How Do U.S. Food and Product Prices Compare to the Rest of the World
America is often heralded as the land of plenty and prosperity. It’s easy to walk into a grocery store and choose from thousands of foods and products. But have you ever wondered how much these items would cost in other countries? Meat may seem expensive in America, but in truth, the price of beef around the world reaches more than $60 a kilogram in some countries! Check out this visualization on TitleMax of food and consumer goods prices around the world:
How Do U.S. Food and Product Prices Compare to the Rest of the World infographicHow Do U.S. Food and Product Prices Compare to the Rest of the World? Transcript
The top five most expensive countries and the five least expensive countries (in U.S. dollars) are included on each chart.
1 Dozen Eggs
| Price (in USD) |
| Lebanon: US$7.86 |
| Switzerland: US$6.48 |
| Norway: US$5.12 |
| Austria: US$5.05 |
| Australia: US$4.93 |
| United States: $2.67 |
| World Average Price: US$2.31 |
| Iran: US$0.95 |
| Russia: US$0.99 |
| Bahrain: US$1.03 |
| Paraguay: US$1.04 |
| Angola: US$1.06 |
For the price of 1 dozen eggs in the United States, you can get approximately:
3 eggs in Lebanon
34 eggs in Iran
1 kg of Rice
| Price |
| Japan: US$5.27 |
| Lebanon: US$5.14 |
| Macao: US$4.87 |
| Nigeria: US$4.61 |
| South Korea: US$4.01 |
| United States: $3.62 |
| World Average: US$1.69 |
| India: US$0.68 |
| Iran: US$0.70 |
| Paraguay: US$0.76 |
| Thailand: US$0.77 |
| Bangladesh: US$0.77 |
For the price of 1 kg of rice in the United States, you can get approximately:
0.7 kg of rice in Japan
5 kg of rice in India
1 330-ml Bottle of Heineken
| Price |
| Norway: US$4.40 |
| Australia: US$3.78 |
| Lebanon: US$3.77 |
| Malaysia: US$3.25 |
| Japan: US$3.01 |
| United States: $2.20 |
| World Average: US$1.56 |
| Nigeria: US$0.63 |
| Vietnam: US$0.71 |
| Ukraine: US$0.72 |
| Hungary: US$0.76 |
| Panama: US$0.81 |
For the price of 1 Heineken in the United States, you can get approximately:
Half of a Heineken in Norway
3.5 Heinekens in Nigeria
1 kg of Beef
| Price |
| South Korea: US$61.41 |
| Switzerland: US$52.91 |
| Hong Kong: US$51.46 |
| Norway: US$38.06 |
| Denmark: US$32.32 |
| United States: $24.18 |
| World Average: US$13.34 |
| Russia: US$2.59 |
| Paraguay: US$3.11 |
| Pakistan: US$4.58 |
| Cameroon: US$4.59 |
| Colombia: US$4.68 |
For the price of 1 kg of beef in the United States, you can get approximately:
0.4 kg of beef in South Korea
9 kg of beef in Russia
1 kg Chicken Fillets
| Price |
| Switzerland: US$27.74 |
| Iceland: US$15.77 |
| Norway: US$15.06 |
| Croatia: US$14.82 |
| Lebanon: US$14.37 |
| United States: $9.10 |
| World Average: Unknown |
| Brazil: US$2.41 |
| Pakistan: US$2.42 |
| Thailand: US$2.42 |
| Turkey: US$2.64 |
| Uzbekistan: US$2.71 |
For the price of 1 kg of chicken fillets in the United States, you can get approximately:
1/3 kg of chicken fillets in Switzerland
4 kg of chicken fillets in Brazil
1 kg of Sugar
| Price |
| Lebanon: US$4.26 |
| UK: US$2.78 |
| Norway: US$2.73 |
| Tanzania: US$2.59 |
| Oman: US$2.57 |
| United States: $1.10 |
| World Average: US$1.23 |
| Iran: US$0.40 |
| Algeria: US$0.57 |
| Slovakia: US$0.60 |
| Sri Lanka: US$0.60 |
| Egypt: US$0.60 |
For the price of 1 kg of sugar in the United States, you can get approximately:
0.25 kg of sugar in Lebanon
2.75 kg of sugar in Iran
1 Liter of 2% Milk
| Price |
| Lebanon: US$5.24 |
| Zambia: US$4.40 |
| Hong Kong: US$2.95 |
| Macao: US$2.94 |
| Canada: US$2.43 |
| United States: $1.92 |
| World Average: US$1.45 |
| Iran: US$0.40 |
| Tunisia: US$0.46 |
| Algeria: US$0.57 |
| Poland: US$0.61 |
| Belarus: US$0.65 |
For the price of 1 liter of 2% milk in the United States, you can get approximately:
1/3 of a liter of 2% milk in Lebanon
5 liters of 2% milk in Iran
1 kg of salt
| Price |
| Macao: US$3.44 |
| Ghana: US$2.84 |
| Uruguay: US$2.39 |
| Austria: US$2.05 |
| Switzerland: US$1.85 |
| United States: $1.41 |
| World Average: US$0.76 |
| Iran: US$0.10 |
| Russia: US$0.12 |
| Egypt: US$0.12 |
| Kazakhstan: US$0.13 |
| Algeria: US$0.15 |
For the price of 1 kg of salt in the United States, you can get approximately:
0.4 kg of salt in Macao
14 kg of salt in Iran
1 kg of Flour
