To assist students in comparing living standards in the Soviet Union and Western Nations, a chart containing data from a 1982 survey of the retail prices of 179 selected consumer goods and services is provided. Prices were converted into worktime equivalents and the capital of each country, with the exception of Munich, was chosen to represent the entire nation. The accompanying teacher's guide offers suggestions for using this chart which shows the prices of a wide variety of commodities in five major countries: Great Britain, France, West Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States. The first of four major sections contains background information on the survey, the commodities selected, and an explanation of how money prices were converted into worktime prices. Section 2 includes a discussion of five general characteristics that can be used to compare economic systems. In section 3, the economies of five countries are compared in terms of these characteristics. In the final section, criteria for evaluating the performance of different economies are described. Each discussion is followed by an activity to help students better understand and use the concepts and information in the section. Although sections can be used separately, it is recommended that they be used in sequence. (LH)