At 8.07 U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the July 2024 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was 5.69 dollars in the U.S., and 6.06 U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.

As of January 2024, Uruguay had the highest Big Mac Index and Guatemala, the lowest, among the Latin American countries measured. The so-called Big Mac Index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. In Guatemala, it was estimated that a Big Mac would cost an average of 3.71 U.S. dollars, while the average price for a Big Mac burger in Brazil amounted to approximately 4.81 U.S. dollars.

How is the Big Mac Index calculated? The Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars. The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality.

McDonald's in Latin America McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay. Brazil is the largest Latin American market for McDonald's when it comes to the size of the franchise network, as over 1,000 McDonald's restaurants are in operation in the Brazilian territory.

This dataset provides values for BIG MAC INDEX reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

In 2024, a Big Mac was estimated to cost an average of 4.34 U.S. dollars in McDonald's restaurants located in Nicaragua. The price went up 12 cents of a dollar in comparison to the previous year. In fact, since the beginning of the mentioned period, the price of a Big Mac has been continuously increasing. Uruguay is the Latin American country with the highest Big Mac index.

This dataset provides values for BIG MAC INDEX reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. The average price for a Big Mac burger in Colombia was estimated at 5.09 U.S. dollars in January 2024. Colombia price for a Big Mac is among the four highest in Latin America.

Big Mac Index The Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars.

The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Inflation in Colombia

Over the past two decades, Colombia has generally seen a decline in the inflation rate, with a small upward trend as of 2023, reaching 11.39 percent. However, there are forecasts indicating a steady decline in the inflation rate for the next five years. In the year 2023, the annual inflation rate has been higher compared to previous years, particularly in the sectors of restaurants and hotels, which recorded an inflation rate of 18.6 percent, and in the basics of the food basket, including food and non-alcoholic beverages, with an inflation rate of 18.47 percent. This has placed Colombia at the seventh position among Latin American countries with the highest annual inflation rate in comparison to previous years as of 2022.

The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. The average price for a Big Mac burger in Uruguay was estimated at 7.04 U.S. dollars in January 2024. In comparison to the value registered a year earlier, this represents a considerable increase. In Latin America, Uruguay had the highest price for a Big Mac in 2024. Big Mac IndexThe Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars.The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

In 2024, a Big Mac was estimated to cost an average of 3.71 U.S. dollars in McDonald's restaurants located in Guatemala. Costa Rica is one of the Latin American countries where the price of a Big Mac is at its highest, while Guatemala recorded the lowest price in the region.

The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. The average price for a Big Mac burger in Mexico was estimated at 5.19 U.S. dollars in January 2024. Due to the high increases during the last few years, the Big Mac burger price became one of the highest in Latin America.

Big Mac Index

The Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars. The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Power Purchasing Parity

This conversion endeavor seeks to level the purchasing power disparities among nations by neutralizing price discrepancies. Notably, in Mexico, the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) has demonstrated a consistent upward trajectory, yielding positive repercussions on the minimum wage for the labor force. This, in turn, has triggered a favorable effect on the affordability of the essential food basket. Furthermore, this upswing has propelled five major Mexican cities into the upper positions of PPP rankings within Latin America. Consequently, Mexico now stands as the 15th largest global economy, a status achieved despite a slight, yet steady, decline in its share of the global GDP, which is adjusted according to PPP metrics.

The average price for a Big Mac burger in Peru was estimated at 4.25 U.S. dollars in January 2024. The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. Buying a Big Mac in Peru is cheaper than, for instance, in neighboring Chile. Big Mac IndexThe Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars.The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Inflation in Peru After two years of hyperinflation in 1989 and 1990, the inflation rate of Peru slowed down until 2022, following the trend of the global inflation crisis. Nonetheless, the Andean country still ranks in the middle of the table of Latin American countries with the highest inflation rate during that same year and remains with significantly lower price increases than the region’s average. Some sectors are more impacted than others, the category with the highest price increases as of September 2023, were food and non-alcoholic beverages, in contrast, the housing and housing services sector presented a slight deflation during the same period.

