When I was a poor Univ. student, can of beans 10 cents, loaf of day old bread 10 cents. Cans of string beans, carrots, peas, potatoes, were all 10 cents a can. I ate meat once a week. Hamburger was 39 cents/pound.
My Vietnamese exchange students were far more fluent in English than the top Thai English Major students. And after 3 years at the U. were better Thai language readers.