Do you complain about gas prices? How high would the price per gallon have to reach in order for you to leave the car keys at home? Memorial Day traditionally starts the beginning of the summer driving season, and concurrently, seasonal gas price hikes.
No matter the price, high or low, gas prices seem to be an ever present influence on budgets. It affects our lifestyle decisions from how far we’re willing to drive for vacation to shuttling the kids around town. Currently, gas prices in Salt Lake City average $3.50/gallon, which is lower than the U.S. average.
GasBuddy.com chart comparing average U.S. gas prices with SLC:
Salt Lake City vs. US average gas prices ›
As many sing gas price sorrows, do we really have it as bad as we think? Because of government subsidies, the average U.S. resident pays anywhere between $2 and $0.90 less than the actual market value of gasoline. In comparison, most Europeans pay a much higher price for gasoline; anywhere between $6 and $10 more per gallon. Norway is a major oil producing country, but the average resident shells out $9.97 for a gallon of gas. Unlike the U.S., Norway doesn’t subsidize fuel at the pump; instead, it uses oil profits to fund free college education and infrastructure development.
In contrast to Europe, India’s gas costs about $4.36/gallon—seemingly comparable to the U.S. However these numbers are misleading because the per capita income in India is significantly lower than here. The cost of a single gallon of gas in India is about 16% more than what the average Indian worker earns in an entire day; the average price of a gallon of gas in Salt Lake City is less than half of the federal minimum wage for one hour of work.
Check out this interactive map of gasoline prices at the pump in 60 countries. Click on any country to see how much gas costs, and what that means for the people who live there.
It’s safe to say that gas prices are much higher now than anything we remember when first getting our driver’s license (depending on your age of course). The good news is that whether you’re living in a single family home in the suburbs or an urban loft in downtown Salt Lake City, public transportation continues to be more accessible.
Have gas prices ever hit the wallet enough to motivate you to use public transportation more often?
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