Shopping and labels
Is a vegan diet expensive?
Short answer
The staples — groats, lentils, cabbage, potatoes, pasta, apples — are cheaper than meat. Ready-made swaps (cheese, deli slices) cost more. You can eat vegan cheaply or expensively, like any diet.
Cost jumps when you live on ready meals and barista oat coffee. It drops when you cook a pot of lentils and roast potatoes.
In Polish discounters, oat milk, tofu and hummus are everyday items. Compare price per 100 g of protein: dried pulses (lentils, peas, soybeans) usually beat chicken breast; ready-made tofu and meat alternatives do not always.