Dh500 to Dh5,000: UAE residents spend a pretty penny on monthly grocery

Sep 9, 2015
2 min read

Emirates 24|7 survey: 7% spend below Dh500; 26% spend up to Dh1,000 every month

By

Bindu Rai

Published Thursday, August 27, 2015

A new ‘Emirates 24|7’ survey saw only 7 per cent of UAE respondents say their monthly grocery bills averaged below Dh500, with 21 per cent placing the figure between Dh1,501 and Dh2,000. Christina Magdi, a Dubai resident, said: “Who are these people who manage to spend below Dh500? What are they living on, air?” Magdi, who is a mother of one, said: “My baby’s grocery bill alone averages Dh500 per month, with diaper buys and formula. If I tally in just the food essentials, I’ve already hit Dh1,000. When do I start accounting for other items such as personal care products?” Magdi isn’t alone in her concerns, with Darla Carter, a mother of two saying: “I can only imagine someone who lives alone and cooks once every few days averaging a monthly grocery bill less than Dh500. “With the growing inflation rate, it is near impossible to maintain a monthly budget below Dh1,500 these days.” Gaurav Mehta simply said: “My cat food alone costs Dh500. Maybe that’s an idea to consider.” The survey further saw 26 per cent of respondents say their monthly grocery bill average was between Dh501 and Dh1,000. Another 23 per cent said they paid between Dh1,001 and Dh1,500 on average every month. Bur Dubai resident Kamla Nirwani said: “Some months it is a struggle to cap the bill below Dh1,500, especially during Ramadan or festive months such as Diwali. But we manage by bulking buying at large hypermarkets over the weekend and looking for weekly specials at various supermarkets.” Rita Gandhi was of similar opinion, adding she looks out for market days at supermarkets to keep a check on her monthly grocery bill. The survey further saw 17 per cent of respondents confess they paid between Dh2,001 and Dh5,000 every month. Lana Hamed said: “We are a family of six, two of whom are still attending school. There are a hundreds of small expenses that occur almost daily. “And if the children come along shopping, then impulse buys on chips and chocolates simply pile on. We have no choice but to budget in an additional Dh1,000 every month for such expenses.” Out of respondents, only 4 per cent said their monthly grocery bills crosses Dh5,000 on average.