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After exchange, many Canadians spend less for entertainment than American cousins
By: Ish Theilheimer and the Straight Goods team
Many Canadians go to the States to play. But an informal survey of entertainment costs in three Canadian cities and similar cities in border states indicates that if you're going south, you're going to pay more for similar entertainment.
High-price Vancouver, where costs are very comparable to those in Seattle, and sometimes higher, appears to be the exception. But in our other sample areas the bargoons appear to be in Canada.
A movie in Montreal (or Toronto) costs about $8.00 CDN, for example. The same movie in New York City would cost $12.00 US or $17.40 CDN. Even in rural Northport, Michigan, you'd pay $6.00 US to get into a show. That's 70 cents more, after exchange, than in glitzy Montreal. And it wouldn't be first run.
The range in prices for sporting events may be typical of the two countries. The spread is greater in the US. The top prices for New York Rangers games at Madison Square Gardens are over $1000 CDN. At the Forum, they're only $125 for the Habs - if you can get any.
|
Item in Cdn and US prices |
Montreal |
New York |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), CDN |
8.00 |
17.40 |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), US |
5.52 |
12.00 |
|
|
|
|
new video rentals, CDN |
4.00 |
4.35 |
|
new video rentals, US |
2.76 |
3.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for professional sporting events, CDN |
17.00-125.00 (Canadiens) |
36.25-1015.00 (Rangers) |
|
tickets for professional sporting events, US |
11.73-86.00 (Canadiens) |
25.00-700.00 (Rangers) |
|
|
|
|
tickets for the opera, CDN |
32.50-100.00 |
31.90-135.00 |
|
tickets for the opera, USN |
22.43-69.00 |
22.00-95.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for a small production play, CDN |
15.00-30.00 |
36.25-72.50 |
|
tickets for a small production play, US |
10.35-20.70 |
25.00-50.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for a concert, CDN |
17.25-48.50 |
21.74-57.98 |
|
tickets for a concert, US |
11.90-33.47 |
15.00-40.00 |
|
|
|
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, CDN |
5.00-15.00 |
36.25-72.50 |
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, US |
3.45-10.35 |
25.00–50.00 |
|
|
|
|
basic cable per month, CDN |
21.12 |
27.55 |
|
basic cable per month, US |
14.57 |
19.00 |
|
Item in Cdn and US prices |
Pembroke
ON |
Northport
MI |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), CDN |
8.00 |
8.70 |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), US |
5.52 |
6.00 |
|
|
|
|
new video rentals, CDN |
3.45 |
4.35 |
|
new video rentals, US |
2.38 |
3.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for professional sporting events, CDN |
- |
- |
|
tickets for professional sporting events, US |
- |
- |
|
|
|
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, CDN |
0.00-5.00 |
7.25-14.50 |
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, US |
0.00-3.50 |
5.00-10.00 |
|
|
|
|
basic cable per month, CDN |
19.19 |
29.00 |
|
basic cable per month, US |
14.57 |
20.00 |
|
Item in Cdn and US prices |
Vancouver
BC |
Olympia
WA (Seattle) |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), CDN |
8.50 |
10.87 |
|
movie tickets (Saturday night, adult), US |
5.87 |
7.50 |
|
|
|
|
new video rentals, CDN |
4.90 |
5.73 |
|
new video rentals, US |
3.38 |
3.95 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for professional sporting events, CDN |
45.00-99.75 |
31.90-145.00 |
|
tickets for professional sporting events, US |
31.05-68.83 |
22.00-100.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for the opera, CDN |
26.25-96.25 |
23.93-145.00 |
|
tickets for the opera, USN |
18.11-66.41 |
16.50-100.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for a small production play, CDN |
12.00-15.00 |
8.70-31.90 |
|
tickets for a small production play, US |
8.28-10.35 |
6.00-22.00 |
|
|
|
|
tickets for a concert, CDN |
15.00-32.50 |
23.38-102.95 |
|
tickets for a concert, US |
10.35-22.43 |
17.50-71.00 |
|
|
|
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, CDN |
8.00 |
7.25 |
|
club cover charge w/ local acts, US |
5.52 |
5.00 |
|
|
|
|
basic cable per month, CDN |
19.02 |
18.85 |
|
basic cable per month, US |
13.12 |
13.00 |
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