I want to have a notion of how much stuff is actually “priced” in many countries as a comparison. If you live somewhere that is specifically expensive/cheaper in your country please do note that.
This is just so I can fathom more or less how distorted prices are in different places and products. Especially stuff you spend in a regular basis.
So how much does in US$ (more or less) this cost:
Coca Cola Can from a soda machine ?
Coca Cola can from market?
2 Litres of Coca Cola in Supermarket?
1 Litre of normal Gasoline (1 Gallon = 4 litres) ?
New Cheap Car (compact or something) ?
Recommend you find the Economist (magazine)'s Big Mac Index. This assumes that a Big Mac is a uniform product around the world and “should” (in a perfect market) cost the same worldwide.
The index is used as a quick measure of which currencies are under- and over-valued.
Coca Cola can from market? - Can’t really buy just one but in a twelve pack maybe $0.20
2 Litres of Coca Cola in Supermarket? $1.19 (same everywhere I guess)
1 Litre of normal Gasoline (1 Gallon = 4 litres) Currently around $0.36
New Cheap Car (compact or something) no idea
McD Big Mac ? Its about $3.50 for the value meal, which includes a medium fry and a medium coke (which is quite large and free to refill). Alone maybe $2.50 but I’m not sure.
Movie Ticket weekend ? in NYC - After 5:00 about $7.50 per ticket in Austin, $5.50 in Houston if you attend college $7.00 if you dont. Before 5:00 around $4.00.
Good Health Insurance 30yr old (month or year) ? No idea.
Music CD in a shop ? $14.99 (Same as NYC)
Cell Phone medium cost model ? Depends, sometimes free.
Coca Cola Can from a soda machine ? $1
Coca Cola can from market? dunno
2 Litres of Coca Cola in Supermarket? ** 1.5 Litre bottle - $1.20**
1 Litre of normal Gasoline (1 Gallon = 4 litres) ? $1.10
New Cheap Car (compact or something) ? $25000 (no that is not a type :()
McD Big Mac ? $4 (I think, don’t frequent the joint; a meal costs $6-7)
Movie Ticket weekend ? $6-7 - was uniformly $7 until about a month ago, major chain decided to undercut
Good Health Insurance 30yr old (month or year) ? dunno
Music CD in a shop ? REALLY depends - anywhere from $6-7 to $20 and somtimes more for specials/early release big hits
Cell Phone medium cost model ? Nominally probably over $300, but you never have to pay that much - always payed in 36 installments and with air-time rebates, usually end up paying between $3-$6 a month
There are scientifically calculated indexes that do this sort of thing for many cities, both in the US and around the world. The US State Department, for instance, does such pricings.
One immediate problem with your random survey: the non-US responses you’re getting are all in US-dollars, and so there would be considerable variation in price as the exchange rate varies.
It also depends on which area you are in inside a particular city. In Paris, for example, a can of Coke from a street vendor in a touristy area can easily cost $5.00. A few blocks away in a non-touristy area, it’s $1.00.