Grocery Prices in Pakistan Double: How Can an Ordinary Citizen Survive on a Limited Income?
Opinion
By Sadaf Ibrar.
The rising cost of living in Pakistan has made it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to manage their household expenses. Families that once managed their monthly grocery shopping with Rs25,000 are now spending Rs50,000 or even more to purchase the same essential items.
This sharp increase in everyday expenses has placed enormous pressure on household budgets, particularly for people whose incomes have not increased at the same pace as prices. For an ordinary salaried person, managing food, electricity bills, house rent, transport, education and healthcare expenses has become a daily struggle.
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The impact of inflation is most visible in grocery markets, where prices of flour, rice, cooking oil, pulses, vegetables, milk, meat and other essential commodities continue to put pressure on consumers. A family that previously purchased groceries for an entire month with a limited amount of money now finds that the same budget is insufficient. Even people who carefully plan their shopping are struggling to keep their expenses under control. Many households have started reducing the quantity of food they purchase, switching to cheaper alternatives and avoiding items that were once considered part of their normal daily diet.
The situation is particularly difficult for low-income families and individuals working on fixed salaries. When monthly earnings remain unchanged but grocery bills continue to increase, people are left with very few options. A person earning Rs40,000 or Rs50,000 a month may have to spend a significant portion of their salary on food alone. After paying electricity and gas bills, house rent, transport expenses and children's school fees, very little money remains for other necessities. In many cases, families are forced to borrow money from relatives, friends or shopkeepers to manage their monthly expenses.
The middle class, which has traditionally tried to maintain a reasonable standard of living through regular employment and careful financial planning, is also feeling the pressure. Government employees, private-sector workers, teachers, office staff and daily-wage earners are finding it increasingly difficult to balance their income and expenditure. Even households with two earning members are struggling when they have to support children, elderly parents and other dependants. Rising prices have also affected people's ability to save money for emergencies, education, healthcare and future needs.
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Food is a basic necessity, yet for many families in Pakistan, purchasing sufficient and nutritious food is becoming a challenge. Parents often compromise on their own needs to ensure that their children have enough to eat. Some families have reduced their consumption of meat, fruit and dairy products because these items have become too expensive. Such compromises may appear to be temporary adjustments, but when they continue for months, they can affect household nutrition and overall quality of life.
The growing financial pressure is also changing people's lifestyles. Families are avoiding social gatherings, postponing purchases of clothing and household items, and cutting down on travel and recreational activities. Medical check-ups and other healthcare needs may also be delayed because people prefer to use their limited income for food and utility bills. For many households, the challenge is no longer about maintaining a comfortable lifestyle; it is about managing basic necessities until the next salary arrives.
Food, education, healthcare and a reasonable standard of living are essential requirements, not luxuries. The government needs to take practical steps to provide relief to ordinary citizens. CREDIT: AI-generated images created via Chat GPT.
The government needs to take practical steps to provide relief to ordinary citizens. Effective monitoring of essential commodity prices, action against hoarding and artificial price increases, improvements in agricultural supply chains and targeted financial assistance for low-income households can help reduce the pressure. However, temporary relief measures alone cannot address the problem. Sustainable economic policies, employment opportunities, better wage protection and effective price regulation are necessary to improve people's purchasing power.
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At the same time, households can try to manage their limited resources through careful budgeting, comparing market prices and prioritising essential purchases. However, personal financial planning has its limits when the cost of basic necessities continues to rise while incomes remain stagnant. Citizens cannot be expected to overcome an economic crisis through savings and spending cuts alone.
The most important question is how an ordinary person can survive when the cost of groceries has doubled but their salary has not. A household cannot indefinitely reduce its food consumption, postpone healthcare or depend on borrowing to meet everyday needs. Food, education, healthcare and a reasonable standard of living are essential requirements, not luxuries. If inflation continues to erode people's purchasing power, the financial pressure on families will become even more difficult to manage. The real challenge for Pakistan is therefore not simply controlling prices but ensuring that ordinary citizens earn enough to afford a dignified life.
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This article is written by Sadaf Ibrar.
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