23 June, 2022 seen 36
This is the topic I first encountered many many years ago, well actually back in these days it was more about buying a…
Yup, another hipster style article about actual prices for consumer goods at local Tbilisi market (Bazroba).
It has been a while since I decided to measure how lari/dolar exchange rates influence actual prices, if you, just like me are an expat living in Georgia - you most probably have faced the consequences of weak lari against US dollar. Thus - I don't believe that foreign currency should affect local economy. National currency of Georgia is lari and lari we are spending in markets, metro or marshurtkas - even for rent we are paying in lari (well, adjusted to current exchange rates to US dollar)
Back at the October 1st 2016 GEL/USD/EUR exchange rates were following:
- GEL/USD: 1GEL = 0.42USD
- GEL/EUR: 1 GEL = 0.37EUR
Back then I paid following sum of money for following goods:
- 1 kg garlic - 6 GEL
- 1 kg potatoes - 0.70 GEL
- 1 bunch of spring onions - 0.60 GEL (or buy 3 for 1 lari)
- 1 bunch of parsley - 1 GEL
- 1 bunch of dills - 1 GEL
- 1 kg washed carrots - 2 GEL (1.5 GEL for regular ones)
- 1 watermelon (~6kg) - 5 GEL
Today's (March 11, 2016) FEL/USD/EUR exchange rates are:
- GEL/USD: 1GEL = 0.41 USD (down by one dollar cent)
- GEL/EUR: 1 GEL = 0.36 EUR (down by one euro cent)
The good news here - during last six month lari has been more or less stable against dollar and euro, well it has lost a bit it's value, but nothing to cal a panacea (as it happened some two years ago)
Today I bought following items:
Today's catch
- 1 kg potatoes 1 GEL (the price is up for about 30 tetri, if compared to tetri, but you can find potatoes for 0.7 and even 0.7 GEL per kilo - it's Spring and it's normal price for potatoes is higher than in Autumn)
- 1 bunch of spring onions (Azeri ladies dont prefer selling just a bunch, instead they sells 3 bunches) - 1 GEL (the same price)
- 1 bunch of parsley - 1 GEL
- 1 bunch of dills - 1 GEL (The nice Azeri ladies at Bazroba sold me a combo of dills and parsley for 1 lari) - the same price
- 6 bananas - 3.5 GEL (new in my consumer basket)
- 1 bunch of radishes - 1 GEL (the same nice Azeri ladies)
- 1 kg red pepper - 5 GEL
- 1 kg onions - 1.3 GEL
If compared to prices in October, they seems about the same, with a little correction, that it's Spring and for some items it's just normal to be higher priced.
The Bottom line
Life in Georgia for veggie lovers is really cheap - for all those goods listed above, I spent 16.7 lari (6.92 USD / 6.22 EUR)