Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BoholDiver]

Is it just me, or have food prices gone up to ridiculous levels this year?

Especially fruit. Iremember last year I was able to buy fruit and vegetables at the outdoor market for decen prices. E-mart and other large places have always been a rip-off, but now even the local markets are bad.

Last winter I bought strawberries on many occasions. Everytime save one when I bought cheaper strawberries, they went bad within a day, or tasted like cardboard. Only when I shelled out 8,000 won on the really ripe, fat looking ones did I get any quality.

Last year I was able to get nectarines for a good price. 4 for 1000 won on a bad day, 2 for 1000 won on a bad day. Now, I have rarely seen them for less than 1000 each, and the fuzzy peaches go for more than 1000 won each. Even bananas are 3000 won+ for a good quality hand.

My wife and I were at Homeplus the other day and she was shocked to see how much things had gone up. Whatever is causing price to inflate so fast better get itself under control.

[conrad2]

Im with you on the fruit. Very expensive nowadays.

[Radius]

you know, I was going to make another thread about the overall prices and cost of living in Korea, but this place will do. People say that Korea has a low cost of living, but that is just simply false. Clothes, food, electronics are all major staples of our lives and all three cost waaay more than they do, at least in the States. if you dont shop at Doota or that other building next to it, youre getting screwed on your clothes. You really have to pinch pennies here or watch your paycheck dwindle fast..

BUt on the other hand, taxis and apartments are cheap. Is that the tradeoff?

[AsiaESLbound]

Prices are going up. For what normally was a 2,000 won bunch of green onions at the street market, 10,000 won is what's asked now. I was a bit shocked yesterday when the old lady said, "man won." Prices have gone up during the past few weeks. Cherry tomatoes aren't so plentiful and cheap any longer either. I noticed much less quantities and fewer selections yesterday at the market compared to a month ago. The cold Spring and wet Summer must had made it a bad year or they are just holding out on us until harvest in late September. I wish they would get some more of those fresh multi-colored beans they were selling a month or two ago for 2,000 won a bag.

[Vagabundo]

Price inflation has been skyrocketing in Korea, especially foodwise, unabated for the past 3 years. The so called depression with its deflationary and price depressing qualities hasn't affected Korea one bit. If anything, they've found more excuses to drive prices higher and higher.

Anyone who claims Korea has a low cost of living is an absolute moron.

[conrad2]

Its being reported in the Korean media that this year has seen very poor harvests and that prices will rise accordingly.

[Louis VI]

I never look at the prices of food and I never will as long as I have any cash flow. I buy what I want when it comes to food, a family tradition to get the best and not skimp on such basics in one's quality of life. Yeah, I noticed I'm dropping an extra hundred thousand won a month these days on my shopping trips. The only place I feel it is in my savings for travel.

[Radius]

[quote="Vagabundo"]Price inflation has been skyrocketing in Korea, especially foodwise, unabated for the past 3 years. The so called depression with its deflationary and price depressing qualities hasn't affected Korea one bit. If anything, they've found more excuses to drive prices higher and higher.

Anyone who claims Korea has a low cost of living is an absolute moron.[/quote]

tell me about it. I feel sorry for the poor chap that bought a 890,000W computer from E-mart. i went down the road to a mom and pops place and got one second hand for 30 man won. GF talked them down of course=) SHe said, "adjeossssssssshhhiiiiii, come on do it for the foreigner." you should have seen the reluctance written all over his face. whoa

[BoholDiver]

I am not that hot and bothered by prices of non-essential items. Electronics, whatever. You an live without them. I shop proudly at E-Mart and Homeplus. I mostly have to wear dress shirts and khaki-type pants to work. Those places do well.

Food is where I get upset, and especially on healthy stuff like fruit and vegetables. Meat is ridiculous to but we can do with eating less of that. Rice has always been expensive, and with high prices like this cause people just to eat crap all the time, decaying their health in the process.

[Binch Lover]

I dunno, prices are still pretty low at my local market in Seoul. I just got 3 pears for 1,000 won, which is as cheap as I've ever seen them. I've also been getting about 9 tomatoes for 2,000 won and bell peppers were dirt cheap for a while.

[morakanokbs]

it's just you

[interestedinhanguk]

I agree, the fruit seems expensive this year. I keep going to the store, ready to buy fruit, but feel reluctant to pay 7,000won for 6 peaches. I did get a fairly cheap bag of green apples, but they didn't taste very good. I just made them into applesauce with a good bit of sugar and spices.

On the other hand, fish and vegetables still seem cheap, and rice is still affordable, despite being more expensive than most countries.

Oh yea, I can still get a massive (unlimited refills) lunch for 5,000won complete with rice, soup, fish (or sometimes meat) and 7 other various side dishes.

[Vagabundo]

My prediction is the prices will keep on skyrocketing.

They will use every excuse in the book. Their favorite used to be high oil prices. They even kept using that one when oil dropped from 140 to 30 USD a bbl.

More recently, they've been using weather. When that runs out, they'll use the shitty exchange rate of the Korean won.

then they'll come up with something else.

I've noticed prices in Korea never ever move up by 5 or 10%.
It's always almost at least a 25% jump.. often 30% or higher.

Certain products here have completely doubled in price since the so called economic crisis hit, which is completely counterintuitive.

But then, logic and Korea is an oxymoron.

[Vagabundo]

[Man on Street]