A single bag of rice, which used to be a standard purchase, now ate up nearly half his budget.

By the time Elias reached the vegetable stalls, his bag was surprisingly light, but his wallet was nearly empty.

Elias stood at the entrance of the central market, clutching a leather bag containing 200,000 in crisp notes. Just a few years ago, this amount could have stocked a pantry for a season, or perhaps even served as a down payment on a small plot of land. Today, it was simply "the grocery budget." The Market Entrance

A decent cut of beef was quoted at a price that made Elias laugh nervously.

At the butcher’s stall, the reality of the "200K" limit hit hard.