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)
