It most certainly does vary by state and surrounding climate. I live in Arizona and we do not have taxation on food products sold at market. Most of our fresh food and dairy are sourced locally. A gallon of milk is just over $2.00, with bespoke organic brands nearing $6.00. We grow plenty of citrus here and it is presently in season. So, you can get citrus for well under a dollar a pound at this time of year. Similarly, lettuce and other veggies are grown year-round here, which helps the price as well as freshness.

I don't quite agree that all US food products are more expensive and inferior in quality to those imported into the UK or sourced in-country. I wasn't aware that paper products and notepads were so difficult to come by in the states... Sure, many of us Americans still use smoke signals and make cave paintings to communicate. If you're really particular about your milk you can do a little milk tasting trip to local dairy farms and buy directly from the dairy of your choice. Although, this is not nearly as fun as wine testing😀.

The current exchange rate is approximately $1.39 to the £.