What's cheap in your country compared to others?

[GodlessAstronomer]

You guys are an island so of course things are going to be expensive there, just like things are going to be expensive in Japan. You guys have to import almost everything except for sheep.

I know Worth it

 

[AstroManLuca]

Couldn't be more wrong.

Uhhhh 100 mins? That's about $10USD alright (usually prepaid).

$40 is the norm for the unlimited talk, text, +$10 for data. (MetroPCS)

Things work totally different in the US though.

Any GOOD smartphone is going to require a big carrier, no prepaid.

Said big carriers usually don't offer anything less than 700 or 1500 minutes a month even though most people don't even get close to using all of them, especially with free nights + weekends + in-network calling + "favorite" numbers.

Those plans are expensive.

If you're cool with a basic phone, though, you can get really cheap prepaid plans here.

 

[AstroManLuca]

OH! Internet connections, particularly compared to the US, I pay £25 for 50Mb, and it's doubling to 100Mb next month for the same price

They have 50 Mb internet in Britain? I thought internet speeds sucked there? Maybe I was thinking of Australia. What kind of cap do you have, if any?

 

[Monster_Munch]

They have 50 Mb internet in Britain? I thought internet speeds sucked there? Maybe I was thinking of Australia. What kind of cap do you have, if any?

Depends where you are. I live out in the countryside (lake district) and the fastest I can get is 3 Mb. If BT ever roll out FTTC here I might be able to get 10Mb adsl, but thats probably a few years away.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

They have 50 Mb internet in Britain? I thought internet speeds sucked there? Maybe I was thinking of Australia. What kind of cap do you have, if any?

Britain is one of the world's leaders in broadband adoption and quality of service.

 

[coloumb]

From the various business trips I've had - I'd have to say the cost of gasoline [in the US] is cheaper than other countries. A lot of people take taxis, buses, local transit system, walk, or ride bicycles.

As a visitor [business trips to China] - I'd have to say local food places and generic non-name brand clothes/shoes are cheap. When our training facility was located in the US - the chinese would always buy clothing.

Costs that are about the same as US prices:
- Electronics
- Name Brand clothing [nike, addidas, etc]
- Name Brand food places and snack foods [McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Coke, Snickers, Chips, etc]
- Food / drinks in hotels

 

[ElFenix]

Compared to the US I guess our prescription drugs are very cheap, but everyone on the planet gets prescription drugs cheap compared to USA.

you're welcome

 

[HAL9000]

They have 50 Mb internet in Britain? I thought internet speeds sucked there? Maybe I was thinking of Australia. What kind of cap do you have, if any?

You're definitely thinking of somewhere else. Standard internet is around 20Mb where I live, and I have no cap. 100Mb is available in a few areas and mine next month.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

you're welcome

But I didn.... oh.

 

[zerocool84]

I know Worth it

My brother has lived in Japan for 3 years now and tells me how expensive everything is in a island nation but I'd expect things to be cheaper than NZ since they're closer to all the cheap Asian labor than you guys are.

 

[shortylickens]

Lives, apparently.

 

[TraumaRN]

I remember in French Polynesia local bread and local fruit were ridiculously cheap. Bread was about 50 cents US for a 12 inch french baguette so fresh from the oven you couldn't hold it because it was that hot. I also remember buying 2 coconuts, 2 pampelmousse(aka grapefruit) a dozen picked fresh from the tree bananas and a couple papayas for about $2.50 USD.

When I was in Australia anything alcohol related was insanely overpriced. Margarita? That'll be 14 dollars US. And this was in Cairns which isn't exactly a tourism hotspot.

 

[grrl]

Gas is still comparatively cheap in the US. When the price hits $6-7/gallon you can start complaining.

In South Korea used cars, eyeglasses, restaurants, mass transit, mechanics and manual labor are all cheap. You get raped on electronics though and clothes are ridiculously expensive.

 

[bfdd]

Marijuana is cheap

 

[Zeze]

Gas is still comparatively cheap in the US. When the price hits $6-7/gallon you can start complaining.

In South Korea used cars, eyeglasses, restaurants, mass transit, mechanics and manual labor are all cheap. You get raped on electronics though and clothes are ridiculously expensive.

Why are electronics and clothes expensive in korea?

 

[grrl]

Why are electronics and clothes expensive in korea?

I think electronics are expensive simply because Samsung, LG, etc know they can screw the locals. Plus, imported stuff gets hit with duty, although it's slowly going down with the US-Korea FTA. There is 10% VAT to calculate in, but even that doesn't explain why a 40" LG plasma costs $725 in Korea but $550 (shipped!) from Amazon.

Clothes I'm less sure about. I don't know how many of the local brands are still made in country (despite what the lable may claim), but that Korean labor certainly isn't as cheap as it was 20-30 years ago. Much of their fashion (women's especially) is also made for the Korean market, so they have a monopoly of sorts. You'd never see an American dressed like some of the students or housewives here.