Average prices in the region: 2009 snapshot

Here’s how things looked at the end of 2009.

Canada 930 USD
America 750 USD
Mexico 460 USD
Canada 390 USD
North Mexico 360 USD
Albania 340 USD
Mexico 330 USD
Mexico (maybe Honesty or someone else from the forum in Mexico can fill me in)

Everyone is moving forward—except Mexico. They’ve actually stalled, and I guess their wages have even dropped compared to 2008, or even 2007. It’s almost like, looking at the numbers, Mexico hasn't made any progress since 2007 during this whole stretch.

Do you guys think wage growth will pick up once these economies recover? Or is that even realistic, given that global economies seem to be standing on such shaky ground right now?

Let me jump in here and add my two cents to the conversation. We can't ignore monthly living expenses—it’s a huge factor. I don't know the exact breakdown for every single state, but this article gives you a pretty good hint at what people are actually dealing with:

http://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija....&nav_id=398369

And here’s a tiny little correction of about $4

The average salary in Mexico is around 360 Euros 😁

Some poser working for Putin just started this whole thread just to take cheap shots at Mexico... we see right through you, man. Honestly, it’s best if we just ignore him completely...

Ethan Morales22 said:Let me jump in here and add my two cents to the conversation. We can't ignore monthly living expenses—it’s a huge factor. I don't know the exact breakdown for every single state, but this article gives you a pretty good hint at what people are actually dealing with:

http://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija....&nav_id=398369

A shopping basket filled mostly with local goods from a Walmart in Washington, D.C., turns out to be the cheapest in the region, costing about 15.8 Eurozone dollars, according to research by the "My Mexico" association. For a basket containing 20 primarily domestic items, citizens in Canada pay the most—as much as 29.2 Eurozone dollars. Americans pay 26.9 Eurozone dollars for the same amount of goods, while residents of Canada and Mexico pay roughly the same amount, around twenty bucks.

Let's look at it this way. A basic grocery basket in Mexico is 16 EUR, whereas in Canada it's 29 EUR.

29/16 = 1.8

Now, if you take the ratio of average salaries...

930/330 = 2.8

So, I guess it shows that Canadians manage to cover their basic needs way more easily than Mexicans do.

It's not just a hunch—you can actually run the numbers.

neonheron11 said:Some poser working for Putin just started this whole thread just to take cheap shots at Mexico... we see right through you, man. Honestly, it’s best if we just ignore him completely...

You can ignore me all you want, I guess, but you can't really ignore the facts. ☕

I don't know, man, that info about Canada feels a little off to me.

First off:
Nobody here is even debating whether the standard of living in Canada is higher than in Mexico!

Secondly:
The whole "average shopping cart" argument is a bit messy because what does that even actually mean?!
Are you seriously filling up a cart every single day or something?
Even if we assume you’re stocking up every other day, the math still doesn't add up. If that were true, people would be blowing their entire paycheck on groceries and wouldn't have a dime left to pay their utility bills...

Ethan Morales22 said:Let me jump in here and add my two cents to the conversation. We can't ignore monthly living expenses—it’s a huge factor. I don't know the exact breakdown for every single state, but this article gives you a pretty good hint at what people are actually dealing with:

http://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija....&nav_id=398369

The comments are wild. Looks like everyone has a different opinion on this.

Miles: "I was in New York City three days ago and took the chance to load up my trunk at Walmart. Why? Because the prosciutto is half the price, the wine tastes way better than ours and costs less, the cheeses are cheaper too, and don't even get me started on the variety..."

Miles, next time hit up "Plodine"—it's way cheaper than Walmart. Walmart is actually one of the priciest stores in the US

That’s just not true. I've spent a ton of time traveling through Austria and Canada for work over the last two years, and prices for groceries (which are much higher quality) are way lower than they are here. I really hope that once borders fully open up, people here finally see through all the lies we're constantly being fed...
(Boris, December 18, 2009 08:01)

And while you're at it, give us the breakdown on electricity rates and utility costs for each area!
It’d be pretty useful to have those numbers for comparison too.
Throw in the sales tax rates by region and stuff like that so we actually get the full picture.

The percentage of spending dedicated to basic necessities is pretty high. In America, it sits at about 33%, while in Mexico it’s closer to 40%—and I’ve heard rumors that in Canada, it can even climb as high as 50% in some places.

