Groceries and food (in general) was surprisingly more expensive in New Hampshire and Vermont than Calgary
That doesn't seem that surprising? Where is the produce coming from? Typically California or Mexico. I could imagine the transport costs are lower to Calgary than Vermont.
It also depends on what stores - comparing mid-market to mid-market. Whole Foods in the US is way more expensive than Superstore in Canada.
And it also depends on the state. I almost always (there are exceptions) found US prices (New England, Midwest, and West Coast) to be the same or lower than Canada. Though the NE was the highest of all 3.
I doubt much food is coming from CA or Mexico to northeastern states like Vermont and New Hampshire. More like the Midwest, southeast, and even the northeast itself has plenty of agriculture to keep the north east fed, what comes from CA would be things like walnuts, oranges, and grapes, nice for sure but kind of niche. Mexico would be similar, and you can’t compete with the Midwest on corn (Mexico’s most popular crop).
Incidentally, I found food prices in LA to be really cheap. Like, incredibly so given that it was supposed to be HCOL. Proximity to Mexico sure helps. Seattle in comparison is much more expensive, and variety isn’t as great.
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That doesn't seem that surprising? Where is the produce coming from? Typically California or Mexico. I could imagine the transport costs are lower to Calgary than Vermont.
It also depends on what stores - comparing mid-market to mid-market. Whole Foods in the US is way more expensive than Superstore in Canada.
And it also depends on the state. I almost always (there are exceptions) found US prices (New England, Midwest, and West Coast) to be the same or lower than Canada. Though the NE was the highest of all 3.
I doubt much food is coming from CA or Mexico to northeastern states like Vermont and New Hampshire. More like the Midwest, southeast, and even the northeast itself has plenty of agriculture to keep the north east fed, what comes from CA would be things like walnuts, oranges, and grapes, nice for sure but kind of niche. Mexico would be similar, and you can’t compete with the Midwest on corn (Mexico’s most popular crop).
Incidentally, I found food prices in LA to be really cheap. Like, incredibly so given that it was supposed to be HCOL. Proximity to Mexico sure helps. Seattle in comparison is much more expensive, and variety isn’t as great.
The cost of food is almost entirely packaging/logistics.