The UK was among the cheapest countries in the world in which to buy bread last year, according to new figures from Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The EIU checked bread prices in 124 cities in the world, from Tel Aviv to Tokyo and Lisbon to London in September 2013, for the recently published report.

Moscow was the most expensive city in the world to buy bread, with average price per kilo at £8.86. Seoul in South Korea was second at £7.14, followed by Caracas in Venezuela, with Paris was in fourth place at £5.40 a kilo.

The EIU found that bread in London cost £1.83 a kilo on average, putting it at number 72 on the list, with prices in the UK capital similar to those charged in Bucharest, Hungary.

The price was £1.63 a kilo in Manchester, 3p less than in Istanbul, and 27th from the bottom of the list of cities surveyed around the world.

The cheapest place in the world to buy bread was Mumbai, India, where a kilo cost the equivalent of 58p.

The EIU’s biannual Worldwide Cost of Living survey checks three types of outlet – cut price (eg Lidl), mid-range (eg Tesco) and top-end (eg Selfridges) to calculate an average. Prices of 160 items from food, to clothing to transport and utility bills are gathered.

EIU chief retail and consumer goods analyst Jon Copestake said the EIU calculates the price of a kilo of bread, which favours the UK, where 800g loaves are common. 

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