when we need TP,paper towels, etc.
Guess how much in Switzerland 😅
Can you buy from a whole saler? The prices are lower in Indiana usa.
I'm in the US... Grocery prices have easily tripled since 2019. Any time I hit the grocery store for a full run it's $300+. Often $200+ just to do a top-up trip.
Start looking at what you're buying.
@@GUITARTIME2024 I promise I buy quite cheap food. But two weeks worth for two people ends up over $300 easily.
Mike ur in Roxas cook Squid rings and add it to Menu... ur regulars will loved it
In America, the prices from 5 years ago have gone up 2 1/2 times. So what used to cost $100 now costs $250 approximately. Some items more Some a little less but all are more expensive.
That sounds steep.
You need to shop at S&R for your business.
It also helps to find good suppliers and establish a relationship with them for a good price and reliable supply because they can depend on your business.
4.53 kg ( 10 lbs) BC grown carrot is $6.99 at Costco. Carrot there is very expensive as it come all the way from Baguio as well as potatoes.
You should find out where Jollibees buys their ketchup and other items... Also, can you order a large shipment internationally and have them shipped to you?
What store did you shop at
Looks like you found the most expensive store
nice and honest ❤
Find a local bakery in Roxas city to make your hamburger buns it will be fresh just as suggestions
unless you are eating rice every meal it's going to be about the same as prices in Wisconsin. Even going to the public markets... It will be like 250 pesos for each item. 250 for 1 kilo of pork, 250 pesos for potatoes, 200 for mangos. Everything adds up quick and prince hypermart is like going to walmart for prices. I think the meats though are way cheaper!
Live in Indonesia!!!! 80% cheaper than the USA. I'm living in a 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom for 1.5 juta which is about $100 a month. I'm telling you, if you lived in Indonesia, you would save at least 30% of what you are spending in the Philippines but if you're calling Jakarta or Bali Indonesia then you are saying the most to live in Indonesia. I live on a SSDI income from the United States, so I chose a sensible area to live on Java island in Surakarta area . I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed!!!!
Good to know, my wife is Indonesian and we are considering moving over in a few years maybe to Malang, sadly there are far more English videos for Philippines and Thailand, so few on "real" Indonesia as in not Bali.
Mike in Canada,I have already done my research ,food is about 2-2 and half times more than the Philly Willy,some things 3 times more.Canada is rapidly becoming one of the most expensive places in the world.
I recently viewers a YT video on this topic, it was current, about a lawsuit in Canada against the largest grocery retailer over there, Watson maybe? I don’t recall specifics just that prices were exorbitant & several man on street interviews with frustrated Canadians. I think price fixing was an issue & false advertising….
its not just the soaring prices but the damn taxes on everything!
@@wintersojourn9356Loblaws
I totally disagree, have been both in Canada and Philippines within the last 6 months and Canada is way less expensive, better quality and better variety
@@kenpoed taxes are an issue. But the prices aren’t rising because of them. They are going up much more frequently than taxes. Also, it very much matters where and how one shops - it’s art, it’s science, and takes discipline, planning, flexibility, and the will to learn in order to get the most and best quality out of you shopping penny or peso, but especially when we have so many competing options with the penny. If you don’t know the going price/kg or /100g of your staples then you’ve got a ways to go. Do you buy something on sale at say Save-On or Safeway from a display spot without checking it in it’s section and compare /g, 100g, ml, litre, against other sizes? Do you even know how to do that? The price tag will usually have small print indicating that. How about quickly checking your phone for flyer at other stores like RCSS, etc. They will price match and then you’ll find anything else you buy will be cheaper too. Is that too inconvenient? When have we not paid more for convenience store shopping.
Straws & napkins are very pricey here (US rural area Walmart & fancier groceries & co-ops). Seems like has been steadily inflating in past 4 years but in past year to year and a half grocery prices have skyrocketed). I will try to return & post specifics. But everything still seemed less expensive there in Phil except bacon. & we like fancy bacon when we eat it. But Philprice was higher, for the bacon I think without rewinding, however the kilos & metrics still throw me.
Bread=5 dollars........hamburger=6 dollars lb.....milk=5 dollars gallon........tuna can=2 dollars
Apples 4 dollars lb.......chicken whole already cooked=8 dollars
bag of chips=11 dollars
Salmon=all you can eat/catch......moose....comes wrapped in fur and around 1200 lb's
CHuCK in Alaska
Sorry i couldn't watch the entire thing. But if you also bought imported stuff, ofcourse you have to factor in the importation costs. Why as much as possible, if there's a local version available and the quality is almost the same, just go for the local one. It's the same when you buy Filipino products abroad. Ofcourse they're gonna be a lot more expensive there than here.
I like your objective experience & comparison b/n Robinsons Mall vs SM Mall in Roxas. The former (Robinsons) appears motorcycle friendly mall.
