You need to study complete operations budgets. You're too focused on "cost of goods sold" and margins on them. You have to "burden" or "allocate" all your overhead costs to the products you actually sell.

Real transparency means a list of a business's overhead costs. Rent and payroll are usually the highest. Commercial rent (which is by cost per square foot) is highly variable.

If I'm in my last year of a 5-year lease, and you're in the first year of your 1-year lease, you might be paying *double* what I am. If you're paying your people decent wages and I'm not, same story.

Your extra 50 cents might be paying for an employee's healthcare benefits. If so, do you want to be a scrooge?

I'm sure these things are much more sane in Europe. It seems over there, they aren't stupid like the average American business person.

I envy you moving to Spain. I wish I could.

I hope I didn't sound caustic in my comment. I just found myself in the same writing tone as you.