Living, What's the True Cost? How is it Really Going Up?

The current HOT news stories around the globe tend to relate to the increased cost of food, rent, gas, water, electricity, vehicle fuel, tax and many other items. Mostly, the present stories concern food riots and civil unrest that shortages and increased prices have caused and will continue to cause.

I've often said and heard others say that prices have increased "a lot" over the last 6 to 12 months. I usually believe people when they say things are getting more expensive relative to their income because I feel it in my own pocket. I have a niggling doubt though: I've not seen any facts and figures. It's hard to find prices for basic food products and other necessary items as purchased by real people around the globe; and it's difficult to compare those prices when they are listed in different currencies. So, I thought, just for posterity and comparison sake, we might make a real list here on ATS using a basic standard to ease comparison.

For the benefit of many, please could ATS members provide details for the following items (in their given order) and their values in two currencies - your native currency and the Dollar (Use his link for currency conversion)

Feel free to add additional items only under the main list and under the banner of ADDITIONAL ITEM/S. The list is in the next post to facilitate reading/copying & pasting.

I hope this is the correct place to post, I tried in the Research Forum but I didn't have permission and this forum seems like the next closest appropriate.

The list (only answer questions you're comfortable with and please bear in mind that where contracted services are used, use details from the basic package offered):

Date:
Country:
Currency:
Exchange Rate with USD:

Hours Worked Each Week:
Basic Hourly Wage:
Income Tax:
Local Government Tax (eg UK=council tax):
Rent/Mortgage (per month):


FUEL:

Unit and Cost for -

Water:
Electricity:
Gas:
Petrol:
Diesel
LPG:

COMMUNICATION:

Internal Postage Cost (basic letter):
Monthly Phoneline Rental (landline basic contract):
Monthly Phoneline Rental (mobile basic contract):
Monthly Internet (landline basic contract):
Monthly Internet (mobile basic contract):
Phonecall cost (local, landline to landline (minute)):
Phonecall cost (local, mobile to landline (minute)):

TRAVEL (mention distance where possible):

Taxi:
Bus:
Coach:
Train:
Jet (budget):
Ferry:

FOOD (approximation is acceptable provided the unit and quantity is stated):

Milk (per litre):
Eggs (per dozen):
Flour (per 100 grams):
Sugar (per 100 grams):
Coffee (per 100 grams):
Tea (bagged per 100 bags):
Sliced Bread (per 100 grams):
Breakfast Cereal (per 100 grams):
Rice (per 100 grams):
Pasta (per 100 grams):
Potatoes (per 100 grams):

HYGIENE:

Clothes Washing Powder (per 100 grams):
Clothes Washing Liquid (per litre):
Soap (per bar):
Shower Gel (per litre):
Pot Washing Liquid (for hand washing (per litre)):
Pot Washing Powder (for hand washing (per 100 grams)):

LUXURIES:

Snickers Bar (per 100 grams):
Mars bar (per 100 grams):
Hot Chocolate (per 100 grams):
Beer (per litre):
Beer (per pint):
Wine (per bottle):


ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

Put extra items here, I might amend the main list accordingly.

[edit on 15/404/0808 by Rapacity]

[edit on 15/404/0808 by Rapacity]

For the benefit of others, a related thread about food riots and shortages can be found on ATS at Skyrocketing food prices may topple regimes around the globe

Date: 15th April 2008
Country: England, U.K
Currency: GBP
Exchange Rate with USD: 1.00:1.96180 (GBP:USD)

Hours Worked Each Week: Independent Means
Basic Hourly Wage:
Income Tax:
Local Government Tax (eg UK=council tax):
Rent/Mortgage (per month):


FUEL:

Unit and Cost for -

Water:
Electricity: 0.2384p per kWh (0.467676 USD)
0.740p per kWh above 500 kWh p.a (1.45166 USD)

Gas: 0.6200p per kWh (1.21600 USD)
0.2601p per kWh above 2680 kWh p.a (0.510131 USD)
Petrol:
Diesel:
LPG:

COMMUNICATION:

Internal Postage Cost (basic letter): (1st class stamp) 0.36 GBP (0.706036 USD)
Monthly Phoneline Rental (landline basic contract):
Monthly Phoneline Rental (mobile basic contract):
Monthly Internet (landline basic contract):
Monthly Internet (mobile basic contract):
Phonecall cost (local, landline to landline (minute)):
Phonecall cost (local, mobile to landline (minute)):

TRAVEL (mention distance where possible):

Taxi:
Bus:
Coach:
Train: 11.20 GBP (approx. 64 mile, one way) (21.9742 USD)
Jet (budget):
Ferry:

FOOD (approximation is acceptable provided the unit and quantity is stated):

Milk (per litre): 0.59 GBP (1.15770 USD)
Eggs (per dozen): 2.78 GBP (5.45448 USD)
Flour (per 100 grams): (plain white) 0.082 GBP (0.160891 USD)
Sugar (per 100 grams): (granulated white( 0.09 GBP (0.176619 USD)
Coffee (per 100 grams): (Nescafe, freezedried) 1.84 GBP (3.61064 USD)
Tea (bagged per 100 bags): (PG Tips) 1.85 GBP (3.63024 USD)
Sliced Bread (per 100 grams): 0.106 GBP (0.207931 USD)
Breakfast Cereal (per 100 grams): (cornflakes, Kelloggs) 0.292 GBP (0.572993 USD)
Rice (per 100 grams): 0.145 GBP (0.284488 USD)
Pasta (per 100 grams): (spaghetti) 0.082 GBP (0.160891 USD)
Potatoes (per 100 grams): (New Potatoes) 0.063 GBP (0.123639 USD)

HYGIENE:

Clothes Washing Powder (per 100 grams): (Ariel) 0.208 GBP (0.408242 USD)
Clothes Washing Liquid (per litre):
Soap (per bar):
Shower Gel (per litre):
Pot Washing Liquid (for hand washing (per litre)): (Fairy Liquid) 1.80 GBP (3.53266 USD)
Pot Washing Powder (for hand washing (per 100 grams)):

LUXURIES:

Snickers Bar (per 100 grams): 0.544 GBP (1.06786 USD)
Mars bar (per 100 grams): 0.576 GBP (1.13068 USD)
Hot Chocolate (per 100 grams):
Beer (per litre):
Beer (per pint): 2.70 GBP (5.29888 USD)
Wine (per bottle): (Australian Shiraz, 75 cl) 3.67 GBP (7.20290 USD)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

I'll fill in the blanks whence I have the data.

I'm unable to edit my original posts so I'll add an extra bit here:

Please add-up the total cost of the items you've listed in both your national currency and Dollars, divide the total by the number of items you've priced (i.e get the mean average) and divide "1" by the result:

Number of items priced:
Sum of listed prices in (my currency):
Sum of listed prices in (Dollars):
Number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (my currency):
Number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (Dollars):
1 divided by the number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (my currency):
1 divided by the number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (Dollars):

The above calculations will facilitate comparisons between time periods and nations.

Using data I posted above on the 15th April 2008:


Number of items priced: 21 (gas and elec prices averaged, respectively)
Sum of listed prices in (GBP): 20.4099 GBP
Sum of listed prices in (USD): 40.04014182
Number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (GBP): 1.028912439551394176
Number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (USD): 0.5244736668118025162
1 divided by the number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (GBP): 0.97190
1 divided by the number of items divided by sum of listed prices in (USD): 1.90667342

NOTE: The travel data has been calculated on a per mile basis (train ride of approx. 64 miles charged at 11.20 GBP equates to 0.175 GBP per mile).