Yekaterinburg - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets), onions, and cabbage are always available and always very inexpensive. In summer months, fresh produce is plentiful and inexpensive. In the winter, we can still get usually the same produce as in summer, but some things are much more expensive, such as berries and peppers, as they are imported from far away. Things like avocados and sweet potatoes are always expensive, no matter the time of year, and can be more difficult to find. As far as dry goods are concerned, things like grains (rice, buckwheat) and legumes (lentils, dry beans) are plentiful and inexpensive. Quinoa is available but expensive. Meat and fish are widely available, as are cheese, eggs, and dairy. We eat as vegan as possible, and it is sometimes difficult, especially when we go out to restaurants, but it's not impossible to maintain this diet in Yekaterinburg. Many grocery stores are within walking distance of housing and the consulate. There is also a large Costco-like store called Metro, approximately 15 minutes' drive from hour home, next to IKEA, another huge grocery store called Ashan, and a large mall. Malls are ubiquitous here! - Feb 2020
All the necessary and more groceries were available and accessible. Some people would bring butter and some other products from Moscow commissary, but we never found any need to do that. - Aug 2018
There are several supermarkets around the city. Western-brand products are difficult to come by, and the availability of fruits and vegetables can vary from week to week. Costs are comparable to those in DC. - Aug 2010
New supermarkets that rival (and often exceed) the quality of the best supermarkets in Germany have gone up in recent years, one only a 15-minute walk from the consulate. - Jan 2008