| Price |
| Macao: US$4.19 |
| Jordan: US$2.96 |
| Saudi Arabia: US$2.82 |
| Switzerland: US$2.67 |
| Hong Kong: US$2.31 |
| United States: $1.02 |
| World Average: US$1.27 |
| Tunisia: US$0.31 |
| Algeria: US$0.42 |
| Belgium: US$0.47 |
| Bangladesh: US$0.48 |
| Argentina: US$0.49 |
For the price of 1 kg of flour in the United States, you can get approximately:
¼ kg of flour in Macao
3 kg of flour in Tunisia
1 Liter of Cooking Oil
| Price |
| Lebanon: US$13.49 |
| Japan: US$4.72 |
| Sri Lanka: US$4.45 |
| Switzerland: US$4.25 |
| Israel: US$4.18 |
| United States: $3.69 |
| World Average: US$2.52 |
| Iran: US$0.50 |
| Belgium: US$1.31 |
| Poland: US$1.32 |
| Algeria: US$1.32 |
| Russia: US$1.43 |
For the price of 1 liter of cooking oil in the United States, you can get approximately:
¼ of a liter of cooking oil in Lebanon
7.5 liters of cooking oil in Iran
1 kg of Potatoes (About 7)
| Price |
| South Korea: US$3.74 |
| Hong Kong: US$2.70 |
| Australia: US$2.70 |
| Costa Rica: US$2.61 |
| Macao: US$2.60 |
| United States: $1.50 |
| World Average: US$1.16 |
| Iran: US$0.14 |
| Bangladesh: US$0.18 |
| Pakistan: US$0.27 |
| Turkey: US$0.28 |
| Poland: US$0.29 |
For the price of 1 kg of potatoes in the United States, you can get approximately:
3.5 potatoes in South Korea
70 potatoes in Iran
1 kg of Apples (About 5)
| Price |
| South Korea: US$7.80 |
| Japan: US$6.88 |
| Algeria: US$6.43 |
| Macao: US$5.99 |
| Lebanon: US$5.89 |
| United States: $3.30 |
| World Average: US$2.68 |
| China: US$0.67 |
| Ukraine: US$0.71 |
| Iran: US$0.72 |
| Slovenia: US$0.84 |
| Angola: US$0.84 |
For the price of 1 kg of apples in the United States, you can get approximately:
2 apples in South Korea
25 apples in China
1 kg of Bananas (About 7)
| Price |
| South Korea: US$3.69 |
| Switzerland: US$3.22 |
| Luxembourg: US$2.98 |
| Norway: US$2.85 |
| Singapore: US$2.53 |
| United States: $1.21 |
| World Average: US$1.56 |
| India: US$0.36 |
| Angola: US$0.41 |
| Iran: US$0.43 |
| Guatemala: US$0.56 |
| Ivory Coast: US$0.62 |
For the price of 1 kg of bananas in the United States, you can get approximately:
2 bananas in South Korea
24 bananas in India
1.5 Liters of Evian Water
| Price |
| India: US$13.23 |
| Colombia: US$7.70 |
| Norway: US$7.68 |
| Brazil: US$7.51 |
| Chile: US$7.22 |
| United States: $2.18 |
| World Average: US$3.34 |
| France: US$0.64 |
| Argentina: US$0.67 |
| Belgium: US$1.03 |
| Switzerland: US$1.08 |
| UK: US$1.25 |
For the price of a 1.5 liter bottle of Evian water in the United States, you can get approximately:
0.16 liters of Evian water in India
3 1.5-liter bottles of Evian water in France
0.5-Liter Bottle of Coca-Cola
| Price |
| Australia: US$2.89 |
| New Zealand: US$2.86 |
| United States: $2.75 |
| Norway: US$2.73 |
| Denmark: US$2.58 |
| United States: $2.75 |
| World Average: US$0.97 |
| Iran: US$0.15 |
| Pakistan: US$0.22 |
| Nigeria: US$0.26 |
| Indonesia: US$0.27 |
| Turkey: US$0.30 |
For the price of a 0.5-liter bottle of Coca-Cola in the United States, you can get approximately:
1 0.5-liter bottle of Coca-Cola in Australia
18 0.5-liter bottles of Coca-Cola in Iran
700-ml bottle of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky (Red Label)
| Price |
| Lebanon: US$71.68 |
| Bahrain: US$53.19 |
| United Arab Emirates: US$47.06 |
| Sri Lanka US$44.52 |
| Norway: US$44.13 |
| United States: $21.98 |
| World Average: US$22.01 |
| Angola: US$9.86 |
| Philippines: US$10.31 |
| Japan: US$10.99 |
| Burma: US$11.00 |
| Costa Rica: US$11.40 |
For the price of one bottle of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky in the United States, you can get approximately:
1/3 of a bottle of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky in Lebanon
2 bottles of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky in Angola
1 Large Domino’s Pizza
| Price |
| Japan: US$22 |
| UK: US$21 |
| Chile: US$17 |
| Morocco: US$17 |
| Peru: US$15 |
| United States: $11 |
| World Average: US$10 |
| Indonesia: US$4 |
| India: US$5 |
| Egypt: US$5 |
| Russia: US$6 |
| Romania: US$6 |
For the price of a large Domino’s pizza in the United States, you can get approximately:
½ of a large pizza in Japan
3 large pizzas in Indonesia
1 McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
