newbie feeling gouged and lost
newbie feeling gouged and lost
Been 5 yrs since I was last in Siem Reap (I know thats a long time) but I plan on being here for 3 mths and as i'm visiting from Thailand my expectations
were that at worst I would pay the same prices as Thailand but hoping to pay maybe 15-20% less. i went to Angor Market and Lucky today and a few places on that stretch and I was shocked at the prices or (perhaps gouging) going on. With lower import duties and favourable treaties with French etc...how can it be higher than Thailand?...Example I just wanted make a sandwich at home: Only option for tomatoes was a pack of 3 for $2.50 no loose fresh option to choose. No visable heads of lettuce only a prepacked salad mix for $7.50...Bread was $1.50 for best looking pack i felt and the imported mayo was higher and no real deli options to choose from. The processed Ham was nearly $3.00 and when i opened it was dry and tasteless. So my deli sandwich which had no lettuce cost me $7.00 and tasted crap and if I added the salad bowl it would have cost me $14.50???..Am I that sucker going to the wrong place or neighborhood. How do single expats working here or retirees on modest pensions survive....Any inside tips would be really appreciated it or should i just face up to this new reality and get over it. Thanks folks
were that at worst I would pay the same prices as Thailand but hoping to pay maybe 15-20% less. i went to Angor Market and Lucky today and a few places on that stretch and I was shocked at the prices or (perhaps gouging) going on. With lower import duties and favourable treaties with French etc...how can it be higher than Thailand?...Example I just wanted make a sandwich at home: Only option for tomatoes was a pack of 3 for $2.50 no loose fresh option to choose. No visable heads of lettuce only a prepacked salad mix for $7.50...Bread was $1.50 for best looking pack i felt and the imported mayo was higher and no real deli options to choose from. The processed Ham was nearly $3.00 and when i opened it was dry and tasteless. So my deli sandwich which had no lettuce cost me $7.00 and tasted crap and if I added the salad bowl it would have cost me $14.50???..Am I that sucker going to the wrong place or neighborhood. How do single expats working here or retirees on modest pensions survive....Any inside tips would be really appreciated it or should i just face up to this new reality and get over it. Thanks folks
- Lucky Lucan
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If you were here 5 years ago you should have figured out that groceries have always been more expensive here than in Thailand.peter12 wrote:Been 5 yrs since I was last in Siem Reap (I know thats a long time) but I plan on being here for 3 mths and as i'm visiting from Thailand my expectations
were that at worst I would pay the same prices as Thailand but hoping to pay maybe 15-20% less.
That's a rip-off, but buying fruit and vegetables in most supermarkets is.Only option for tomatoes was a pack of 3 for $2.50 no loose fresh option to choose. No visable heads of lettuce only a prepacked salad mix for $7.50..
Yeah, go to a restaurant. It works out way cheaper and better value than trying to buy all the ingredients for one meal. Otherwise get a kitchen organized.Any inside tips would be really appreciated it or should i just face up to this new reality and get over it. Thanks folks
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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It's not cost effective for a single person to buy three tomatoes and a loaf of bread and a package of ham and make his own lettuce and mayonnaise lacking $7 Western-style sandwich. This is not a "wrong neighborhood" problem.peter12 wrote:Been 5 yrs since I was last in Siem Reap (I know thats a long time) but I plan on being here for 3 mths and as i'm visiting from Thailand my expectations
were that at worst I would pay the same prices as Thailand but hoping to pay maybe 15-20% less. i went to Angor Market and Lucky today and a few places on that stretch and I was shocked at the prices or (perhaps gouging) going on. With lower import duties and favourable treaties with French etc...how can it be higher than Thailand?...Example I just wanted make a sandwich at home: Only option for tomatoes was a pack of 3 for $2.50 no loose fresh option to choose. No visable heads of lettuce only a prepacked salad mix for $7.50...Bread was $1.50 for best looking pack i felt and the imported mayo was higher and no real deli options to choose from. The processed Ham was nearly $3.00 and when i opened it was dry and tasteless. So my deli sandwich which had no lettuce cost me $7.00 and tasted crap and if I added the salad bowl it would have cost me $14.50???..Am I that sucker going to the wrong place or neighborhood. How do single expats working here or retirees on modest pensions survive....Any inside tips would be really appreciated it or should i just face up to this new reality and get over it. Thanks folks
You could have gone to a restaurant or deli and bought a sandwich for about $4.
