Grocery Shopping in Carini Sicily: A Budget-Friendly Paradise

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲! Today, we’ll provide a firsthand look at the grocery shopping experience in Carini, Sicily, offering insights into the cost of living and the availability of fresh, local produce.

Sicily’s captivating landscapes, steeped in history and vibrant culture, offer an enticing escape, whether you’re considering a permanent relocation or an extended sabbatical. However, while the allure of island life is strong, evaluating the practicalities of daily living, particularly the cost of living, before making any significant decisions is crucial.

To provide a clearer picture of life in Sicily, we’re sharing our experience shopping at Lidl in Carini, a popular grocery store chain across Europe and the U.S. While we frequent various local markets and vendors, Lidl remains one of our preferred choices for its diverse selection and convenience.

The shopping experience begins with securing a cart, which requires a coin deposit—50 cents or a €1 or €2 coin suffices. Although we are committed to supporting local businesses, such as fruit markets and fishmongers, Lidl offers a convenient alternative with its wide range of products, including a robust selection of locally sourced and seasonal items.

The store’s bakery section stands out, with fresh bread and rolls baked daily, ensuring top quality. The intuitive self-service system, with clear signage, makes the shopping process efficient. We’ve found the quality of meat and seafood exceptional, with prices significantly lower than in the United States, which adds to the appeal of shopping here.

While we typically purchase fresh fish from local markets, Lidl’s frozen section is a reliable option. It offers a variety of seafood, including octopus, salted cod, and whole fish. Their selection is impressive and caters to diverse culinary preferences.

As the holiday season approaches, Lidl has already stocked traditional treats like Panettone and Pandoro in various flavors, including the famous lemon cream. These festive offerings add to the store’s appeal, making it a one-stop shop for everyday essentials and special occasions.

Bottled water is a household essential in Sicily, and we typically choose Sant’Anna, priced at approximately 57 cents for a 2-liter bottle. Lastly, the efficient checkout process and courteous staff ensure a pleasant shopping experience from start to finish.

After shopping, we return the cart to retrieve our coin, ready for the next visit. This shopping trip provided us with essential supplies and valuable insights into the cost of living in Sicily, helping us make informed decisions about our future in this Mediterranean paradise.

▶️ Video Chapters:
00:00 Grocery Shopping in Carini Sicily
00:10 Getting a Shopping Cart
00:20 Supporting Local Vendors
00:34 Prepackaged Fruits and Vegetables
00:50 Bread and Rolls
01:12 Self-Service System
01:23 Fresh Meat and Fish
01:47 Frozen Seafood Section
02:09 Holiday Treats
02:21 Bottled Water
02:29 Checkout Process

Grocery Shopping in Carini Sicily

We shop at many grocery stores in the area, but Lidl is one of our favorites. It’s a German chain in Europe and the U.S.

 Getting a Shopping Cart

The first thing we do is get a shopping cart. They are all chained together. And you have to put a coin in to get one. If you don’t have 50 cents, you can use a €1 coin or €2.

Supporting Local Vendors

We always support our local vendors, the fruit markets and the fishmongers, but we do shop at grocery stores also.

They have a great selection of nuts, and I always get the roasted almonds with sea salt.

Prepackaged Fruits and Vegetables

This particular grocery store has a lot of prepackaged fruits and vegetables already made up for you with the prices attached.

Very few things are imported here. Most things are seasonal but very good and fresh.

Bread and Rolls

Lidl has a nice variety of bread and rolls. Croce is waiting his turn in the self-service line. It really surprised me to see a lot of signs in English.

Everything is freshly baked in the morning. You’ll never get day-old bread here.

Self-Service System

The system is pretty easy for creating a ticket. There are pictures for everything.

We have been thoroughly the food and the prices!

Fresh Meat and Fish

The meat and fish is so very good and fresh so delicious.

We have estimated that meat costs about half of what it does in the United States.

Frozen Seafood Section

We get fresh fish every week from town, but this store has a good frozen section. They have frozen octopus salted cod, baccala. They have mussels and whole fish that are cleaned, some with the head on and some without.

I like the big ones here in the case because they don’t have many bones. This is the one that I like, the sea brim.

Holiday Treats

They have already put out the Panettone, and I love the little personal ones. I think they are so cute. And, of course, the classic Pandoro, and the kind with the lemon cream. All varieties are here.

Bottled Water

Everybody buys bottled water here. We use Sant’Anna, and it’s about 57 cents for a 2-Litre bottle.

Checkout Process

The cashiers do a really good job, and we usually don’t have to wait very long at all.

We’ll load the car and return our shopping cart and get our coin back for the next time.

Thanks for watching and see you in the next video.