Merry X-mas all! I was just checking out some of the barcoded prices on my new Christmas goodies and it looks like Canadians pay a LOT, LOT more for stuff than we do. For example, this here book I got says "U.S.A. $16.00 CAN. $23.50". Google tells me that 23.50 Canadian dollars = 23.8554375 U.S. dollars. That's CRAZY! For a $16 book!?
http://www.google.de/search?q=23.50+cad+in+usd
2007-12-26 12:30:43 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
country 5 times larger then the USA and a tenth of the population...the high taxes needed to keep the infrastructure maintained....Saskatchewan a medium size province has a million people with north south borders that will fit montana, wyoming and colorado...need to pay to keep those roads maintained....
2007-12-26 12:44:27 · answer #1 · answered by wrathofkahn03 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the reason things are so expensive in Canada can be traced to unreasonable mark-ups and high import duties. When the American dollar was healthier, the so-called Loonie (one-dollar) was trading for as low as 60-cents US.
Unfortunately for the Canadian consumer, retailers continued charging exorbitant prices even when the two currencies were at par! And to make matters worse (if possible), the current federal and provincial taxes on almost all goods and services amounts to a crippling 14-percent. There are also hidden taxes buried in many price tags.
On the plus side, Canadians enjoy relatively free medical care and higher wages than we Americans. Not to mention the opportunity of crossing the border and buying our cheaper petrol (gasoline), cars, linens and a whole shitload of stuff.
2007-12-26 12:47:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The canadian dollar was of far lower value than the american dollar, therfore it would logically take more canadian money to buy something than it would american money. Now that the canadian dollar is of a more equal value to the american, canadians are now beginning to notice major price drops on most retail.
2007-12-26 12:43:21 · answer #3 · answered by Ty 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
High standard of living, extra large country with low population, high wages, high taxes, (and our doctors take a nice piece of the pie).
2007-12-26 12:38:10 · answer #4 · answered by megalomaniac 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
canadians also make more money, minimum wage in canada is 8$
2007-12-26 13:03:10 · answer #5 · answered by Matt M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