Think about the fry up instead:bacon:
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Not sure how this research accounted for fluctuating exchange rates between UK & countries in eurozone?
But fact remains that UK, France, Germany etc etc spend a smaller percentage of household income on food than poorer countries, and less than they did 50 years ago. Cheap food is not necessarily a good thing for people’s waistlines and the planet.
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The weakness of the UK pound has a lot to answer for. Were it not for Brexit the figures would change by around 15-20% in favour of the EU countries.
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Frankly I don’t give a hoot what this news article says…
My Pension comes from UK and I spend it in France.
I shop thoughtfully… which is the habit of a lifetime… and I buy local produce and French bits and bobs, rather than imported stuff… as much as possible.
(similarly, I would buy Welsh lamb rather than NZealand when we lived in UK)
Also, for toothpaste, toiletrolls et al… there are special offers on the go and one profits from such if one has a mind to… it’s all swings and roundabouts.
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But that doesn’t explain the overall differences between France and eg Germany, where French prices appear to be about 30% higher🙄
And when we go over the border, spanish prices are cheaper than France for much the same items.
I also wonder how these figures are calculated. The difference in price on items bought at our local Super U are 5-20% more expensive than our big Leclerc in the nearest town. As for Casino 
The article mirrors my experience, that overall food and general supplies are distinctly more expensive in France than the UK in supermarkets.
I stopped shopping in UK produce markets more than 10 years ago because the quality was much lower than supermarkets and the cost was higher in contrast to those we’d used in London - markets like that have now almost disappeared around here. When we have got the house in Cussy a bit more sorted and have the time, I hope to ‘go native’ a bit and shop in the local markets of Autun and environs.
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The markets here aren’t cheap and in many cases the local supermarket is cheaper freasher and has better hygiene.
That is so true, most of the home produced bio type of veggies and fruit never seem good for the prices being asked, usually pretty beat up or looking aged. I never buy produce apart from olives on the local markets as you can see the boxes stacked up behind and see the same in Lidl etc and as you say, supermarkets are more hygienic especially now with all these germs loose. Markets back in Bretagne were always aimed towards tourists with prices to match, same here especially in summer when you can’t move for visitors.
Of course, everywhere is different…
We are fortunate in having several local enterprises at the weekly market… which offer good quality produce, chemical free and freshly picked that morning… or one can go to their smallholdings and buy direct in many instances.
Likewise with butchers. Knowing where the meat comes from and how it is raised is important to us. That comes at a price, of course… much as in UK when we would pay more for Welsh lamb than for the NZealand …
Shopping in the supermarkets is something of an art, these days… figuring out which really is the better product for one’s money… 
When we lived in UK we would thoroughly enjoy a day-trip to France… revelling in what was on offer… filling the boot of the car with goodies… and returning to UK well-fed and content… 
Plestin les greves is overpriced all the year round.
That was how I remember things from 20+ years ago. It seems to have flipped around more recently, which was quite a surprise - or maybe we’re just spoiled in this area.
Things have changed and many more things one only seemed to get in France… they’re all available across the world…
However, after a few years here, we’ve found we no longer buy or even look at English products/food stuffs.
Our tastes are continental and mostly we enjoy whatever is available on the day…
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Guess we have not been here long enough - truly crave some smoked fish like an Arbroath smokie, or smoked cod cheeks from our then local scottish smoke house.
Living in various countries around the world does give you cravings that even the best french delicacies cannot quite cover.
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That was my local market too. Didn’t go very often unless we had visitors.
France has higher protection for workers, and the agricultural sector, which costs more
And many of the supermarkets are franchises, not chains. So each shop has some flexibility. But if one price in shop x seems lower than shop Y, then sure as hell others will be higher. They will price related to what their customers buy.
I know a few Brits who have not settled in France… even after some years, still craving what they couldn’t find as readily as they would like…
those couples are now back fulltime in UK and seem much happier…
France doesn’t suit everyone…
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We used to call them “one foot across the channel” in Brittany, so many were going back to UK at least every six weeks or less, mostly to go shopping - none of them lasted either.
I was living in France when the € was adopted. Prices for most things went up overnight. From that point onwards, I don’t think the cost of living has really been that much different to the UK.
Housing costs - whether mortgage or rent - are not comparable though thankfully. Despite having lived in 3 of the most expensive parts of France (Paris, Cannes and now Bordeaux), it’s still possible to buy somewhere for relatively good prices. Actually getting a mortgage, though, is trickier in France as banks are more demanding around affordability levels / deposits.
French salaries are lower than in the UK, and always have been in my experience. French taxes (notably for employers) are higher too. I honestly don’t mind paying tax though because I feel I benefit more from how they’re spent, which I didn’t necessarily feel in the UK - and I’m grateful that when I finally retire a portion of my state pension will be from my French contributions not just the UK SSP.
One thing I’ve not seen mentioned so far in this thread is the difference between rich and poor in both countries. This is purely anecdotal but I get the impression there’s a much larger gap between these groups in the UK. The rich are richer and perhaps there are more of them in the UK (mostly all living in the South East). I’ve no evidence to back this up though… I should perhaps look into it some more.
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