Over here: OEM XP Home $140, OEM XP Pro $225, Full XP Pro $515 (those are prices from a large, inexpensive webshop - probably a bit higher in a store). Of course including the 25% VAT.
We prioritize, and don't buy a new copy of Windows every year. Also, since a lot of the social support is (supposedly) tax financed, we don't have to put money aside on a health insurance etc.