petrol prices & the cost of living

[sunman]

a friend here paid €1.52 per litre for sem chumbo 95 yesterday, that's more expensive than people seem to be paying in UK where according to this morning's breakfast news everyone is up in arms about.
A chap reported that more than 60% of what you pay for petrol goes straight to the government, so presumably that number is even higher here!

chatting around a bit the conversation broadened to utility bills where €200 per month for electricity is now very common, IVA has just risen to what, 23%?

another friend has just bought a new family car, a VW Golf 1.4, he paid €26,500 in Portimao for a car which can be bought in England for £18,000

not for the first time we found ourselves asking, how on earth do the locals manage to afford to live here?

[snowytheboy]

Taking into account the current exchange rate the petrol is not much different from the price in the UK.

[EMM]

Don,t complain about fuel prices in Portugal, Diesel at our local Tesco equivalent of E1.60 ltr.

We stopped off at our local Sainsburys on the way back from the airport on Sunday and compared to what we pay in Continente our bill was probably 20% higher.
If we compare with local market prices , Silves/Lagoa veg is probably 50% cheaper in PT.
You can buy 3 bottle of drinkable wine in PT for 1 in the UK.

Why do you think PT is being talked about as one of the best value holiday destinations for 2011.

[bruce]

I didn't think the cost of food was much different than in the UK.
You can get 3 very decent bottles of wine for £10 here also.

[cereza]

I didn't think the cost of food was much different than in the UK.
You can get 3 very decent bottles of wine for £10 here also.

Not down here in the South , Sue
Best offers in Tescos is 3 for £12 and thats only on certain wines.
I'm just getting near to the bottom of my stock brought back from PT and I'm getting worried now

But Sunman is right - how do the locals manage to pay these fuel prices in the Algarve ?
Yes diesel is cheaper in PT but unleaded isn't a lot different and the cost of cars is astronomical

[Jaylay]

Insurance and road tax is cheaper here, just paid 37 € road tax for our Getz,

[EMM]

Back from Sainsburys , comparing prices.

Yes you can buy 3 bottles of wine bought into the UK in tankers, bottled ( super thin glass ) in those well know wine areas ( guildford and avonmoth ) for £12/ 13.5 euros which will get you 6 drinkable in PT .
A box of wine £15 ( Pt 8euros ).
As for the fruit and veg. In Silves market we paid 20-25% of the Sainsburys cost, It was fresh and locally grown.
Dont even get me started on the so called " fresh fish and shellfish " at exorbitant UK prices.
Even the NZ lamb seem more expensive.

[bruce]

You are obviously right Cereza - we have quite a good selection of wine in Asda in the 3 for £10 range.
We buy our veg and meat from a local farm/butchers shop so have no idea what the price in supermarkets is.
A small fresh chicken costs £3, just bought one today - fish is fresh from Fleetwood, maybe living
in the north has it's plus points

[Bristle Si]

Back from Sainsburys , comparing prices.

Yes you can buy 3 bottles of wine bought into the UK in tankers, bottled ( super thin glass ) in those well know wine areas ( guildford and avonmoth ) for £12/ 13.5 euros which will get you 6 drinkable in PT .
A box of wine £15 ( Pt 8euros ).
As for the fruit and veg. In Silves market we paid 20-25% of the Sainsburys cost, It was fresh and locally grown.
Dont even get me started on the so called " fresh fish and shellfish " at exorbitant UK prices.
Even the NZ lamb seem more expensive.

The days of cheap living in Iberia are long gone.
There are loads of good deals in the UK in the various supermarkets - i've never found Portugal particularly cheap compared to the UK and as for "drinkable wine" in Portugal, the cheapest would put up a good fight with B&Q paint stripper!
There are loads of good wine deals in our local Sainsburys (i'm sure other UK supermarkets are the same) on a regular basis and although you may pay around £4/bottle it's 10 times more drinkable than Portugal's cheapest.
We've only experienced fruit and veg in CVO itself and it's bloody expensive and of pretty sh#te quality - having said that if we had to drive out to Lagoa or near to Lagoa every time we wanted fruit and veg whilst in CVO the car hire and petrol would soon bump the price up.

[EMM]

I take it Bri Si that you will not be visiting Carvoeiro again as you obviously dislike it so much.

But as you rightly say, the intown shops and places like Intermarche do not always give either good value or quality and as such do not give visitors a true picture of how good Portugal can be for those who can be bothered to look for it.

As for wine, You can keep your industrial ( Sainsbury, Asda. Tesco 3/£10-£12 plonk ). Take off the tax, profits , packaging and there is probably only 30p worth of wine in each bottle.

[cereza]

Strange reply Bristol Si and I don't think you will get many agreeing with you on this site. EMM has the right idea.

[pato]

not for the first time we found ourselves asking, how on earth do the locals manage to afford to live here?

You break into holiday villas and cars.

[cereza]

not for the first time we found ourselves asking, how on earth do the locals manage to afford to live here?

You break into holiday villas and cars.

Very much so pato

[kappa]

not for the first time we found ourselves asking, how on earth do the locals manage to afford to live here?

You break into holiday villas and cars.

We do not - most of us work very hard and have two jobs without complaining and maybe being more happy with life!

[Bristle Si]

I take it Bri Si that you will not be visiting Carvoeiro again as you obviously dislike it so much.

But as you rightly say, the intown shops and places like Intermarche do not always give either good value or quality and as such do not give visitors a true picture of how good Portugal can be for those who can be bothered to look for it.

As for wine, You can keep your industrial ( Sainsbury, Asda. Tesco 3/£10-£12 plonk ). Take off the tax, profits , packaging and there is probably only 30p worth of wine in each bottle.

We'll be there as usual in Sept - as my prevuious posts over the last couple of years have stated we try and avoid spending too much in the local supermarkets, just the real necessities. Most of our spend goes to the bars and restaurants....and during the day we just laze on the beach or by the pool - perfect!
Most of the large UK supermarkets stock pretty decent wine at reasonable prices these days and not much of their own label like 15/20 years ago. Having said that their wine 'buyers' are just as experienced as any other wine buyers for top distributors.
Much as i love coming to CVO i'd still rather reside in the UK.....for now! Things may change in future years, but for the next few years things will get v tough in Portugal - have the people got the stomach for the severe belt tightening ahead....we shall see.