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“Even dulce de leche is cheaper in Chile”: surprise in the neighboring country due to how expensive Argentina is in dollars - Infobae
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“Hasta el dulce de leche es más barato en Chile”: sorpresa en el país vecino por lo cara en dólares que está Argentina
A pesar de la desaceleración de la inflación, Argentina se sigue encareciendo respecto a los países limítrofes. Un relevamiento de un medio transandino encontró diferencias sorprendentes
www.infobae.com
October 02, 2024
Despite the slowdown in inflation, Argentina continues to become more expensive compared to neighboring countries. A survey by a trans-Andean media outlet found surprising differences
Argentina has the highest cost of living in all of Latin America
Due to the appreciation of the peso, many Argentines travel to neighboring countries to shop for shopping or technology at a cheaper price. The most notable case is Chile , where the price difference is significant even in supermarkets: shopping in Argentina is 28% more expensive than in Chile . In this context, the price difference attracts the attention of not only Argentines but also surprises Chilean residents. A trans-Andean media outlet reported huge price differences between the two sides of the Andes and found unexpected curiosities: “Even dulce de leche is more expensive.”
The rise in prices in Argentina is not a new process. According to the RA Center of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the UBA, Argentina has the highest cost of living in Latin America and even exceeds some countries in Europe. It happens that a family needs 14 minimum wages to live.
In this context, the Chilean media Biobiochile conducted a survey on both sides of the border in the Jumbo supermarket chain with some basic products that can cost more than double in Argentina .
For example, the 170-gram Nescafé Tradición instant coffee is available in Chile for USD 5.48, while in Argentina the same product costs USD 5.93 ($7,300), which means a difference of 8.2%. In the case of the Gold line of the same brand of 100 grams, it is sold in the neighboring country for USD 7.09. In Argentina the price shoots up by 111.6% and is sold for USD 15 ($18,500).
Thousands of Argentines frequently cross the border to buy cheaper goods in Chile (AFP)
As for milk , a liter of Jumbo 's brand , Cuisine & Co , costs USD 1.16 in Chile , which is 22.4% cheaper than the same product in Argentina , which costs USD 1.42. As for the leading brands , a liter of Colun milk costs USD 1.46, while La Serenísima costs USD 1.68 ($2,070), which is 15.1% more.
The same thing happens with yogurts from both brands: the Colun blended pot costs just USD 0.32 and in Argentina one from La Serenísima is purchased for USD 0.65 ($800), more than double .
“Another emblematic item in Argentina, a country known for its dairy industry, is dulce de leche, known as manjar in Chile. Despite what logic would indicate, this product is more expensive in Argentina, the land to which its creation is usually attributed. La Serenísima dulce de leche for 1 kilogram costs USD 5.68 ($6,990) at Jumbo Argentina, 40.3% more than the USD 4.05 of the Colun manjar of the same size in Chile ,” the Chilean media stated.
The basket surveyed also included sliced bread : the 550-gram Ideal Artesano is priced at USD 2.35 in Chile , while in Argentine supermarkets the Bimbo Artesano is available for USD 6.13 ($5,580).
Oreo cookies , which are very popular for breakfast or snacks in both countries, also show another notable gap. At Jumbo Chile, a pack of 6 packages costs USD 2.39, while it costs USD 3.41 ($4,200) to buy just three in Argentina . A kilo of chicken breast costs USD 5.47 in Chile and USD 5.85 ($7,199) in Argentina. Regarding tuna , the difference reaches 30.7%: in Chile, the Cuisine & Co brand offers the product for USD 1.53 ($1,390), while in Argentina it costs USD 2 ($2,500).
Likewise, a 1.75-liter Coca-Cola soda is sold for USD 1.70 against USD 2.20 ($2,700) on this side of the Andes . Lastly, Jumbo Chile has a promotion for three Colgate brand tubes of toothpaste for USD 3.07. One tube alone costs USD 2.44 ($3,000) in Argentina . Thus, the total expense for a cart with these products in Argentina is USD 37.30 and in Chile USD 29.13. The sharp rise in the cost of everyday purchases , despite the slowdown in inflation, explains the sharp drop in consumption.
In this regard, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) , supermarket sales plummeted by 12.3% year-on-year in real terms during July .
In August, according to the Argentine Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CAME) , SME retail sales of food and beverages fell 11.8% annually in August, at constant prices , and have accumulated a drop of 20.5% in the first eight months of 2024. In the month-on-month comparison, they fell 1.8%.