They were cheaper in the Philippines, but not for a long time. Not only that, but the quality is lower for many items. Inflation is hitting harder, I'm hearing 15% a year in the Philippines in the last almost 4 years. In the USA it had been 8%, but is now soaring at a higher rate.
True for example: The beer increases are 10-15% a year (I know because they just told me next weeks increase)
@@ThatPhilippinesLife How much will you be selling a beer for now?
American inflation is closer to 2.5 percent if housing is removed from the equation. Food is leveling off slowly.
Install lots more cctv cameras to keep an eye on your supplies, employees, patrons etc.
Didn't you say that your employees can eat at your place at 50% off?
Hey Mike, just paid $5.99 USD for 1 lb of 80% lean ground beef at a Walmart in Texas. Thats the going rate now.
With prices that you're pay being all over the place, how do you make a profit? What do you use to track food cost and profit vs loss? Also it might be a good idea to go to a digital menu, place a QR code at every table that takes them directly to the menu so that way you can update pricing more often if needed.
If you're heading into SM to do grocery shopping then you're heading the wrong direction. Whether you're feeding customers or feeding a family, gotta maximise use of the markets and minimise the mall !
There are certain items you can only find at SM and other large malls. The reality of living in a small town in a developing country is you don't have many options to choose from.
Fruit is meant to be eaten, not juiced. It's imbalanced with too much sugar and none or less of the fiber.
These supply costs and shopping times can't be feasible unless you're charging a fortune.Personally, Id simplify the menu down to very few things and when adding to the menu, try to make the most uses of your ingredients, somewhat like taco bell.
Seems like logistics could be a better business. Are there no local bakers to have make buns?
I'd consider a smoker and center a menu around some pulled and maybe sliced pork butt(shoulder). Easy to reproduce, hard to beat for tenderness and flavor, pork should be easier to get, and the smells will drive in business.
Hey! Mike look for supplier there in Roxas or someone in Iloilo so that you can get discounted price that’s what locals do. You can tell your gf to communicate with them with you around. As for buns you can look for a bakery to do it for you.
Admittedly I am a pretty good shopper, but I can get that stuff here in Vancouver for cheaper overall than you paid there, which is kind of mind blowing. I am pretty reluctant to buy anything that isn't on sale. Not sure how the "average person" makes it there on their wages.
Lots of the stuff you can get of lazada. Bacon, ketchup, spices etc. I can higly recomend it. i bet you would save alot of time and headake by finding good vendors there.
Hi sir Mike, if you like to save much buying grocery for your house not your business might as well check wholesale store if there is any in the province that you are living right now for example puregold or other local wholesale grocery where it can be less expensive for catchup so on and so fort, you can check also a wet market or palengke for fresh meat fish and chicken it's much affordable kase pede tawad, check your budget for food in a month how much it will cost, for shampoo for soap for detergent for soy sauce cooking oil buy the biggest bottle those in ina buy one take one just check the exp date, you can also estimate how much you and your family are consuming in a, week or a month, in any part of the world everything is expensive, because of inflation, it's up to the family or person how they can budget and spend money wisely and save more, I think the best way to observe how family survive here in the Philippines is to observe how local middle income and above family spend everyday, you just need to spend money to thing you really need everyday ✌️ pls "do not get this the wrong way"
In the US I spend about 100 a week for myself. In the Philippines I spend the same amount but it's for four people.
Well that's still way cheaper then Winnipeg Canada and with covid the prices went up easily 17% after we were told there would be no price gouging, id say get a bread maker and make your own buns for penny's. you have a yard grow your own veggies.
I do splurge on food, but ice still try to be thrifty. I buy the imported goods in the grocery, but I go to the wet markets for fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables at the supermarket can double maybe even triple the price
Our bananas are holding steady about .69 a pound. Good video, Michael...Jim
Have to rotate countries - also consider spending a good part of the year in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam 😊
Fruits and vegetables cost less in Canada than in the Philippines. Even fruits that can't be grown in Canada like mango, banana and avocado are cheaper in Canada. Potatoes cost less in Canada. Baked goods and meats like chicken and pork are cheaper in the Philippines. Overall I would say grocery prices in Canada are more expensive, maybe 25 percent more.
Respectfully, not a chance - where are you shopping for fruits and veg in either country? How can you even compare? Lanzones on Bohol from Camiguin 180p/kg, Davao 50p/kg. You’ll pay $30.00cad/kg if you can even find any in Vancouver, and lots off the vine, not fresh. Mangos when on sale here, ya, comparable prices but they’re not Ph imports. I have a flat ouside the door here. Pineapple is cheaper in Ph, I could go on and on.
Not true Guimaras has tons of mangoes and the quality of mangoes in Canada and bananas is not even good. I can even get fresh bananas,lansones,santol, papaya and langka for free in Iloilo
Mike those prices are better than what I pay in Wisconsin - except for the fruit. There's been a lot of inflation the past 5 years.