The following is an expanded provisioning spreadsheet from Marci Paravia’s article “Provisioning in the Pacific” in the October 2011 issue of Blue Water Sailing.
Survey Says:
(Prices from June 3, 2010 Papeete [$1.00 U.S. = ± 89.36 Polynesian Francs (XPF) and July 26, 2010 Pago Pago – prices converted to US currency for ease of explanation)
| ITEM | SIZE | PRICE IN PAPEETE | PRICE IN
PAGO PAGO |
|
STAPLES |
|||
| Sugar – white | 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) | 1.56 | 3.45 5 lbs (2.26 K) |
| Flour – white | 1 kilo | .67 | 2.49 5 lbs |
| Rice – long grain white | 1 kilo | 1.06 | Not available |
| Rice – Medium jasmine | 1 kilo | 2.57 | 8.00 – 5 kilos |
| Rice – Calrose | 5 kilo bag | 8.72 | 8.99 10 lb bag |
| Oil – Olive – extra virgin | Liter | 7.77 | 18.99 2 ltr bottle or 17.00 1.3 ltr |
| Oil – vegetable | Liter | 2.18 to 2.46 | 4.45 (48 oz) |
| Pasta | 500 gr – 1 kilo | 1.08 to 4.81 | 1.19 – 1.35 lb |
| Cereal (Kelloggs Corn Flakes) | 18 oz box | 7.77 | 5.00 |
| Granola Bars (Nature Valley | Box of 6 (2 bar ea)
Box of 30 (2 bar ea) |
4.81 | 10.49 (warehouse store only) |
| Tuna (canned) | 160 gr | 1.06 to 4.81 ea | 1.05 ea or 10 each for 9.99 (warehouse) |
| Sardines (canned) | .63 to 4.42 ea | .90 each | |
| Spam ® lunchmeat | 340 gr | 4.87 | 2.83 (warehouse) to 3.29 ea |
| Zwan ® lunchmeat | 340 gr | 4.59 | Not available |
| Zwan ® hotdogs | 300 gr | 3.02 to 4.30 | Not available |
| Soup – Campbells condensed | 10 3.4 oz | 2.18 | 1.25 to 1.55 or 12 ea for 11.49 (warehouse) |
| Fruit – canned (Del Monte Fruit Cocktail) | 15 oz | 1.61 | 1.49 to 1.55 |
| Fruit – canned applesauce | 750 gr jar | 1.84 | 2.19 (23 oz 652 gr jar) |
| Vegetables – canned
Corn (Del Monte) Green Beans (DM) Green Beans (DM) Potatos (DM) |
15.25 oz
29 oz 14.5 oz 29 oz |
1.27
2.57 1.10 2.63 |
.95
Size not available .99 can Size not available |
| Pork & Beans (Van Camps) | 31 oz | 1.90 | 2.19 |
| Dried Beans –White | 454 gr (1 lb) | 1.17 | 1.40 |
| Dried Beans –(pink, lentils, split peas) | 454 gr | 1.17 | Not available |
| Dried Beans –Pinto | 454 gr | Not available | 2.25 |
| Dried popcorn | 454 gr | 1.45 | Not available (all popcorn is microwavable here) |
| Olives (green) | 950 ml jar | 4.42 | Not available |
| Mix – Brownie (Betty Crocker) | 19.9 oz box | 5.31 | Not available |
| Mix – Pancake (Betty Crocker) | 37 oz box | 5.70 | 2.85 |
| Peanut Butter (Skippy Creamy) | 28 oz jar | 6.65 | 4.99 |
| Coffee – Ground
(Maxwell House) |
34.5 oz | Not available | 9.49 – 12.05 |
| Coffee – Ground
(unfamiliar brands) |
Box of 4 each of
250 gr pkg |
6.21 to 16.22 | Not available |
| Coffee – Instant | 200 gr | 7.81 | 5.85 (226 gr) |
| Coffee – Espresso | 250 gr | 2.79 to 31.11 | Not available |
| Juice – orange, apple, grapefruit, pineapple, mixed tropical fruits | 1 liter boxes | 1.23 to 2.85 | Boxed juices not available |
| Juice – Cran-Apple® | 1 gallon | Not available | 4.90 |
| Juice – apple | 1 gallon | Not available in this size | 3.69 |
| Juice – pineapple | 1 gallon | Not available in this size | 4.50 |
|
DAIRY PRODUCTS |
|||
| Eggs | Dozen | 4.02 | 1.75 |
| Butter (fresh) | 454 gr | 3.30 | 3.69 lb |
| Butter (Canned – Anchor NZ) | 454 gr | 3.53 | Not available |
| Milk – boxed | 1 liter | 1.54 | 1.75 |
| Milk – powdered | 300 gr can (makes 2.4 liters) | 3.63 | 4.95 (400 gr can) |
| Cheese – Camembert | 145 gr | 4.19 | Not available |
| Cheese – Laughing Cow | 8 portions