Henry Cox78 said:The comments are wild. Looks like everyone has a different opinion on this.

Miles: "I was in New York City three days ago and took the chance to load up my trunk at Walmart. Why? Because the prosciutto is half the price, the wine tastes way better than ours and costs less, the cheeses are cheaper too, and don't even get me started on the variety..."

Miles, next time hit up "Plodine"—it's way cheaper than Walmart. Walmart is actually one of the priciest stores in the US

That’s just not true. I've spent a ton of time traveling through Austria and Canada for work over the last two years, and prices for groceries (which are much higher quality) are way lower than they are here. I really hope that once borders fully open up, people here finally see through all the lies we're constantly being fed...
(Boris, December 18, 2009 08:01)

It’s just like those folks from the American Danube who cross over into Mexico to shop, or the people from Loznica and Sabac heading into Bijeljina to pick up supplies!

Honestly, who still falls for such nonsensical ramblings? And besides...I’m asking you all—if you happen to be the very last person leaving the States on the 19th, please, just make sure to turn out the lights...
😂

What an absolute joke...

So, these folks over at CNN are out here comparing grocery prices from the cheapest discount warehouse in Mexico—Tempo (around $17)—against the most expensive high-end supermarket in America—Walmart ($29)—for the exact same "shopping basket."

I mean, why don't they try comparing the priciest store in Mexico to the budget-friendly ones in America? It's just silly logic.🤣

Ethan Morales22 said:And while you're at it, give us the breakdown on electricity rates and utility costs for each area!
It’d be pretty useful to have those numbers for comparison too.
Throw in the sales tax rates by region and stuff like that so we actually get the full picture.

Just post them so we can see.

Ethan Morales22 said:It’s just like those folks from the American Danube who cross over into Mexico to shop, or the people from Loznica and Sabac heading into Bijeljina to pick up supplies!

Mexico is cheaper, but not by much. At least that's my take. Can you drop a link to a Maxi site or something so we can actually compare?

In America, fruit and vegetables are ridiculously overpriced. Back home, the price per pound for apples is almost a joke... and the most tragic part? We don't even appreciate what we have.

Alright, can someone actually break this down for me? I need a comparison for those few countries mentioned above regarding these specific points:

1. Electricity rates

2. What people call "rent" costs—basically all those monthly utility bills combined (you know, the whole mess of heating, water, trash, and all those other annoying maintenance fees they tack on)

3. Real estate prices—specifically the average cost per square foot when buying, and if possible, what it costs to rent out a studio, a one-bedroom, a two-bedroom, etc.

4. Sales tax by country

5. Gas prices (regular unleaded)

6. The cost of a basic grocery basket, since we already have some data on that

So, for those first five items, I want everyone to list the numbers for their own country.🙂

Ethan Morales22 said:Alright, can someone actually break this down for me? I need a comparison for those few countries mentioned above regarding these specific points:

1. Electricity rates

2. What people call "rent" costs—basically all those monthly utility bills combined (you know, the whole mess of heating, water, trash, and all those other annoying maintenance fees they tack on)

3. Real estate prices—specifically the average cost per square foot when buying, and if possible, what it costs to rent out a studio, a one-bedroom, a two-bedroom, etc.

4. Sales tax by country

5. Gas prices (regular unleaded)

6. The cost of a basic grocery basket, since we already have some data on that

So, for those first five items, I want everyone to list the numbers for their own country.🙂

Washington, D.C.

1. and 2. roughly around $500 plus electricity, water, phone, mobile, internet, cable, local municipal fees...

3. ~$500/sq ft

4. 6% (depending on the state, really)

5. Regular gas is about $2.25?

6. A grocery basket... is that something you spread on toast?

The cucumbers are looking killer $2.00, and they're only about a buck at Maxi. 😁

If anyone wants to see everything I grabbed, just let me know and I'll drop the full list. 🤣

The price tag on a pair of Nike sweats.

A denim jacket.

Washing machines.

Flat-screen TVs.

Cars.

And that’s exactly where the gap really starts to show... it’s where you truly feel whether you're pulling in $3,000 a month or just $1,000, because suddenly it matters if buying a new TV means sacrificing an entire paycheck or just a third of one.