Pretty much every Canadian has felt the pinch when it comes to the rising cost of groceries, and one recent Reddit post shows how much people in Ontario paid for groceries over 70 years ago.

Reddit user EnvironmentalCake594 shared a photo on Reddit of a 1952 flyer from Dominion, a chain of supermarkets across Canada. Back then, it does seem like shoppers at Dominion's Sudbury, Ontario, location certainly got some amazing deals, such as Red Rose instant coffee for 52 cents and Tide detergent for just 63 cents.

But were the deals back then really that great?

According to a Cost of Living survey, Canadians spent an average of $189.10 on food in March 1952. Meanwhile, Canada's Food Price Report 2024 predicted that an average Canadian family of four would spend $16,297.20 on food a year.

A Statistics Canada survey reveals that the national weekly salary across Canada in 1952 was $111.60; however, in 2024, the weekly average salary was $1,205.01.

Grocery prices Northern Ontario 1952
byu/EnvironmentalCake594 inontario

We chose some items from the supermarket flyer to see how they compare to today's prices, opting for Walmart Canada for consistency:

Navel oranges

1952: Two for 55 cents
2024: One for $1.23

Pineapple

1952: 29 cents
2024: $2.97

Grapefruit

1952: Five for 35 cents
2024: One for $1.97

Celery

1952: Two for 19 cents
2024: One bundle for $1.97

Tomatoes

1952: 1 kg for 29 cents
2024: 1 kg for $4.34

Green cabbage

1952: Eight cents
2024: $6.63

Carrots

1952: Three packets for 25 cents
2024: 2 lb bag for $3.47

Ground beef

1952: 39 cents
2024: One tray for 1.40 kg, $15.96

Bacon

Photo by Icatnews/Shutterstock

1952: 55 cents
2024: $4.97

Beans with bacon

1952: Three 15 oz (443 ml) for 29 cents
2024: Three 100 ml cans for $6

Sliced pears

1952: Two 15 oz bottles (443 ml) for 27 cents
2024: 398 ml for $1.97 each

Dill pickles

Photo by Jenari/Shutterstock

1952: 24 oz (709 ml) for 25 cents
2024: 1 litre for $3.27

Gerber cereal for babies

1952: 8 oz (226 g) for 23 cents
2024: 227 g for $5.47

Instant coffee

1952: Red Rose, 2 oz (56 g) for 52 cents
2024: Nescafé (100 g) for $6.47

Tide

Photo by rblfmr/Shutterstock

1952: 63 cents
2024: $7.96

SOS soap pads

1952: Per packet, 14 cents
2024: $19.49

Ivory soap

1952: Four pieces for 22 cents
2024: Three pieces for $31.88