Excuse me, but last time I checked the cost of a gallon of gas in most OPEC nations is close to nothing (two months ago I purchased close to 26 gallons for less than $3.00 USD - yep, you heard me right!). Also, in many countries the true necessities are subsidized by the goverment to keep costs low for the middle to lower class workers (transportation comes to mind, as well as medicine and food - in the US we just stockpile cheese somewhere under a mountain).

So, the prices are not the same, but they cost the same (do I make sense) relative to income, with the exception of native products.

I got to go see if I can get a cheap venezuelan tanker filled with gas to see if I can re-sell it on eBay....