A recent survey of Canadian adult consumers found that a large majority of them believe the price of foods they buy has gone up in the past year and more than half said they are doing more comparison shopping than before.
The Ipsos Reid study done for RBC suggests the average monthly food bill for the 3,024 people it surveyed last month was $411.
Ontario had the lowest provincial average at $379 per month and Quebec had the highest at $448 per month.
The online survey also found about one-third of the respondents said food has a significant impact on their daily budget.
About 15% of the respondents said they were looking at other parts of their life, such as using their vehicles less, in order to deal with rising food prices.
“In light of concerns over escalating food prices, more Canadians are looking for cost-saving strategies they can use on their next trip to the grocery store,” said Jason Round, head of the bank’s financial planning unit.
According to the survey, 84% of respondents across the country said their food prices have increased over the past year.
Ontario – where competition between grocery retailers has been intense for several years – was the only province below the national average, with 80% of respondents saying they felt food prices had gone up.
The other regional averages were: British Columbia 86%; Alberta, 88%, Saskatchewan/Manitoba 89%, Quebec 86% and Atlantic Canada 88%.
The average monthly food costs, apart from Ontario and Quebec, were: British Columbia, $415; Alberta, $440; Saskatchewan-Manitoba, $401 and Atlantic Canada, $420.
The survey, conducted April 2 to 15, found 57% of respondents across the country said they comparison shop more than before and 41% said they were more budget conscious or less likely to make impulsive purchases.
The national averages for an online survey of this size considered to be accurate within two percentage points.
