Shopping basket in Dordogne

We are often asked by our clients about the average cost of living out here. It may seem the most mundane question but if you are contemplating the idea of moving out here full time and bringing a family then these factors all come into play. It seems a good idea to give an idea of a shopping trip.

Herb stall Excideuil market

The average French housewife in this market town tends to shop nearly every day. Living in a small town of 1500 inhabitants, shopping is more of a pleasure than a chore. There are no parking restrictions, you can get fresh meat, veg and bread in the high street and catch up on local gossip at the same time. The supermarket has all these items too, and very friendly and helpful staff, but it is essential to support the high street shops and the reliable services they provide if these small towns are to continue to thrive.

Here at Excideuil we have 2 chemists, a bank, post office, 3 bakers, 2 green grocers, 2 butchers, 2 paper shops,Wines and spirits shop, 5 bars and a restaurant. On top of this we have a grand total of 5 hairdressers, 5 doctors, 2 dentists, 3 garages, 3 clothes shops, 3 insurance agents, a cobblers, oil merchant, a jewellers/china/sports equipment shop and 3 hardware shops… and a garden centre beside the supermarket which also sells cut price petrol and diesel (currently 1 euro per litre). Not to mention 3 estate agents!

A typical shopping basket might be as follows:

Bread 250gm baguette 0.90€

Butter

Milk

Soft cheese Brie or camembert approx 5.50€/ kg

Hard cheese 9.00€ /kg

Eggs 6

Pasta 1.40€/ kg

Meat: Cooked ham 7.50€/kg

1kg shoulder of pork 2.50€

1 kg minced beef (15% fat) 4.38€

chicken 4.20€/kg

Cassoulet in tin 4.98€

Sugar 1 kg

Tea box 500 bags

Coffee 500gms

Dog food 2kg 6.40€

Wine: bottle Bordeaux Superieur 2.50€

Lager six pack

and so on…..

A visit to the weekly market is a social pleasure as well as being a source of excellent fresh vegetables and fruit. The local markets in our part of the world play a vital role in knitting together the different strands of our community. They are a meeting place for the outlying farming community and a chance to catch up with each other and to exchange gossip and news.

Fish stall in Perigueux market