Honey is yummy. And you hear people talking about honey as a sweetener back in the day, or used for medicinal or ritual purposes. But was honey a treat for the working man, or was it reserved for the wealthy? Could anyone head down to the market and get one of those little squeeze bottles shaped like a bear - or was honey reserved for rich guys who had apiaries on their villa?
I don't really have a time period or location more specific than antiquity, sorry. I'm just curious about honey.
Prices are a convenient guide to accessibility. From the Price Edict of Diocletian, we have:
Honey, best quality, 40 denarii/pint
Honey, second quality, 24 den/pint
These are the same prices as for the best grades of olive oil:
Olive oil, virgin, first quality, 40 den/pint
Olive oil, second pressing, 24 den/pint
Olive oil, ordinary quality, 12 den/pint
Other useful items for comparison with somewhat similar prices are fish sauce and wine:
Fish sauce, first quality, 16 den/pint
Fish sauce, second quality, 12 den/pint
Wines, first quality, 24-30 den/pint
Wine, second quality, 16 den/pint
Wine, ordinary, 8 den/pint
For the same amount as a pint of second-quality honey, one could buy about 4.5 litres of wheat, or about 660g of pork or cheese (thus, honey cost about the same per kg as pork or cheese).
As for wages, Diocletian specifies that "unskilled" workers, such as farm labourers, shepherds, water carriers, and sewer cleaners, should earn 25den per day, in addition to their basic food and board.
The Price Edict was intended as a price-fixing law, to prevent inflation and such things, and doesn't necessarily reflect the actual prices. However, it is reasonable to assume that it tells us that honey was about as available as good quality olive oil, and could be afforded by labourers.
And for those who thought honey was overpriced, date syrup was a cheaper alternative sweetener:
Note: the Roman pint (sextarius) at the time was 547ml.