Save on your UAE grocery bill: New tool shows where rice, oil and eggs cost less

UAE residents can now compare the prices of everyday groceries across major supermarkets before heading out to shop, using a new official digital platform launched by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The  Essential Goods Prices Platform  allows shoppers to search for basic items such as rice, cooking oil, eggs, bread, chicken, meat, fish, milk, vegetables, fruits and water and compare prices across participating retailers. Recommended For You Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels Here is how residents can use it. What is the platform? The Essential Goods Prices Platform is an  official online tool  that shows prices of essential consumer goods across major retail outlets in the UAE. The platform allows users to search for and select products, build a shopping list, and compare total bills across major stores to check where they can save the most. According to the ministry, the platform covers 33 items in its initial phase, including 17 basic goods and 16 other essential products. Prices are monitored across 12 major retail outlets nationwide. What items are listed? The platform currently covers essential grocery categories such as cooking oil, wheat, rice, dairy products, legumes, sugar, eggs, bread, chicken, fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and water. Users can browse products by category or use filters to narrow down their search. For instance, a shopper looking for rice, eggs or cooking oil can select the relevant category, compare listed items and check how prices differ across participating retailers. How much do prices vary? A visit to the platform shows clear price differences across basic grocery categories. Chicken was listed from Dh10.77, compared with the highest displayed price of Dh20.42. Cooking oil started at Dh5.01, while the highest displayed price was Dh18.67. Rice was listed from Dh4, compared with the highest displayed price of Dh16. Eggs started at 27 fils, against the highest displayed price of 75 fils. Other examples shown on the platform included wheat from Dh2.10 to Dh5, sugar from Dh2.50 to Dh5, bread from Dh6.14 to Dh8.75, dairy from Dh3.75 to Dh5.98, and legumes from Dh3.83 to Dh10. The comparisons show why shoppers should check the exact product, unit and quantity before buying, as prices may vary by item size, brand, store and location. How can shoppers compare prices? There are two ways to compare prices on the platform. The first is by category. For example, if a shopper selects the cooking oil category, they can compare prices across participating stores, brands and sizes. The second is by creating a basket. Shoppers can add a specific product, brand and quantity to their basket and compare its price across retailers. The platform also shows the best available price for that item. Users can also add multiple products to the basket. Once they do, the tool shows the outlet with the lowest total bill for the selected items. Why should users check the exact product? Prices can vary depending on the brand, size, weight, unit and branch. A product listed under the same category may not always be exactly the same item at every retailer. For example, cooking oil may be listed in different bottle sizes, while bread, chicken or dairy products may vary by weight, brand or packaging. Shoppers should therefore compare like-for-like items before deciding where to buy. How often are prices updated? According to the ministry, commodity prices on the platform are updated daily to ensure accurate monitoring of market changes. The ministry said the platform receives data through direct integration with participating retail outlets, which automatically share price information with its database. What if the store price is different? Consumers have been urged to report any difference between the price shown on the platform and the actual price in stores. They can report discrepancies by calling 8001222.