The US is structured so you need a car unless you’re one of a lucky few in an urban area not built for cars.

People in other countries are also reliant on cars. Even if public transport is available, it’s often overpriced and unreliable.

The problem isn’t the raw cost of gas, it’s the relative increase in cost which raises the cost of living in step because you cannot live here without a car.

The same is true in the rest of the world and there the cost is much higher.