The Cost of Groceries in Japan

I did a post before about the price of groceries when I lived in Toi. (Grocery Shopping in Japan) I always went to the same grocery store because there was only one in town. So I wanted to a new post with a bit more variety. I had forgotten I was going to do this post but I found these pictures when looking for pictures for another post.

For the most part I felt like groceries in Japan were reasonably priced. Fruit was expensive though, so I didn't buy it too often with the exception of bananas.

Packaging was generally smaller than I'm used to in the US, but that wasn't such a bad thing for me living on my own. I don't need gallons of milk or whole loaves of bread. I won't go through them before they go bad. In the picture below, the can of Pringles is the same size as in the US, so you can use that for comparison.

Max Valu
May 21, 2013

• Pringles (wasabi mayo flavor) 198
• non-fat milk 108
• mango yogurt 138
• bagged yakisoba vegetable mix (store brand) 158
• bagged salad (store brand) 98
• bagged cabbage (store brand) 98
• dried melon 350
• noodles 198
• sliced ham (store brand) 178
• instant microwave chocolate cake cup 108
• strawberry jam (store brand) 258

Total: 1890 yen

Valor
August 30, 2013

• All Bran mixed fruit cereal 298
• two packs of pre-cooked yakisoba noodles (store brand) (19 ea.) 38
• pancake mix 198
• peach and mango yogurt 148
• Meiji chocolate bar 88
• ginger 98
• orange juice (1 liter) (store brand) 128
• sliced bread (8 pieces) 168
• strawberry toast flavoring powder 98
• pasta sauce (store brand) 98
• Calbee potato chips 128

Total: 1488 yen

Kaldi Coffee Farm (a small store found in malls that sells coffee and import groceries)
September 5, 2013

• Doritos (no flavoring, do they even sell these in America?) 278
• Lawry's seasoned salt 430
• tortillas (10 pack) 630

Total: 1338 yen

Aeon (they also own Max Valu)
September 5, 2013

• CoCo-kun's UFO Ball cereal 298
• Sweet Potato Flakes cereal 298
• Hello Kitty macaroni 158
• two drinks (not pictured) (115 ea.) 230

Total: 984 yen

Max Valu
September 9, 2013

• two onions (48 ea.) 96
• rice (store brand) 1130
• canned tropical fruit 98
• six eggs 148
• Ritz crackers 168
• non-fat milk 108
• chicken stock cubes 115
• butter 228
• lettuce 98
• mixed frozen vegetables (store brand) 148
• plastic bag 5 (Grocery stores often charge for bags. I usually brought my own but sometimes forgot.)

Total: 2670 yen

Valor
September 10, 2013

• tissues 228
• avocado 98
• green Tobasco sauce 268
• canned chicken 88
• salsa 298

Total: 980 yen

Max Valu
September 21, 2013

• two Meiji chocolate bars (95 ea.) 190
• CoCo-kun's Choco Crispy cereal 298
• sugar sticks (store brand) (like for coffee, I just couldn't find the regular bags of sugar, lol) 108
• flour 278
• cocoa powder 648
• vanilla extract 178
• chili garlic sauce 420
• frozen bibimbap fried rice (store brand) 248
• six eggs 148
• two bottles of cranberry juice (178 ea.) 356

Total: 2812 yen

Max Valu
September 25, 2013

• bottled tea 88
• sliced bread (8 pieces) 148
• sliced cheese (8 pieces) 198
• Fruits Granola cereal (store brand) 328
• sliced ham (store brand) 198
• paper towels (store brand) 148

Total: 1108 yen

Valor 
October 9, 2013

• Chip Star chips 178
• frosted flakes (store brand) 198
• pizza toast (store brand) 278
• chestnut pudding 168

 Total: 822 yen

Seiyu (Owned by Walmart. The Great Value products are sometimes expensive because some of them are imported.)
October 19, 2013

• apple gummies 90
• parmesan (store brand) 498
• cranberry juice (store brand) 498
• honey roasted peanuts (store brand) 397
• Biore body wash 447
• Biore acne care face wash 383
• drain nets (so food doesn't clog the kitchen sink, one of my least favorite things about Japan) 97
• plastic bag 3

Total: 2413 yen

Valor
November 13, 2013

• sliced bread (8 pieces) (store brand) 78
• coleslaw cabbage (store brand) 98
• chopped green onions 98
• three packs of pre-cooked yaki-soba noodles (store brand) (19 ea.) 57
• onion salad dressing 158
• peanuts (store brand) 288
• candy bar (not pictured) 128

Total: 905 yen

Piago 
November 20, 2013

• milk 148
• Cadbury Fruit and Nut Bar (imported from Australia, which is still really good, but not as good as the ones I get in the US) 135
• Fanta green apple 98
• salad 100
• sliced ham (8 slices) 198
• hash browns 228
• two boxes of instant soup mix (178 ea.) 356

Total: 1263

Kaldi Coffee Farm
November 23, 2013

• four Inka Kola (105 ea.) 420
• gochujang 399
• Korean ramen 88

Total: 907 yen

Max Valu
January 6, 2014

• All Bran cereal 298
• rice (store brand) 1030
• soy sauce 198
• bean sprouts (store brand) 38
• cucumber 68
• carrot 68
• tofu
• enoki mushrooms (store brand) 128
• bananas (store brand) 98

Total: 1974

Seiyu
June 6, 2014

• Fanta pineapple 81
• Match Pink soda 81
• peanut butter 475
• cinnamon apple jam 284
• kimchi 278
• non-fat milk 103
• watermelon gummies 84
• frozen bibimbap fried rice 265
• nail polish 300
• plastic bag 2

Total: 2109

Max Valu
September 21, 2014

• sponges (store brand) 98
• pasta (store brand) 98
• mini hot dogs (store brand) 98
• frozen mixed vegetables (store brand) 148
• aluminum foil (store brand) 88
• kiwi (store brand) 78
• kiwi 98 (I think I got two store brand ones but the tag must have fallen off the one, so they charged me a different price)
• apricot jam 204
• ramen 88

Total: 998 yen

Seiyu
January 12, 2015

• peanut butter 475
• mochi ice cream 278
• three bags of avocado tortilla chips (98 ea.) 294
•  three packs of pre-cooked yakisoba noodles (27 ea.) 81
• coleslaw cabbage (store brand) 93
• chopped green onion 140
• ginger 90
• bean sprouts 28
• peanuts 95
• plastic bag 2

Total: 1701 yen

I don't remember where I bought this (either Valor or Max Valu, I think) but I just wanted to show that you can find Nutella in Japan.

I don't have a picture of the receipt so I can't tell the prices, but I know I got this stuff at Kaldi. I don't remember finding Kraft mac and cheese at any other store around Hamamatsu. I also found Tim Tams sometimes at Plaza, a sort of random store with cosmetics and import snacks and candy. The Crispy M&Ms could be found at some regular grocery stores. I didn't get them too many times, but when I did I usually got them at Daiso, a 100 yen store.