Or eaten local food for $2.
Or bought a baguette for 25 cents instead of paying $1.50 for a "pack" of bread.
Or get married and have kids and buy sandwich ingredients in bulk.
Follow my lame Twitter feed: @gavin_mac
Thanks Lucky so please do tell where you buy your fruit, veg and groceries as a local?
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Thanks Gavin for the insightful wisdom. I listed some ingredients to demonstrate the price differences and i think i understand the difference of buying a sandwich vs making one. I was hoping for some helpful advice from locals on where they go to buy groceries and congrats on having a family - i will be sure to buy one of those tomorrow too.
Local markets for fruit & veg, for bread and cold cuts you’ll have to shop around. Shopping for what you need here usually involves trips to multiple locations, unlike more developed countries where you can get everything you need from the one place.
I'm not a negative person, I encourage people all the time...it's usually to f**k off! But, whatever.
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Not so fast. My calculations tell me that he eschewed the high priced imported mayonnaise and bought:kansaicanuck wrote:Anyway now that you have the Mayo
1. "Pack" of bread, $1.50
2. Three tomatoes, $2.50
3. Ham, $3.00
Total cost for this ham and tomato sandwich: 7 bucks
But shouldn't he have enough bread, tomato and possibly ham left over for another sandwich? If he can turn this into two sandwiches, he might feel less gouged and lost.
Follow my lame Twitter feed: @gavin_mac
the point i was trying to make was regarding the individual prices and if you knew specifically of other places (names and locations) that are cheaper -
this would be very helpful to me. The high school sandwich comments on the other hand are of no use but thanks for the response i guess.
this would be very helpful to me. The high school sandwich comments on the other hand are of no use but thanks for the response i guess.
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Upon reading again I think you are right. Although he needs to be upfront about the cost of the Mayo if he did buy it. I guess getting that salad bowl, Turing the $14.50 into 5 consecutive sandwich meals (by skimping on the ham to stretch it) the cost of the meals comes down significantly. Brings him to about $2.90 a meal. Not bad. He could also repurpose the ham by dry frying it quickly in a pan. Add some color and taste to it. Yum..gavinmac wrote:Not so fast. My calculations tell me that he eschewed the high priced imported mayonnaise and bought:kansaicanuck wrote:Anyway now that you have the Mayo
1. "Pack" of bread, $1.50
2. Three tomatoes, $2.50
3. Ham, $3.00
Total cost for this ham and tomato sandwich: 7 bucks
But shouldn't he have enough bread, tomato and possibly ham left over for another sandwich? If he can turn this into two sandwiches, he might feel less gouged and lost.
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I don't have a family. But I also don't buy three tomatoes and an entire loaf of bread when I'm in the mood for a sandwich.peter12 wrote: congrats on having a family - i will be sure to buy one of those tomorrow too.
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This.Lucky Lucan wrote:
Yeah, go to a restaurant. It works out way cheaper and better value than trying to buy all the ingredients for one meal. Otherwise get a kitchen organized.
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I've always found "Lucky Mall" the most expensive for most things, try "Chao Sang Hok" who have at least 2 locations in town now.
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How about a local market for all the veg? My dakimakura just woke up for a quick pee and I enquired about the price of a head of lettuce and three tomatoes at a local market. She buys both often. Three tomatoes for Tom yum soup and the lettuce as a bed for lok lak. She said three tomatoes should be around 1000 riel and the same for a head of lettuce. No wonder you are pissed about the prices.peter12 wrote:the point i was trying to make was regarding the individual prices and if you knew specifically of other places (names and locations) that are cheaper -
this would be very helpful to me. The high school sandwich comments on the other hand are of no use but thanks for the response i guess.
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