Red kumara prices in New Zealand (left) versus purple kumara prices in Australia (right). Photo / Facebook
Red kumara prices in New Zealand (left) versus purple kumara prices in Australia (right). Photo / Facebook
Many Kiwis in Australia are stunned at food prices back home in New Zealand with some blaming costs of food for this country's growing poverty crisis.
On the Kiwis in Aussie Facebook page, one Kiwi posted photos of a number of supermarket food prices in New Zealand leading to hundreds of comments from people surprised at the hefty prices.
Richie Leef posted several photos of the price of produce at a New Zealand supermarket with the caption: "Check this out ppl OMG They need Aldis back home aye What a ripoff poor kiwis".
Leef's photos show the price of Broccoli ($3.69 each), 500g butter ($5.19), 1kg Courgettes ($8.89), 1kg red kumara ($8.29), avocados ($4.99 each) and short cucumber ($3.69 each).
The prices have dropped jaws with many believing they are better off in Australia.
"300k NZ children living in poverty", one person wrote.
"The problem with NZ is the cost of living keeps going up but the wages have remained the same for years that's why a lot of us don't go home."
"Soo expensive ...went home for a holiday at the beginning of the year...i was so broke just trying to fill the larder with essential food item...i even asked if there was still cows in NZ cause of the price of milk dairy products," another said.
"Wow I thought our prices were high in regional WA but it makes ours look good geez."
Broccoli prices in New Zealand (left) versus broccoli prices in Austraia (right). Photo / Facebook
Nikki Marie Batchelor said she believes groceries in Melbourne are nearly half the price compared to back home.
"Rip off alright! Food is heaps cheaper here! Can't get tomato sauce for $1 in NZ like you u can here! Half price groceries every week in Melbourne! Can get 3 broccoli heads here for that price! Glad I moved to Aus! Financially better off here."
Australian based Kiwis took the opportunity to compare prices between the two countries, with their findings backing up their initial shock at the price of food in New Zealand.
From one Australian supermarket fresh broccoli costs 87 cents - compared to $3.69 each in New Zealand, while Australia's Joe's Fruit World purple kumara cost 79c per kg in comparison to red kumara from Pak'nSave at $8.29 per kg.
Butter prices in New Zealand (left) versus butter prices in Australia (right). Photo / Facebook
Homebrand Australian butter came in at $3.60 per 500g while New Zealand's Pam's 500g butter cost $5.19.
One person noted that New Zealand's Mainland products are cheaper in Australia - despite being produced in New Zealand - while avocados are close to $2.50 cheaper in Australia than back home.
While fruit, vegetables and dairy produce look to be more expensive in New Zealand, the cost of junk food appears cheaper in New Zealand, leaving Kiwis furious as obesity levels rise.
"Yet check out the bags of chips, lollies, soft drinks, general processed s**t, all half the price of what it is here in Australia," one person expressed.
"No wonder some families feed their children junk food, they can't bloody afford anything else! Government needs a shake up!"
There are now calls for supermarket giant Aldi to break into the New Zealand market in the hopes competition will reduce food prices.
Food prices rose at their fastest annual pace in more than six years as increasingly expensive vegetables were made more scarce by wet autumn weather.
The food price index climbed an annual 3.1 per cent in the year ended May 31, the biggest annual increase since September 2011 when prices were artificially boosted by the hike in GST to 15 per cent, Statistics New Zealand said.
