As a Canadian, you hear so much about how cheap things are in the States. To hear some people tell it, we all ought to either move south or just give up on account of being so burdened by taxes and high prices and brain drain. So how come every time we venture south of the border, everything is at least as expensive, especially when you take exchange rates into account! Maybe it's different if you're in the upper income bracket. But our intuition tells us that most Canadians would find life in the States kind of pricey.
To set the record straight, Straight Goods is conducting a special investigation of living costs in Canada vs. the U.S. Starting February 14, we'll be bringing you a new account every day about how our costs stack up against theirs. Our own reporters will be comparing the cost of living in similar places on both sides of the border.
| Fill this cart for Straight Goods and you could win $100 |
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We need to hear from you too. You can help us by getting prices for items on the shopping list you see below. When you send in your data, please indicate where you live, and, if it isn't a well-known place like Killaloe, tell us where and how big it is.
We're also looking for digital camera images that will tell the story of local pricing on both sides of the border.
All participants will be eligible to win $100. Contributors' names will be placed in the Straight Goods "hat" and a random draw will be held at the end of the series. The winner will receive $100 (Cdn). And that can buy a lot of groceries... on either side of the border.
The Myth of Greener Grass Shopping List
groceries
please provide us with the lowest price you find for each item
shopping cart items:
1 quart/litre milk
box corn flakes
box Kraft dinner
1 lb. cheddar cheese
regular size box of Tide
10 fl. oz. can of Campbell's tomato soup
7 oz. can of solid white tuna in water (in oil if can't find water)
2 litre/quart bottles of pop (brand and no-name)
case (24 cans) of Pepsi
240 g./8.5 oz. bag of potato chips
small jar of smooth peanut butter
box of chocolate cake mix
2 quarts/litres ice cream
bread, white and whole wheat (not bakery bread)
1 quart/litre orange juice
1 lb butter
1/2 lb package sliced ham
dozen eggs
1 1b chicken legs
1 lb T-bone steak
1 lb ground beef
1 pound Macintosh apples
1 dozen oranges
1 head lettuce (iceberg)
10 lb. bag of potatoes
6-pack of beer
entertainment
movies prices - saturday night, adult
video rental prices - new videos
sporting events - pro basketball or pro hockey ticket price range
shows - opera, small production plays, (price range for each)
concert prices
club cover charges with local acts
cable, basic
eating out
at McDonalds - whopper, large coke, fries, chicken nuggets
at Red Lobster - shrimp dinner, dessert
at "nice" - restaurant in a hotel - steak dinner, cheese cake, glass of house red wine
in a bar - fish and chips, burger, bottle of beer, glass of coke, chicken wings (how many)
upscale popular eatery - steak dinner, cheese cake, glass of house red wine
dig. camera images of menus
wages and working conditions
starting salaries and take-home pay for:
elementary teachers (yearly)
heavy industry factory workers, union wage (hourly)
heavy industry factory workers, non-union (hourly)
McDonalds employees (hourly)
daycare workers (hourly)
government clerical office workers (hourly)
sewing machine operators in textile factory (hourly)
sales clerk at Walmart (hourly)
Paid vacation in first year and third year for all of the above?
Are health benefits paid for above?
Unemployment insurance payments for laid off workers
real estate and living costs
average rental costs:
two bedroom apartment in downtown highrise
two bedroom apartment in low rent neighbourhood
Costs to purchase single detached family homes:
modest three bedroom in good but modest neighbourhood
modest three bedroom in poor neighbourhood
Approximate property tax on each of the above.
Mortgage interest rates
Furnace oil per litre or gallon
electricity / KWH
water and sewage charges
telephone, basic charge
drug costs
regular prices on specific individual items
100 tablets vitamin c, 500 milligrams
100 tablets children's multiple vitamins
Band-aid brand regular size bandages (box of 25)
Box of Kleenex facial tissues
Box of cough drops (Vicks)
100 tablet container of ibuprofen, 200 mg. (brand name such as Advil or Motrin and no-name)
100 tablet container of acetaminophen, regular strength, 325 mg. (brand name - tylenol, and no-name)
consumer goodies
starter computer system with monitor, printer at big box store
VCR
Fax machine
digital camera
bread machine
microwave
20 inch TV
CD walkman
cell phone
cell phone price range
travel costs
Regular economy bus, plane, train fares to cities:
100 km distant (60 mi.)__ 500 km __ 3000 km __
Transit fare
New car purchase price
Toyota Tercel
GM or Ford full size sedan
Gasoline costs
Send us your Greener Grass shopping list data (and don't forget to indicate where you live).
Be eligible for the Straight Goods draw for $100.
