Consumers outside Dublin have a far greater incentive to shop around for the best prices than their counterparts in Dublin.
That is one of the implications of the results of the national comparison of average prices for consumer goods published by the Central Statistics Office today.
The new figures show that on average there is a 132% difference outside of Dublin between the highest and lowest prices charged for consumer goods. For consumers in Dublin, however, the average price range is almost half that, at just 70%. This means shoppers outside of Dublin stand to gain twice as much from shopping around than shoppers in Dublin.
Today's CSO price comparisons covered 73 goods and services ranging from roast beef, to non-fat milk, to ladies wash, cut and blow dry hair services. The list shows that average prices in Dublin are higher for nearly two thirds of the items listed.
Despite this, the narrower range of prices in Dublin is likely to seen as a reflection of a greater degree of competition at work in the Dublin retail market than outside Dublin.
The CSO price list includes alcoholic drink sold in off licences as well in pubs and confirms that Dublin is more expensive for nearly all drinks in public houses. But the average gap in the overall cost of living between Dublin and the rest of the country as indicated by these prices is relatively small, at just 5.5%.
This is the difference in the average cost of buying CSO's entire basket of 73 goods in Dublin compared with buying it outside of Dublin. In effect, this means the average shopper could purchase all the CSO listed goods for €29 cheaper if they shopped outside of Dublin.
The CSO list also provides indications of the highest prices quoted for each product nationwide. It found that apart from alcoholic drinks sold in pubs, the highest price quotations were to be found outside of Dublin for 91% of all goods.
On the basis of the price ranges listed the following are the top ten goods for which shoppers in Dublin can save most by shopping around (the possible savings from shopping around for each item are in brackets):
1. Orange Juice (413%)
2. Spaghetti (249%)
3. Bread - white sliced (191%)
4. Grapes (153%)
5. Whole Leg of Lamb (149%)
6. Smoked Salmon (144%)
7. Bread - brown sliced (136%)
8. Best Back Rashers (133%)
9. Cooked Ham (123%)
10. Sliced/Diced Beef Pieces (107%)
11. Potatoes - 10kg bag (102%)
On the same basis (price ranges listed) shoppers outside of Dublin can save most by shopping around for the following products:
1. Smoked salmon (506%)
2. Orange Juice (359%)
3. Ham Fillet (334%)
4. Fillet/Half Leg Pork (311%)
5. Spaghetti (303%)
6. Wine - fine quality (292%)
7. Potatoes - 10kg (276%)
8. Bananas (266%)
9. Potatoes -2.5kg (255%)
10. Grapes (238%)
11. Tomatoes (232%)
12. Carrots (206%)
13. Broccoli (200%)
14. Fillets of Plaice (190%)
15. Cooked Ham (184%)
16. Whole leg of Lamb (174%)
17. Jam (174 %)
18. Bread - white sliced (173%)
19. Tea bags (164%)
20. Sliced/Diced Beef Pieces (163%)
21. Marmalade (157%)
22. Bread - brown sliced (152%)
