Economy
Brazilians Are Already Fighting Back Against World Cup Price Gouging
A wave of websites catalog the stores and restaurants where prices are skyrocketing.
It's no secret that the beer, popcorn, and hot dogs you buy at a baseball game cost more at the stadium than they do at the corner store. But Brazilians are complaining that the lead-up to this summer's World Cup is turning entire cities into spectacle venues, complete with soaring prices.
In cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, prices for coconut water, beach chair rentals, and restaurants are escalating, and consumer confidence has dropped to an all-time low. Reports from Rio show that coconuts (an indicative product in Brazil) could be had on the beach for 4 reais in December (about $1.60), while in January the price jumped to 6 reais. Caipirinhas have shot up from 10 reais to 20 reais.