The price of some imported items such as wine, coffee and fruit were higher in South Korea than in a dozen other countries, according to data compiled by a local civic group.

For instance, a tall cup of Starbucks coffee, a piece of U.S. steak, a bunch of bananas, one grapefruit and a 1.5-liter bottle of Coca Cola, among other imported goods, were the second-most expensive here out of 13 nations surveyed by Consumers Korea.

Heineken beer imported from the Netherlands was being sold at more than double the price, as was the U.S. beer brand Miller.

And a tall-size Starbucks coffee was about 18 percent more expensive than in Japan, and about 45 percent more expensive than in the U.S.

Other products such as green grapes were also being sold at almost double the price than in their home market of North America. Wine was about 70 percent costlier than in the Netherlands, where it was being sold at the fifth-most expensive price among the surveyed nations.
(Graphic: Nam Kyung-don)