Staggering New York Cost Surge Tied Directly To Iran War

Experts say that the Iran war is hitting New Yorkers directly in their wallets. The numbers are staggering, and they're still climbing.

Americans Shelled Out $59 Billion in Extra Fuel Costs Since the Iran War

Scott Olson, Getty Images

According to Brown University's Iran War Energy Cost Tracker, a live tool developed by the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, Americans have spent more than $59 billion in extra fuel costs since the fighting erupted on February 28.

The tracker calculates the added burden by comparing current AAA fuel prices against what prices would have been without the war.

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According to the tracker, Americans have shelled out nearly $59.5  billion in extra fuel costs. Americans paid about $32.8 billion on gasoline and $26.7 billion on diesel.

The average American Paid Nearly $500 Extra For Gas

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

The average U.S. household is paying roughly $450 extra for rising energy and transportation costs, the study found. This figure doesn't include the increased cost for some goods or airline fares.

Officials say that before the war, regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.98 a gallon. It reached $4.15 a week ago, that's an increase of around 40 percent. Diesel has been hit even harder, surging over 44.4 percent from $3.67 a gallon to $5.30, as of one week ago.

The people feeling it most are low and middle-income New Yorkers. Gas now represents a significant chunk of their monthly budget, and there's no flexibility when you have to drive to work.

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