24 portions |
2.07
6.21 |
Not available |
|
SNACKS |
|||
| Lays “Classic” chips | 6 ½ oz bag | 3.30 | 2.59 |
| Pringles | Can | 3.58 | 2.25 |
| Ligo (generic “Pringles”) | Can | 2.18 | Not available |
| Tostitos | 10 oz bag | 5.87 | 3.99 |
| M & M Plain | 300 gr bag | 10.01 | No comparable size |
| M & M Peanut | 300 gr bag | 7.77 | No comparable size |
|
FRESH PRODUCE |
|||
| Available daily | Delivered only twice a month ** | ||
| Tomatos | Kilo | 7.49 (local) | Unavailable |
| Cucumbers | Kilo | 3.13 (local) | Unavailable |
| Onions | Kilo/lb | 1.23 kilo (NZ) | .75 lb |
| Garlic | Kilo/lb | 4.70 kilo (NZ) | 3.92 lb |
| Potatos | Kilo/lb | .90 kilo | .75 lb |
| Cabbage | Kilo/lb | 3.30 kilo red
5.03 kilo green (US) |
.80 to .95 lb |
| Carrots | Kilo/lb | 1.36 (NZ) | Unavailable |
| Oranges | Kilo | 3.13 (local) | Unavailable |
| Pineapple | Each | 2.18 (local) | Unavailable |
| Bananas | Kilo | 1.67 kilo (local) | .85 lb (local) |
| Apples (red delicious) | Kilo | 4.58 kilo (U.S.) | Unavailable |
| Pears (D’Anjou) | Kilo | 5.03 (U.S.) | .65 each |
| ** Much of the imported produce is sold in bulk at the warehouse store but supplies are limited and often run out (as was the case when we were there). | |||
|
ALCOHOL |
|||
| Beer | |||
| 6 pack (bottles) | 13.09 (Bud) | 8.30 (Coors Light) | |
| 6 pack (11.5 oz can) | 13.42 (Hinano) | Not available | |
| 6 pack (bottles) | 15.10 (Heineken) | Not available | |
| 24 can case | 39.11 (Hinano) | Not available | |
| Coors Light | 24 can case (12 oz) | 43.63 | 26.99 |
| 24 bottle case | 48.10 (Heineken) | Not available | |
| Wine | |||
| HUGE variety of red wines (mostly Bordeaux) and imports from Australia, Chile, Italy and New Zealand) | 750 ml | Prices range from 7.77 to 73.80 | Very limited variety (mostly California) ranging 6.50 to 23.50 |
| Carlo Rossi (only US wine) | 3 liter jug | 39.11 | Not available |
| Box wines – can’t recommend them – the tropical heat spoils them prior to purchase | 1 liter to 3 liter boxes | 5.93 to 36.87 | Only available at warehouse or liquor stores – 34.05 for 5 liter box |
| SPIRITS | |||
| Scotch | |||
| J & B | 700 ml bottle | 35.19 | 38.99 Liter |
| Cutty Sark | 700 ml bottle | 35.19 | 15.99 |
| Chivas (12 yr) | 700 ml bottle | 67.08 | 32.99 (warehouse) |
| Glenlivet (12 yr single) | 700 ml bottle | 102.84 | Not available |
| Rum | |||
| Bacardi “Superior” | 700 ml bottle | 58.13 | 25.50 Liter (Bacardi Gold) |
| (HUGE variety of local/imported rums available in Tahiti at prices ranging from 17.85 up) | |||
| Imported spirits available in Tahiti but generally very expensive | Limited imported spirits only available in Pago Pago at liquor store | ||
|
CLEANING PRODUCTS |
|||
| Laundry soap
(French products) |
3 liter jugs (liquid – powders are cheaper) | 14.49 to 18.91 | Not available |
| Laundry soap
(Tide, Gain, All Liquid) |
Not available | ||
| Dish soap (Palmolive) | 500 ml bottle
750 ml bottle |
4.53
6.49 |
2.95 (848 ml bottle) |
| Toilet tissue
Charmin Scott |
6 rolls (basic)
10 rolls (basic) 4 rolls (super) 6 rolls (super) |
2.90
6.04 Not available Not available |
5.40
3.99 5.69 |
| Paper towels
Bounty |
2 rolls (Viva)
1 roll |
5.09 | 1.55 |
| Kleenex | 275 each | 4.86 | 2.79 (250 each) |
| Kleenex (generic) | 150 each | 2.18 | Not available |
| Toothpaste (Colgate) | 50 ml tube
75 ml tube |
2.18 | 1.50 |
| Baby Powder (Johnsons) | 400 gr bottle
623 gr bottle |
6.43 | 4.99 |