Well, I went the other way from product photography to stock thinking it provided some artisitic freedom then discovered most stock photos are product photos at a fraction of the price.

I don�t think the size of the city has much to do with what you can charge: it�s more how difficult the subject is to shoot. There are some items where you are doing your client and yourself a favour by saying, do it yourself with a decent point and click. On the other hand, if you have to go underwater in scuba gear for ten minutes for each picture you can pass that charge on.

You have to think what your good photography is going to add to any product shoot.  If it�s a used car, probably nothing. If it�s the factory where something is made, potentially lots. If you can differentiate the product from the client�s competitor then, again, lots.

�What I can charge� is the wrong way to think. You need to allow for your transportation and maybe hire costs and a reasonable allowance for your time (often as an economic opportunity cost weighed against what you would otherwise be doing) and quote that to the customer, If they won�t pay that they are either not worth bothering about or you should be doing something better with your time.