The high cost of food in Argentina: filling up your grocery store costs more in dollars compared to the region.

A report by the Ecosur Foundation revealed that the cost of a shopping cart with food and drinks in Argentina , measured in dollars, is one of the highest in Latin America, at $557 per month for a typical family. The country is surpassed only by Uruguay, where the same expense amounts to $646.

The study analyzed supermarket prices in ten countries in the region, using a basket of food and beverages based on the INDEC Basic Food Basket as a reference. Argentina ranked above countries like Mexico (US$547) and Chile (US$513), and far ahead of Paraguay, where a grocery store costs just US$342.

The Ecosur Foundation explained that this situation is due to a combination of factors: "The stability of the nominal exchange rate over the last year, combined with still-high inflation, the tax burden, and obstacles to foreign trade." These factors generate a gap that directly impacts food prices measured in dollars.

Among the products that most increase the price of Argentine changuito (small change of food) is beef, with an estimated monthly cost of US$138. This is followed by bread (US$72), chicken (US$56), milk (US$40), soft drinks, and wine (US$40). Vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, and potatoes also stand out, costing a combined US$93.

The study used as a reference a typical family consisting of a 35-year-old man, a 31-year-old woman, an 8-year-old daughter, and a 6-year-old son. Monthly expenditure was calculated based on the consumption of an "equivalent adult," and the data was then weighted according to INDEC equivalencies.

To ensure comparability across countries, the same products and quantities were replicated in all the countries analyzed. Price data were obtained from representative supermarkets in each country, such as Carrefour (Argentina), Jumbo (Chile), Walmart (Mexico), and Tienda Inglesa (Uruguay), among others.

The values ​​were converted to official dollars in each country, allowing us to measure the real impact of the food cost of living in hard currency. In Argentina, the wholesale exchange rate reported by the Central Bank as of April 21, the date on which the survey was conducted, was used.