6 min · 2026-10-12
What to watch for when comparing prices
A single price for a everyday item is always a simplification. This explains which simplifications this site makes and how they are labelled.
Converting a salary into everyday items only works if the item has a price. In practice almost nothing has a single price, which makes every figure here a decision rather than a fact.
What moves a price
- Where you are. City-centre and small-town prices for the same thing differ by more than most people expect.
- How you buy it. Delivery fees, service charges and tips can be a third of the total.
- Which version. Sizes, brands and options are often collapsed into one name.
- When. Promotions, seasons and simple inflation all move it.
The three labels
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Checked source | Looked up on an official page, with a link and the date it was checked |
| Assumption | A plausible figure chosen so the conversion works. No source, and no source link attached |
| Your own price | A figure you typed in. It stays in this browser |
How prices are labelled and what each label guarantees
The distinction is enforced rather than just described: an assumption cannot carry a source link, because a link next to an invented number is how a made-up figure comes to look authoritative.
The euro region in particular
The euro version cannot represent the whole currency area with one number. Lunch in Lisbon and lunch in Amsterdam are not the same price, and no weighting would make a single figure correct for both. Each item states that it assumes a western-European city.
What to do about it
Use "Edit prices" on the calculator and put in what things actually cost where you are. That changes the conversion for you, stays in your browser, and is considerably more accurate than anything a shared dataset could be.
More guides
Why yearly pay does not divide neatly into months
Yearly ÷ 12 and the number in your account are different. Here is every reason why.
How earnings per second are calculated
The formula behind the counter, and why its figures always agree with each other.
Working hours or round the clock: which basis to use
Same salary, a per-second figure six times larger. Here is where the factor comes from.
This piece explains how the calculations work. It does not promise any financial return and is not investment advice.