I'm not sure that's universal. I just checked and in my country it's still less than 1 euro, and less than 2 for international. Considering the natural delay in letters reaching people, that's not really a significant cost at all.
replyThe difference between 2 euros and 3 is pretty insignificant. But 2-3 euros for a piece of paper feels big and makes text messages feel like a good deal since they're basically free.
replyBut if letters are just a few cents to send, more people are willing to try it because it's the cost of pocket change that won't even get them a drink from a vending machine.
Wow! That's expensive. In the US it's certainly quite a bit higher than it was when I was a kid, but right now stamps cost $0.78 per. I think that's going up a few cents later this year. Just looked it up; in the 90s when I was a teenager, it was between $0.25 and $0.32, so it's grown faster than inflation, but still feels manageable.
replyThose are USPS domestic stamp prices, an international stamp is currently $1.70.
replyWhile a domestic pen pal probably isn't uncommon, the programs I recall tended to match you with someone international.