It takes a lot of "bread" to buy a loaf of bread in Honolulu, according to a survey of international cities.

A survey by British Baker magazine, a U.K.-based publication, reported that Honolulu was the second-most expensive city in the world when it came to buying bread.

The magazine reviewed March 2009 figures provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which monitored bread prices among the data it collects around the globe.

The report broke down prices in British pounds per kilogram. Converting that to U.S. dollars showed Honolulu prices at $4.28 per pound.

British Baker said only Caracas had higher prices ($4.33 a pound), though the magazine's Web site noted the top position may not be warranted because Venezuela fixes exchange rates at levels that don't reflect the real rate.

The magazine said the survey is performed by mystery shoppers who monitor prices of 160 goods in 128 cities.

The shoppers visit supermarkets, high-end food retailers and boutique shops to come up with the averages, a story posted on British Baker's www.bakeryinfo.co.uk Web site said.

Hawaii shoppers are no strangers to paying high prices, with electricity, homes and gasoline prices among the highest in the nation.

Honolulu shoppers may pay $4.28 for a one-pound loaf, but many buy bread for less by purchasing items when they go on sale or at big-box retailers such as Costco or Walmart.

Longs Drugs, for example, advertised a one-pound loaf of Cascade Pride enriched bread for $2.19 this week.

Don Quijote promoted a $3.89 price for a 1 1/2-pound loaf of Hawaii's Hearth Bread. It also advertised its own brand of bread for $1.89 a pound.

British Baker noted bread prices are high in general in the United States, along with Japan, France and Russia.

The least expensive loaf in the survey was found in Tehran, where bread sold for just 19 cents a pound, when currency and weights were adjusted to U.S. standards.