Have Groceries in NYC gotten more expensive or is it just me?

No opinion on grocery prices vs. Montreal. Just posting in case this turns into a trip report (I've enjoyed your other ones).

Have no idea of prices in Montreal, but prices for groceries in Manhattan are typically 25% hight than you pay in the suburbs - and have been for years. For some items the differences are significantly greater.

And I know that coupons that are supposed to cover the full price of an item (for instance $2.29 for a box of tissues) don't here - where the price may be $3.19 to $3.29.

Thanks bardo, NY traveler,

Restaurants interestingly enough actually generally seem pretty close in price range to Montreal; it's only in grocery stores (and not all items) that I for the first time ever am noticing the significant price differential.

This has been a relatively short visit (just a quick 2 day visit before the QM2 sails to Southampton!), so not too much of a trip report on New York City, but we had a terrific day... However, since I selected "trip report", I'll say a few more things.

My friend and I went to the Metropolitan Museum for the first time ever for both of us (even though I've been to NYC oh some 15 or so times in my life); enjoyed especially the 18th and 19th century European portraits collection and the the Phoenician, Assyrian and ancient Cypriot reliefs, statuary and pottery. West Greenwich Village became my friend's favorite NYC neighborhood (and it's up there in my estimation too) for the entertainment, architecture, general Old World charm and more reasonably priced cafe scene (loved Amy's Cafe and Bakery on Bleecker near Cornelia) and proximity to a pier overlooking the Hudson River on this truly sublime summer day. Now, totally pooped but satisfied.

All the best, Daniel

On the same block as Amy's are arguably the best cheesemonger in the city Murray's, Cones an excellent storemade ice cream store, Faicco's where they make their own sausage which comes with old school schmoozing,and across the street is Matt Umanov where adults sell guitars.

Daniel,

HOpe you are having a great visit. Yes the reason you are seeing higher prices is where you are shopping. I used to live downtown and am now way uptown and the prices up here are alot less. There are several Pathmarks in Manhattan and the prices there are probably the best. Food Emporium is probably the highest priced food store, but they are usually newer and a bit higher end items as well.

Sorry I didn't know you were in town, I would have suggested getting together for a coffee, and would have loved to see your pictures of The Bahamas.

I ascribe the higher grocery prices in the city as compared to the outer boros or the suburbs to 1. Rent - much, much higher in town. 2. People in the boros or in the burbs generally shop by car and they load up quite a bit - because they can. In town, most customers purchase just a few immediately needed items - not so great a deal for the supermarkets - so they charge accordingly.

There are some smaller cheaper grocery store chains. I discovered Met Foods while walking home from work. At first it looked kind of dumpy, but the sale signs on the window indicated some good deals. I now shop there all the time. As it turns out, 'my' branch is very well run with a friendly staff (I've been to others that were less appealing). Certain kinds of food, where quality is important (like meat, fruit, etc), I buy elsewhere, but staples like Milk, cereal, etc. I buy there, shopping the sales whenever possible.

"Have Groceries in NYC gotten more expensive or is it just me?"
Well..maybe a little of both, plus what everyone lese has pointed out.

Groceries seem to be more expensive everywhere, not just NYC.

In the US it's also common to keep the price on a packaged product the same, but shrink the package--coffee is now 12 oz vs. 16, ice cream "half gallons" are now 1.5 quarts, etc

Specifically addressing what you saw:
1)NYC is more expensive than other places for many groceries for all the reasons people mention--real estate, smaller stores, etc.

2)The stores you mentioned are higher priced than other chains.
3) Produce is often much highre priced(and poorer quality) than in greengrocers. And you do pay for someone to cut that pineapple for you
(I've been paying less than $3 for the "good" pineapples, the ones labeled "golden", for months now. Occasionally as low as $2.)