I was at the grocery store, and I was shocked. My family had been going through a lot of maple syrup (I've cut out sugar from our diet recently), and I was used to paying $8.99 for a big 750 ml container. Here it was only a few weeks later, and the Trader Joe's price had shot up to $13.99! It was far higher at the other grocery stores; I recorded a price of $18.49 at Safeway in Portland, Oregon.

I started wondering, what are prices for maple syrup like over the rest of the world? And how about eggs? In an environment where economists and political leaders are commiserating with us about the high cost of groceries, we at WalletPop felt it would be illuminating to track a basket of groceries worldwide. We'll give you an index price and revisit it weekly, with prices from a wide number of international cities. So next time you pick up a pound of pasta, you can feel good because you know it's far dearer in Taipei.

In order to calculate the World Food Price Index, we take the price (converted to USD and to a common weight or measure, where applicable) of each item and total the basket. Where items aren't available or a price hasn't been gathered, our index registers the average price of the other cities so each basket of groceries will "weigh" the same. Then we average the six cities to get an index price.

Our process isn't scientific, and our cities will change from week to week, so this shouldn't be used for advanced economic analysis. It should prove interesting, though; it turns out that maple syrup is slightly pricier in Canada. Who would have thought? And our weighted-average basket of groceries, our WalletPop World Food Price Index, is $69.84 this week. How does your town compare?

Adelaide, South Australia $75.51

(AUD -- 1.00:0.97 USD)
2 Litres Dairy Farmers Full Cream Milk = $3.98
500gm "4 Star Choice" (lean but not extra lean) = $6.54
375gm (13.2 oz) box Cheerios = $4.35
Unleaded petrol = 154.7c a litre
500g Balducci Pasta Linguini No 1 = $1.56
Loose bananas = $2.98/kg = $1.49/lb
2kg Coles Potatoes Baking/Roasting = $6.46 = $1.61/lb
Aurora Medaglia D'oro Coffee Beans Italian Blend 1kg = $12.00 = $6.00/lb
(on special! was $16.68 each - save $4.68!)
1 kilo Coles Smart Buy Rice Long Grain = $1.52
(so... 71c a pound, but bought by the kilogram or 2 kilogram bag, typically)
Tip Top Up Bread White Soft & Smooth 700g = $4.35
You'll love Coles Barn Laid Eggs Large 600g = $4.95
2L Coca-Cola = $3.42
liter of maple syrup (not likely to find that here!)
Lilydale Whole Chicken Free Range aprx 1.4kg = $10.67 ($7.62/kg = $3.81/lb)
Iceberg lettuce = $2.03
Blue Lotus Silken Tofu 300g = $2.69 ($0.90/100gms = $4.50/lb)
(on special! was $3.26 each - save $0.57!)
1 lemon $0.60 ($4.30/kg)
1 bunch basil $3.22
Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate 100g = $4.35 = $21.75/lb

Little Rock, Arkansas $42.76

Newmarket, Ontario, Canada $67.23
(CAD -- 1.00:0.998 USD)
half-gallon whole milk - 4.19 for 2 litres
1 lb ground beef - 6.83 per kg. for med. gr.
12 oz box of Cheerios or local brand-name equivalent - 3.99 for 400 g.
gallon of regular gas (or 2 litres) - 1.27 per litre
1 lb dry pasta - 2.29 for 900 gr.
1 lb bananas - .69 per lb.
1 lb baking potatoes - 1.29 a pound
1 lb coffee beans - 9.99 for 1.65 lbs.
1 lb white rice - 2.49 for 907 grams
loaf of white bread - 1.99
dozen eggs - 2.29 for large; 1.79 for small
2 liter Coca-Cola or other soda - 1.00
liter of maple syrup - 9.99 for 500 ml.
pound price for whole chicken - 5.7l per kg.
1 head of leaf lettuce - 1.49
1 pint seasonal fruit, preferably farmer's market - blueberries, 2.99 for 227 g. (product of US)
1 lb tofu - 1.99 for 454 gr.
1 lemon - .99
1 bunch basil - couldn't find
1 (1 lb) organic chocolate bar - 3.69 per 100 grams

Portland, Oregon $63.15
half-gallon whole milk -- $1.99
1 lb ground beef -- $2.79 on sale for 80% beef
12 oz box of Cheerios or local brand-name equivalent -- $2.50 on sale for 14-ounce box (reg 3.69)
gallon of regular gas (or 4 litres) -- $4.19/gal
1 lb dry pasta -- $1.09 on sale (reg. $1.39) for Safeway store brand
1 lb bananas -- 59 cents
1 lb baking potatoes -- 99 cents
1 lb coffee beans -- $8.99 a pound
1 lb white rice -- $1.73 for 32 ounces so 76.5 cents a pound
loaf of white bread -- $1.79 on sale
dozen eggs -- $2.29
2 liter Coca-Cola or other soda -- $1.89
liter of maple syrup -- $18.49
pound price for whole chicken -- $1.59
1 head of leaf lettuce -- $1.39 for red leaf lettuce
1 pint seasonal fruit, preferably farmer's market -- raspberries at $3.00 a pint
1 lb tofu -- $1.79
1 lemon -- $1.00 on sale
1 bunch basil -- $2.29 at Safeway for a tiny box vs. $2.00 at farmer's market for huge bunch
1 (3.5 ounce) organic chocolate bar $3.99

Hong Kong (USD) $56.89
half-gallon whole milk 2.00
12 oz box of Corn Flakes 0.80
gallon of regular gas 8.30
1 lb dry pasta 1.30
1 lb bananas 0.50
1 lb coffee beans 5.00
1 lb white rice 0.90
dozen eggs 1.80
2 liter Coca-Cola 1.30
pound price for whole chicken 2.50

Taipei, Taiwan (USD) $59.29
half-gallon whole milk 4.60
1 lb ground beef 11.50
gallon of regular gas 5.00
1 lb dry pasta 2.30
1 lb bananas 1.30
1 lb baking potatoes 1.00
1 lb coffee beans 6.70
1 lb white rice 1.00
loaf of white bread 1.80
dozen eggs 2.50
2 liter Coca-Cola 1.50
pound of tomatoes 2.50

Los Angeles, California $77.74

half-gallon whole milk (2 litres) $2.49
1 lb ground beef - $5.29
12 oz box of Cheerios or local brand-name equivalent $4.19
gallon of regular gas (or litres price) $4.39
1 lb dry pasta $1.25
1 lb bananas 40 cents each $1.60 (four)
1 lb baking potatoes $2.25
1 lb coffee beans $11.19
1 lb white rice $2.09
loaf of white bread - $2.29
dozen eggs $5.99
2 liter Coca-Cola or other soda $1
liter of maple syrup $18.99
pound price for whole chicken $1.59 (per pound)
1 head of leaf lettuce $1.79
1 pint seasonal fruit, preferably farmer's market $4.99
1 lb tofu $1.49
1 lemon $1.29
1 bunch basil $1.89
1 (3.5 ounce) organic chocolate bar $1.69