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6 things that cost more in the US than they do abroad

6 things that cost more in the US than they do abroad

American healthcare costs are double those of most other countries

Internet access costs more in America than in 113 other countries

According to a study conducted by Fastmetrics, America ranks 114th when it comes to internet pricing per customer. Americans pay an average of $66.20 each month for the privilege of connecting to the World Wide Web, while most of Europe, South America, and Asia pays less than $50 monthly.

In Russia and much of Eastern Europe, web access costs less than $20 a month. Although in two nations, Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso, people can pay more than $500 a month to get online.

College costs more in the US than it does in all but one other nation

You already know the costs of higher education are absurd in the US — today, Americans spend an average of $30,000 per college student per year. But when you compare our costs to those of other nations, the absurdity only grows clearer.

The US outspends almost every other nation on the planet, and the costs have only increased in recent years. Only Luxembourg outspends the United States on a per-college-student basis. But that money is spent by the government, not the pupil: Education there is free.

The US spends a ridiculous amount of money on its prison population

America spends an average of $74 billion each year on the penitentiary system. That's more than the entire gross domestic product of 133 countries. In most states, a single prisoner costs about $31,000 per year.

In New York, the state pays more than $60,000 annually to keep someone locked up. The rise of private prisons run by for profit companies has only made things worse.

Pharmaceuticals are often three times more expensive in America than abroad

Healthcare costs generally are much higher in the US than in most other countries. But when it comes to medicine specifically, Americans are also paying much more than their international peers.

According to Reuters, Americans pay three times more for the world's 20 top-selling medicines, drugs that account for 15% of total pharmaceutical sales.

And Americans spend more than almost any other nation on childcare

The average American household with two parents and young children spends about 25% of its annual income on childcare. In actual dollar terms, the annual average is about $9,590.

According to data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in most developed nations, the average family spends just 15% of its annual income on childcare, largely thanks to government subsidies.