"The Consumer Basket" In Different Countries

The well-known blogger Polina Harbert decided to find out what you can buy for $20 in different countries around the world. She asked her blogger friends to make purchases in a store for this amount, take photos, and send them to her. In this way, she wanted to determine in which country you can buy the most products for this amount.

At AdmiGram.com, we admire Polina’s enthusiasm because she is essentially the first person to showcase a real “consumer basket” to the world. To understand how easy it is for a family to live in a particular country, we decided to complement Polina’s information with official statistical data.

“The consumer basket” in different countries

A bit of theory: what is a consumer basket?

The term Basket of Goods or Consumer Basket refers to a set of goods and services necessary for a person to satisfy their basic needs. The calculation of the consumer basket is done in the national currency and is used to determine the average monthly subsistence level.

In monetary terms, the consumer basket should not fall below the minimum wage and pension norms set by the government. The items included in the food basket can be divided into three groups:

Food products
Non-food items
Services

The percentage distribution of these categories in the consumer basket varies in different countries. For example, in Europe, food products account for only about 20% of the total cost, while in the poorest countries, this share exceeds 50-90%. The more developed a country’s economy is, the greater the number of goods and services in the basket.

Ukraine, Kiev.

Average monthly wage: $321

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $93.

Hungary, Vonyarcvashegy.

Average monthly wage: $1,125

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $302.

Turkey, Istanbul.

Average monthly wage: $394

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $137.

Italy, Turin.

Average monthly wage: $2,108

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $618.

Germany, Kleve.

Average monthly wage: $3,076

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $1 291.

Spain, Amposta.

Average monthly wage: $2,010

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $499.

Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.

Average monthly wage: $485

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $95.

New Zealand, Waihi.

Average monthly wage: $2,722

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $716.

Netherlands, The Hague.

Average monthly wage: $3,594

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $1 007.

India, Varkala.

Average monthly wage: $154

The cost of a consumer basket of goods and services for one adult varies around $64.

image on top: Artyom Kim / Unsplash