Shopping at Mercadona on Tenerife costs noticeably less than on the Spanish mainland. Tenerife operates under a 5% VAT rate, compared to 22% on the mainland — so Mercadona Spain prices here run 10–20% lower than in Madrid or Barcelona. A weekly grocery shop for a family of four comes to around €120–150 on the island, versus roughly €180 in Madrid. For two people, the average weekly spend on Spain grocery prices is €250–325 across the country. This guide breaks down what you can realistically expect to pay, so you can plan your food budget before you arrive.
Vegetables and Fruits
Tomatoes cost around €2 per kilogram, and cherry tomatoes around €4. Cucumbers are a little over €2. Potatoes are approximately €1.5, and onions range from €1.2 to €2.2. An iceberg lettuce is €1.5. Canarian bananas are about €2.5.
Prices for fruits and vegetables, as everywhere, fluctuate depending on the season.
Bread and Pastries
The bread selection in supermarkets is poor. They usually sell freshly-baked baguettes from frozen dough – utter garbage! Inedible the next day. Baguettes cost €0.5–1.5, depending on length. Large croissants are €0.8 each. Long-lasting loaves sell for €1.
There are cookies to suit every taste, mostly made in Spain.
Chocolate Bars
They sell good chocolate bars, ranging from €1–3 per bar.
Soda and Water
Is soda expensive or not? I don’t know our prices. An aluminum 0.33L can costs around €0.25.
There are many varieties of bottled water. Price per liter ranges from 15 to 60 cents. The cheapest is sometimes worse-tasting than tap water and leaves scale in the kettle. I choose an inexpensive, slightly mineralized water with the funny name débil — it’s not a brand, but a water type.
Sausages and Ham
Spain holds up well when it comes to sausages — even budget dry-cured options are solid quality. A good starting point is reddish dry-cured chorizo, available by weight at around €6–8 per kilogram.
Ham selection is extensive. Whole legs range from €15 to €49 depending on the grade. Skip the pre-sliced vacuum packs when possible — ask the counter staff to slice it fresh.
For Jamón Ibérico, buying a whole leg isn’t always practical. Instead, look for pre-packaged 90-gram slices of Jamón Bellota Ibérico 100%, priced at roughly €15 per pack — that works out to approximately €167 per kg. Grab a pack or two for a premium taste without committing to a full leg. Food prices in Spain supermarkets vary, but this is one category where spending a little more pays off.
Meat
Spanish beef is available both lean and with marbling, priced at €12–€18 per kilogram.
Pork sells for €5–€7 per kilogram.
Chicken is sold whole or in parts. In 2026, fresh chicken breast is priced at €5.50 per kg — down 5% from 2025, reflecting stable supply across Spanish retailers. Mercadona prices for poultry remain among the most consistent on the market. Whole birds, quarters, and drumsticks are all widely available, along with organic options.
Fish
Almost all the fish in Mercadona is imported from Spain and other countries. Local catch is rare.
If desired, they can clean and fillet the fish for you. Take a paper number and wait your turn. Point to the fish you want, and they’ll lovingly prepare it. If needed, they’ll slice it into steaks or fillet it.
The stores have a large selection of super-fresh seafood: shrimp for €10/kg, mussels for €5/kg, squid from €6/kg.
Canned fish starts from €1.5.
Canned Goods
I recommend the herb and ham pâtés at €1 per can.
Check out the prices for other Spanish canned goods:
Pre-cooked Foods
Dairy Products
Mercadona’s own private label, Hacendado, covers most of the dairy aisle. Hacendado milk costs €0.85 per liter — noticeably below the EU average. For comparison, fresh short-shelf-life milk from the cooler runs €0.95, while ultra-pasteurized sits at €0.56.
There’s also soy milk and nut-based drinks, though the Hacendado line currently offers limited variety in vegan dairy alternatives — a gap worth knowing about if plant-based options matter to you.
Kefir has recently appeared on the shelves. Spanish yogurts with bifidobacteria cost around €1 each. When browsing Mercadona products and prices in the frozen section, Hacendado ice cream stands out: locals rate it highly, and it sells for €1.50 per pint.
Spanish desserts round out the dairy section well.
Cheese
There’s a huge variety of cheeses. I only photographed the standard types to have something to compare with. I like the hard sheep’s milk cheese.
I recommend the Spanish cheeses made from three kinds of milk: sheep, cow, and goat.
Jam
For jam, we get the inexpensive Spanish peach, apricot, and quince varieties for €1.5–2.5 per jar at Lidl. I make sure the jar shows fruit fiber, otherwise it’ll just be flavorless jelly.
Tea and Coffee
Tea is mostly herbal, so bring your own from Russia ;-)
Pasta and Grains
Vegetable Oil
I don’t see much difference between olive oil in glass and plastic bottles for salads. We often get Coosur Pisual with a nice bitterness for €5. By the way, on Tenerife this oil cost €4.
Beer
Mercadona beer prices in 2026 are genuinely low. A 1L bottle of Estrella Galicia costs €1.20 — significantly cheaper than ordering at a local bar, and slightly less than Lidl’s €1.40 for a comparable volume. Most supermarket lagers lack depth, but Alhambra Classic holds up reasonably well. Always check the expiration date; fresh stock within one to two months is worth the extra look.
Wine
Everyone knows about Spanish wines. Bottle prices start from €2 in the store.
Not many are familiar with Canarian wines though. They are produced in small quantities and hardly exported at all. The fertile volcanic soil gives the drink a special character. I recommend trying it!
Snacks
Flour, Sugar, and Eggs
Vegan Products
There are vegan sections in the stores.
Household Items
For toiletries, Mercadona’s own health and beauty label Deliplus is worth knowing — their toothpaste, for example, costs well under €1 and holds up fine. The mercadona price on most household staples stays competitive, but budget a little extra time at checkout. Since 2026, reusable bags are mandatory: each bag costs €0.10, and the store does not offer cash refunds under any circumstances. Bring your own bag to avoid the charge entirely — it is a small thing that catches a lot of first-time shoppers off guard.
Fresh Produce from a Farm
If you want to buy fresh fruits and veggies at a bargain, head to the Finca la Caldera farm in Costa Adeje.
You’ll have a great time if you happen to hit one of the village farmers’ markets and buy fruits, veggies, cheese, and sausages straight from the producers. They won’t compare to the supermarket goods.
Please let me know in the comments what you usually buy at Spanish supermarkets.