| Price |
| Switzerland: US$14.07 |
| Germany: US$11.42 |
| Norway: US$10.62 |
| Belgium: US$10.29 |
| Netherlands: US$10.23 |
| United States: $5.99 |
| World Average: US$7.43 |
| Russia: US$2.93 |
| Turkey: US$3.69 |
| Malaysia: US$3.89 |
| Romania: US$4.37 |
| South Africa: US$4.50 |
For the price of a Big Mac meal in the United States, you can get approximately:
½ of a Big Mac meal in Switzerland
2 Big Mac meals in Russia
iPhone 12 (64 GB)
| Price |
| Argentina: US$2,249 |
| Nigeria: US$2,100 |
| Uruguay: US$1,598 |
| Zambia: US$1,495 |
| Morocco: US$1,491 |
| United States: $829 |
| World Average: US$1,137 |
| United States: $829 |
| Oman: US$870 |
| Japan: US$873 |
| Hong Kong: US$876 |
| Chile: US$895 |
For the price of an iPhone 12 (64 GB) in the United States, you can get approximately:
1/3 of an iPhone 12 in Argentina
1 iPhone 12 in the United States (where the cheapest iPhone 12s are)
Playstation 5
| Price |
| Argentina: US$1,829 |
| Azerbaijan: US$1,646 |
| Uruguay: US$1,633 |
| Israel: US$1,535 |
| Ivory Coast: US$1,470 |
| United States: $500 |
| World Average: US$877 |
| United States: $500 |
| Canada: US$500 |
| Hong Kong: US$513 |
| Switzerland: US$544 |
| Panama: US$546 |
For the price of one Playstation 5 in the United States, you can get approximately:
25% of a Playstation 5 in Argentina
1 Playstation 5 in the United States (where the cheapest PS5s are)
Sources:
Here are some of the most expensive food prices around the world compared to U.S. prices:
- A dozen eggs in Lebanon ($7.86) costs nearly three times as much as it does in the U.S ($2.67).
- One bottle of Heineken is twice as expensive in Norway ($4.40) as it is in the U.S. ($2.20).
- One kilogram of beef in South Korea ($61.41) is nearly two and a half times more expensive than it is in the U.S. ($24.18). It’s 24 times more expensive than beef in Russia!
- One kilogram of chicken in Switzerland ($27.74) is three times more expensive than chicken in the United States ($9.10). It’s 11 times more expensive than chicken in Brazil, which goes for $2.41 per kilogram.
- One liter of cooking oil in Lebanon ($13.49) is three and a half times more expensive than it is in the United States ($3.69).
What Is the Most Expensive Country in the World?
Switzerland is considered to be the most expensive nation in the world. That’s backed up by the data on this infographic; beef, eggs, chicken, salt, flour, cooking oil, bananas, and McDonald’s food all have some of the highest prices in Switzerland. For example, a kilogram of chicken commands the staggering price of U.S. $27.74 in Switzerland. That’s almost triple the price of chicken in the United States ($9.10) and more than $10 higher than the price of chicken in Iceland, which is the second most expensive place to purchase poultry ($15.77). Why is Switzerland so expensive? One of the primary reasons is that the average Swiss salary tends to be higher than in other countries. The average salary in Geneva, Switzerland, is 98,000 Swiss francs, which is equivalent to $107,270 in the United States. So proportionally, they can afford the higher grocery, housing, and entertainment prices.
Why Is Beef So Expensive in Korea?
If you ever watch Korean dramas or Korean movies, you may have noticed that beef is treated as a luxury and only served for special occasions and shows of respect. Logistically, Korean beef is expensive because farmland is extremely limited. South Korea’s terrain is rocky and hilly, so most of the habitable land is used for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. Historically, cattle were used primarily as labor animals and deemed too valuable to eat. Buddhism during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) also influenced Korea’s approach to cattle, as they were deemed sacred. The Joseon era and Confucianism eventually shifted this mentality, but even then, cattle was only allowed to be eaten by society’s elite. These limiting factors have driven up the quality of beef raised in Korea. One of the native cattle breeds of South Korea, Hanwoo, is believed to rival the flavor of Kobe and Wagyu beef.
Data for this visualization was sourced from GlobalProductPrices.com, license: Creative Commons 3.0.
