New Delhi - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Local items are very affordable. Food costs are low for many typical items in local stores. Imported items and even some high-end local goods are higher priced especially in shops targeting expats and wealthy locals. - Apr 2024
Abysmal. It was difficult to find most things you wanted and you would often have to go to several different shops to do so. - Jan 2022
You can find anything for a price, but you'll have to hit a few markets and several shops/stores to get it all. Most people have drivers who do all the shopping for them - zipping around to the baker, then the butcher, then the fruit stand, then the store, than some small shops to collect everything. Local stuff (fruits, veggies) are cheap but very dirty so need to be soaked, washed, peeled, refrigerated. Imported stuff can be pricey and/or expired. - Sep 2020
A major complaint from expats is that you generally can’t one-stop-shop anywhere. While I think you can generally find most things you’re looking for, you’ll have to decide how much driving around is worth whatever specialty item you desire. Also, price goes up for less-common items. I spent $10 on a package of Mint Oreos recently – probably not worth it, but my mouth said otherwise at the time! Basic groceries and household items are inexpensive, especially if you’re willing to buy local options. But if you crave brand-name, import items, then it ain’t gonna be cheap! My housekeeper does most of my grocery shopping, buys local, and spends 1900 INR every 2 weeks. - Jul 2020
Food and supplies are available but it does take a while to figure out where to find groceries on the local economy and shopping can be a time consuming activity. Many people hire domestic staff to do the shopping. - Jul 2019
If you wish for anything beyond a 10 Rupee samosa on the street, you'll wished you stayed safely ensconced in your tastefully appointed Copenhagen home. Here, there is an array of eye-watering prices that puts Tokyo to shame. Seven dollar boxes of breadcrumbs, five dollar avocados. Luxury is anything not found in pollution-coated burlap sacks in a tragic streetside market. Diplomatic celebrations--chiefly national days--involve long traffic jams as hard-up diplomats jockey for a buffet line involving hard-to-find items like prawns, or anything with fresh vegetables. A sense of quiet desperation pervades these events. - Dec 2017
Horrible...difficult to find. New Delhi does not have western-style supermarkets, unless you drive outside of the city. Shopping consists of small mini-markets with pilled up goods from the floor to the ceiling. They also sell fresh produce that is not the best quality. There are larger fresh produce open markets in only certain areas of the town, where produce are half a price. It's a good option if you do not mind the filthiness around you. There is well-stocked embassy commissary, but prices are high. Many embassy employees shop online. There are organic shops (online) as well, but I would not trust an "organic" label on anything in India. - Oct 2017
If you are willing to pay the high import prices, you can find most things from home. INA Market has some Western grocery stalls (shop is too grand a word) and Priya Market near Vasant Vihar has several stores that import grocery items. You'll pay a lot--for example, a container of PAM cooking spray will be 10 USD. Locally produced items are cheap--local fruits and vegetables, rice, lentils, flour, etc.
The US Embassy has a commissary that stocked the basic US items--higher costs than in the US but cheaper than local market. Some months the shelves were practically bare and some months they were full. Shipments only came a few times a year, though that has hopefully changed.
If you have specific brand items you prefer or certain baking or cooking products you can't do without, bring them. - Mar 2017
Food in general is cheap, but you will pay more for "American" things or higher quality things. Embassy has a fairly large commissary, and Amazon will fill in the gaps (pouch only though). - Feb 2017
Grocery shopping is difficult until you figure out the markets and who to call to deliver. A grocery store as most of us know it doesn't really exist here. - Nov 2016
Groceries are available. Previous reports have covered a lot of good shopping points, so I won't repeat them. - Jun 2016
Groceries are available, but due to local Indian bureaucracy and anti-foreign sentiment, multi-brand retail stores have not been able to offer expats the convenience of shopping in stores that South-east asian countries offer. That being said, there are a few stores that are trying, including "More" and "Big Bazaar." Otherwise, you may have to go to several different stores to get everything on your shopping list. Bring some non-perishable items in your shipment. Cost of some food items purchased locally can be expensive. Some folks never leave the Embassy housing compound and do all of their shopping in the commissary at inflated prices--there are plenty of options for those who are adventurous. Because of recent Government of India additional restrictions and grievances, getting reliable food shipments has become more difficult. - Sep 2014
This is why hiring a driver (for about US$225/month) and a good housekeeper (for about US$250-300/month) is very important because they know where to go and what to buy. Just tell them what you want and how much they can spend, and they will go get it or take you with them to get it. Cost of foods that Indians normally eat is not expensive, but the cost of your normal American foods will be at least 25%-50% more expensive and generally isn't great quality. But if you have a housekeeper who can cook, she will make really great foods for you. There are some stores with the brand name of "More" that are kind of like Target or Wal-Mart. They have everything you need under one roof - food, household supplies, etc. Ask a driver or a taxi to take you there to get stocked up, and prices are probably about half of what you would spend at Target. - Sep 2014
Depends if you want local things or specialty items. At the commissary, prices are high. At the local markets, prices are very low. Imported cheeses and other items are extremely high. Like US$20 for cheese. Things like that. - Aug 2013
High quality things can be expensive. You can get organic farm goods delivered to your door at a premium. Western cleaning products and groceries are available but expensive. Local fruits and vegetables are affordable in season but must be cleaned and cooked throughly. Surprisingly cheap are pumpkins and other gourd vegetables. - May 2013
Local and fresh produce are abundant. Imported processed foods are hard to come by. Olive oil is outrageously expensive as is toilet paper. - Oct 2012
Depends on where you purchase them. Some imported food items can be very expensive. - Sep 2012
Multibrand retail (walmart and giant) are illegal so most folks shop at small corner stores or markets. That makes grocery shopping a real drag. It is also INCREDIBLY expensive here. - Aug 2011
cheap - Aug 2011
Going up. - Aug 2011
Staples and fresh goods are very cheap. Imported goods are very expensive, but more mid-range and quality goods are available all the time. - Jan 2011
Fresh produce is cheap if local but needs to be washed well. Imported foods of all kinds are expensive, especially meat and cheese, at higher than European rates. Cleaning products are sub-par locally. - Sep 2010
If it is imported (many products used by expats are) it will come with a hefty price. If it is locally produced, it will be cheaper. - Aug 2010
Most everything you need is available and really cheap. Western goods (i.e. cheese) are usually a bit more expensive than in the US. - Aug 2010
Groceries are cheap. - Aug 2010
The cost of groceries is going up all the time. If you eat only Indian food and go to the local markets, food is very cheap. Lots of expats want organic produce because of the high use of pesticides here so this can be very expensive. All imported food is twice as high as back home. The big expense here is dog food and washing detergent. - Mar 2008
If you shop where the locals shop it's very cheap. My mom bought 3 bags full of fresh produce, for roughly US$3. If you go to a chain grocery store and buy western brands, it's very expensive. One single Warm Delights dessert dish was US$5. If you shop savvy, it's a lot cheaper than anything you'll ever find in the states. - Feb 2008
