The price of life:

Japan: $12.3 million United States: $7.5 million Hong Kong: $2.2 million South Korea: $1.1 million Mexico City: $365,000
The price of a bicycle (for average worker):

1895: 6.5 weeks of work . . . 2010: 19 hours of work
The price of food (share of family budget):

USA: 9.7% . . . UK: 16.3% . . . Brazil: 22.7% . . . Bolivia: 42.5% . . . Indonesia: 50.6% . . . Albania: 69.2% . . .
The price of work (dollars per hour):

USA: $40 . . . Korea: $18 . . . Netherlands: $36 . . . Spain: $26 . . .
The price of addiction (annual spending on tobacco):

Mexico: $87 . . . Serbia: $119 . . . Turkey: $220 . . . Australia: $241 . . . Germany: $266 . . . USA: $274 . . . Portugal: $320 . . . Japan: $519 . . . Greece: $718 . . .
The price of inebriation (annual alcohol purchases as a share of individual spending):

Turkey: 0.1% ($7) . . . South Korea: 0.3% ($37) . . . Japan: 1% ($204) . . . US: 1.1% ($341) . . . Portugal: 1.1% ($174) . . . Australia: 1.3% ($286) . . . France:1.5% ($333) . . . Germany: 1.8% ($410) . . . Luxembourg: 2.4% ($820) . . . Russia: 3.5% ($280) . . .
The price of illegal immigration (average smuggler fees on Mexican border):

2008: $2600 . . . 2000: $1600 . . . 1990: $500 . . .
The price of a license plate in Abu Dhabi:

$14,000,000 for the “1” plate in a 2008 auction . . . $95 for a regular plate . . .
The price of beauty (United States and Canada):

Wage of a beautiful worker = 1.13 the wage of an ugly worker
The value of unionization:

$148 a week / Wage of a union worker = 1.21 times the wage of a non-union worker
The price of a soccer star:

In 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo earned 16 times what Pele earned in 1960, after inflation.
The price of a banker (Average bonus on Wall Street):

2009: $123,850 . . . 2005: $149,800 . . . 2000: $100,530 . . . 1995: $41,410 . . . 1990: $15,540 . . . 1985: $13,970 . . .
The price of pollution (cost of a ton of co2):

European Climate Exchange: $20 . . . EPA estimate of environmental cost today: $40-$68

Tag: Amazon

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

The Price of Kanye West’s Ego

Rappers have big egos. So it doesn’t surprise that Kanye West would price his blockbuster new album My Beautiful, Dark Twisted Fantasy, at $4.99 merely to upstage his dainty country-pop nemesis Taylor Swift, whose Speak Now released a few weeks … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Media | Tagged Amazon, Apple, iTunes, Music | 2 Comments

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

The Price of Shipping

Amazon may have just pulled off the most astonishing feat in retail: to get its customers to pay for the privilege of buying more. Amazon’s Prime service, which offers customers free two-day delivery for an annual fee of $79, has … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet, Shopping | Tagged Amazon, Shopping | 2 Comments