Hawaiians were recently shocked to see the price of homegrown bananas compared to ones from Central America. Specifically, the price difference was $2.19 for the local bananas, against $1.49 for the Central American ones. And before you ask, yes – this photo was taken in the same shop, where the bananas were literally sitting next to each other. Unsurprisingly, the cheaper bananas had a much smaller pile compared to the Hawaiian ones.

Now, sometimes people prefer homegrown meats and other luxuries which is understandable when talking about freshness. However, a banana is literally a fruit that comes in its own natural packaging, which makes the price rise quite baffling. Ironically, this was photographed in a Don Quijote store, which apparently offers ‘discounted’ foods.

However, upon second glance, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Firstly, these are technically apple bananas, which are slightly different. You can actually see the difference in the photo, where the apple bananas are thicker and shaped differently. They’re also meant to taste slightly sweeter. One local also said, “Buying local supports your community and that is an investment in your community. It also helps communities to support a greener economy. Well worth the extra cost.”

In short, there are some differences to note. Nonetheless, if you’re on a budget then let’s be realistic, you’ll be buying the Central American bananas every time. On a separate note, this also highlights how expensive grocery shopping in Hawaii has gotten in recent times.