Interesting comparisons. It will be interesting to see if there are any valid explanation for the differences.

Yes I played, and most of my prices were between US and Can. I thought the dollar is almost a par or a bit higher, that is our $$ (US) is just about the same as a Canadian $$. I know that you pay more taxes that we do, but we sure get the shoppers coming down Hwy 83 to Minot. Some are a tad faster than us, but I am use to it coming from Los Angeles and the freeways. Oh yes, one other thing the Canadians sure do love to share their northern Alberta clippers and even sometimes the Arctic blasts LOL
But we love ya anyway.
Marie from ND

Who comes up with this stuff? The prices in the US vary greatly from region to region (even city to city) and I suppose they do in Canada too. When we moved from NE OH to SW LA, the prices of EVERYTHING were 30% more. I bought my son a pair of jeans at JCPenney in OH and returned them in LA, where the price was 30% higher. So was food, gasoline, electricity. . . So, who comes up with these "prices in the US?" The price of food between TX and FL (we moved FL to TX to FL) is about 50% different (WAY cheaper in TX. So is housing. But property taxes are cheaper in FL. And gas taxes higher.)

What I gather from watching Marketplace, the manufacturer due to various reasons charges retailers in Canada much more, and on some items 100 percent more. One of the prices they compared was Bayer Low Dose Aspirin. In Canada it was sold for $14 and in Texas it was only $6. Bayer stated that it was due to government regulations on packaging, regulations on ingredients, etc. Our money has been at par for awhile now, you would think the prices would be closer. Today though when I was shopping I found one magazine that was selling for the same price in Canada and the US.

I live in a border city and most of my family and friends shop in the US and buy many of the same items much cheaper than they would have paid in Canada.

I do agree though depending where you live the prices can be significantly higher. I have friends that live in Churchill. Manitoba where grocery prices are extremely high compared to prices in Ontario for the same items.

During Marketplace they showed this silly video clip to explain the differences. If you can watch episode of Marketplace it was a bit more interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silly Video

Some of the products shown were made in USA and may have been considered an import in Canada - It all depends on trade agreements. Imports usually bear a tarriff.

In another example, governemnt imposed prices (controlled by taxation) is done to encourage limiting the product. The example I have in mind is way-back-when Evinrude made outboard motors. Comparable models were made in both Canada and the US. After factoring in the exchange rate between the 2 currencies and sales taxes, outboard motors less than 10 hp were comparable. However, for motors 10 hp and larger, the Canadian verfsion was out priced and the price ration increased with motor size. The price for a canadian 50 hp motor was twice the stateside cost. The difference was explained to me when I towed an old boat into Canada with an equally old 40 hp motor. The Canadian Customs urged me to watch that motor and chain it down when out of my sight. Also, measures were in place to insure that I took that motor back to the states or be prepared to pay a hefty fee.

The Province of Ontario, in the name of conservation of its waters, had passed legislation placing a 'tax' on motors of 10 hp and greater. The tax escalated quickly with power increase and soom doubled the cost of the motor. Their reason was: They did not wsih to penalize a fisherman and so charged a nominal sales taax on motors less than 10 hp. At 10 hp and above, the tax was teriffic. A two cycle outboard's exhaust was vented under water and it carried lubricating oil plus unburned fuel. The government decided that the way to limit this polutant was to tax it heavily and pick up a nice piece of change at the same time. The result was only the rich could afford a motor large enough to water ski.

Evinrude responded to this measure by producing a 9.5 hp motor with improvements that let it outperform the older 10 hp models. This was a break in Evinrude's motor sizes. In the past they had made motors in hp sizes of 5, 15, 25, etc. and Johnson Motors filled the gaps with motors in hp of 10, 20, 30, etc.

Some accused Evinrude of derating the motor to come under Ontario's 10 hp limit.

Product costs can vary widely in the US, too. I recall when I took my family on a touring camping trip, we were shocked in central Washington state at the cost of canned food stuffs.

I grew up in Buffalo, we often crossed the border to Nisagara Falls Canada (Ontario). We would buy gas in the US because nobody knew what a Canadian "Imperial Gallon" was. May or may not have been a better deal... I believe now gas is sold by the litre/liter. The last time I bought a Barbie doll was about 1990, it cost $3 US.

But, so far I trust the products made in Canada alot more than other countries. Also produce coming from Canada seems to be safer--like tomatoes. There are some things we use to buy in Canada when we traveled that we could not find in the US. But it like we tell people, any other country has rules and regulations we are not familiar with and we just dealt with it.

My best friend since 6th grade Sue lives in Ottawa. She buys me A 1 Steak Sauce (no longer sold in the US) and mails it to me.