Is it cheaper to be a vegetarian?

With most meat and fish costing more than P100/kilo, I can’t help but ask myself if it’s cheaper to be a vegetarian.  Check out the prices from various markets/stores below:

Balintawak Market in Quezon City:

Tomatoes (1 kilo) – P25
Kalamansi (1 kilo, big size) - P20
Carrots (1 kilo) – P30
Potatoes (1 kilo) – P28
String beans (per super fat bunch) – P10
Lettuce (1 big head) – P15
Saba (biggest size) – P1.80 per piece
Coconut (biggest size) – P15
Squash (medium size) – P20 per piece
Pechay (1 kilo) – P20
Broccoli (per kilo) – P40
Pineapple (medium size) – P15
Source: MoneySmarts

At the Marikina market:

Eggplant - P50/kilo
Red onions - P82/kilo
Ampalaya - P80/kilo
Squash - P10/ large slice
Okra - P32/kilo
Broccoli (one large stem with leaves) - P 48
Potatoes - P 28/kilo
String Beans - P 20/kilo
Lettuce - P20-P28 per head or P60 per kilo

At Makro:

Eggplant - P49/kilo (for a 2 kg pack)
Cucumber - P39/kilo (for a 2kg pack)
Ampalaya - P72/kilo (for a 2kg pack)
Squash - P17/kilo (for 3kg and above)

What would make vegetarianism exponentially cheaper is that if you buy in bulk and store most of your purchases in a chest freezer.  But not all vegetables freeze well - especially those delicate veggies that have a lot of water.  For example, you shouldn’t freeze lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy veggies, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  I’ve found a very helpful page with instructions on how to freeze specific vegetables.  Here’s an excerpt on how to freeze eggplant:

 Cut into slices, sprinkle with salt and allow to stand 30 minutes. Drain off excess liquid and fry gently in butter or margarine until just tender. Cool and pack into plastic containers. Seal and label. Keeps up to 3 months.
(Source: Freezing Vegetables from Garden Guides)

Vegetable prices may be cheaper than meat, but there are some ways in which vegetarianism might actually cost more.  It especially depends on the types of vegetables you buy, among other things.

When is it more expensive to be a vegetarian?

• When you’re shopping for a household that can’t live without meat.  For example, a family of 5 where only 1 or 2 members will be vegetarian.  In this case, buying vegetables for the vegetarians and mostly meat for the omnivores will just add to the overall household expenses (and overall cooking hassle!).
• When you’re dining out.  Generally, vegetarian restaurants tend to be more expensive than their non-vegetarian counterparts (not always, but usually).  This is probably because they are seen as “specialty” restaurants.  However, if you eat a vegetarian dish in a regular restaurant, the veggie dish might be cheaper compared to the other meat-based meals they offer.

So, the answer to my question is: it depends.  If you’re simply feeding yourself or an entire household that is willing to make the switch, then it’s definitely cheaper, especially if you’re buying in bulk and freezing the vegetables.  In my case, I have yet to convince my entire household of 4 to switch completely, but I am making more vegetable purchases than usual.

Do you think it’s cheaper to be a vegetarian?  How much of your diet is made up of veggies?