Most of the world pays more for gas than U.S. drivers do

[dkf]

By Marla Dickerson
Los Angeles Times

Honked off by American pump prices? Cheer up. You could be commuting in Oslo, Norway, where gasoline costs $9.85 a gallon and filling up a Mini Cooper would set you back $130.
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That's the priciest petrol on a list of world gas prices released last week by Associates for International Research Inc., a Massachusetts-based relocation consulting firm that tracks the cost of living in dozens of countries.

In fact, at just more than four bucks a gallon on average, U.S. gas is still cheap compared with much of the world.

"It's small consolation, I know," said Michael Shore, a senior manager at the consulting firm. But "the prices that (Americans) are paying now, Europeans have been paying for a long time."

And it's not just Europe. People all over the world are shelling out more for gas than Americans — who are considerably wealthier. That includes drivers in the East African nation of Eritrea ($9.46 a gallon), Kenya ($5.94), Nicaragua ($5.07), India ($4.94), Chile ($4.85) and El Salvador ($4.70).

In a more extensive study completed by the firm in March, consumers in nearly three-quarters of approximately 150 nations surveyed paid more for fuel than Americans do.There also are motorists who pay considerably less than American drivers. The world's lowest-priced gasoline can be found in oil-rich Venezuela, where, at 12 cents a gallon, you can fill a Hummer for the less than the price of a Big Mac hamburger.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/BUSINESS09/807130345/1071

[marmar]

1. Most of the world they're referring to has astonishing public transit and a big social safety net...

My friends in Amsterdam and Stockholm have never owned cars, nor do they need to.

[hlthe2b]

5. Exactly... and did not have gas rise exponentially in < 1 year

I wish we had followed Carter's lead and gradually suffered the needed pain, but spread over the past two decades-- in order to free ourselves from foreign oil (and all oil) dependency. Instead we are going to amass all the pain in a tremendously short time during an economic setting that the majority of Americans simply can not absorb. Yes, I am TREMENDOUSLY worried-- for all of us.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

7. Exactly. Also, in Europe, things tend ot be more centralized than the spread here in the U.S.

[hobbit709]

2. Most of their cost of gas is taxes

Which pays for things we don't get here for our taxes. You know, little items like health coverage, better roads and infrastructure, social safety net.

[Impedimentus]

3. Gas taxes in Europe go into transportation, health, education ...

The gas prices in Europe include large taxes, much of which goes back into social programs and the funding of public transportation. Europeans pay more but they also get more back. They also, in general, have more alternatives to automobile use.

If Americans would whine less about gas prices they would feel less pain. Whining leads to more serious psychological problems which leads to therapy which leads to increased health care costs. Phil Gramm will help solve these problems.

[high density]

4. Let's check the prices before any subsidies or taxes

kthx.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. So quit you're Whining Americans!!!

I have a train to catch.

[jonnyblitz]

8. I remember in 2005 in Amsterdam, when everything was

converted to US measurements and money, a gallon of gas there cost $6.50 to 7.00 per gallon when I filled the tank of my sister's car. This was 3 years ago. I have no idea how much it costs in Amsterdam lately. most people ride bikes and take the tram. they cater to bike riders quite nicely there.

[musicblind]

9. 12 CENTS A GALLON IN VENEZUELA!!!

:o


OMGsh! What are they doing right? It must be something! lol

Edit: Oh wait, my bad, read the article. Government is subsidizing the gas for them. lol

[AllentownJake]

10. Kind of misleading article and comparing apples to oranges

America is a total car culture. Unless you live and work in a major city like NY or Philadelphia you have no public transportation infrastructure as was said upthread. Cars are luxuary goods in most european countries.

I live in a major metropolitan area 50 miles from Philly and 70 miles from NY but the tracks that went to those cities were dismantled in the 70s. If we had those today everyone's life would be easier as we have people that commute to both cities for work.

European countries viewed their people comuter and travel train lines a a public good like roads and funded them. America viewed it as a capitalist enterprise and defunded it since it wasn't profitable when gasoline was 99 cents to two dollars a gallon.

On a side note I have a cousin who works the freight lines for railroads and he says its never been this busy in his life. At least we didn't defund those.

The African countries and South American countries have a large difference between rich and poor and cars are also a luxuary not a necessity.