[prawn]

I'm from Australia and spent five weeks travelling in the US earlier this year. It felt more expensive than any previous trip, and also relative to Australia. We had grocery runs where I walked away wondering how a significant portion of the population there could afford to eat decent food. Tipping is always rising as well, so to eat out you're then paying a larger premium on an already higher number.

One example I can remember, comparing a pretty default Thai place in the US to one of the more premium Thai restaurants here in Adelaide: AU: Pad Thai chicken AU$23, Kao Pad chicken AU$19. US: Pad Thai chicken + tax and tip AU$32, house fried rice AU$32.

Yes, there's cheaper and more expensive, but that was a 'special occasion' restaurant versus a place we just stopped in adjacent a Walmart carpark.