In 2024, a Big Mac was estimated to cost an average of 4.13 U.S. dollars in McDonald's restaurants located in Honduras. The price went up eight cents of a dollar in comparison to the previous year. Guatemala is the Latin American country with the lowest Big Mac index.

The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. In 2024, the average price for a Big Mac burger in Chile was estimated at 4.46 U.S. dollars. Big Mac IndexThe Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars.The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition, and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Inflation in Chile During 2022, the inflation rate of Chile was 11.25 percent, in general, price increases in the South American country remained low from 2009 to 2021. Nonetheless, with the global inflation crisis in the following years the rate increased significantly. Still, Chile remains with an inflation lower than the Latin America average. Moreover, price increases have been impacting sectors differently, in June 2023, the industry with the highest inter-annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) was alcoholic beverages and tobacco, in contrast, the communications sector recorded a slight deflation.

The so-called Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power of an economy. In Costa Rica, the average price for a Big Mac burger was estimated at 5.71 U.S. dollars in January 2024. Costa Rica price for a Big Mac is among the highest in Latin America, only behind Uruguay. Big Mac IndexThe Bic Mac index has been published annually by The Economist since 1986 and is rated as a simplified indicator of a country’s individual purchasing power. As many countries have different currencies, the standardized Big Mac prices are calculated by converting the average national Big Mac prices with the latest exchange rate to U.S. dollars.The Big Mac, as the top-selling McDonald’s burger, is used for comparison because it is available in almost every country and manufactured in a standardized size, composition and quality. McDonald’s is a worldwide operating fast food restaurant chain with headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. In Latin America, McDonald's largest franchisee is Arcos Dorados Holdings, with headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Inflation in Costa Rica Costa Rica ranks in the middle table of Latin American countries with the highest inflation rates, nonetheless, in the Central American region it’s only behind Honduras. During 2022, the inflation rate of Costa Rica was 8.28, after many years of low rates, the global inflation crisis accelerated the price increases in the country. Some sectors were impacted more heavily than others, in June 2023, the industry with the highest Consumer Price Index (CPI) was food and non-alcoholic beverages, in contrast, the communications sector presented the lowest.

Am teuersten bleibt der Big Mac in der Schweiz - auch im Januar 2025 muss man nach dem sogenannten Big-Mac-Index durchschnittlich rund 7,99 US-Dollar für einen Big Mac in der Schweiz bezahlen und damit mehr als in jedem anderen Land der Welt. Der Preis für einen Big Mac in der Schweiz ist gegenüber dem Preis von Juli 2024 um rund 0,08 US-Dollar gesunken. Wo gibt es den billigsten Big Mac der Welt? In Taiwan ist der Big Mac im Januar 2025 weltweit am günstigsten: Für einen Big Mac müssen Taiwaner:innen im Januar 2025 nur rund 2,38 US-Dollar bezahlen, im Juli 2024 sind es noch rund 0,1 US-Dollar weniger gewesen. In Europa ist der Big Mac in der Ukraine mit rund 2,86 US-Dollar am günstigsten. In der Eurozone muss man im Januar 2025 durchschnittlich 5,95 US-Dollar für einen Big Mac bezahlen und somit rund 11 US-Cent weniger als vor sechs Monaten. Vor dem russischen Überfall auf die Ukraine wurde der weltweit günstigste Big Mac in Russland verkauft. Rund 1,74 US-Dollar mussten Russen im Januar 2022 für einen Big Mac bezahlen, und jetzt? Was kostet ein Big Mac in Russland? Nichts, denn in Russland gibt es seit Mai 2022 keinen Big Mac mehr. McDonald's hat sich im Mai 2022 wegen des völkerrechtswidrigen russischen Überfalls auf die Ukraine komplett aus Russland zurückgezogen und alle Filialen verkauft. Mit Alexander Gowor hat sich aber schnell ein patriotischer kremltreuer Oligarch gefunden, um in dieser Angelegenheit nationaler Tragweite die Filialen sämtlich zu übernehmen und - sozialistisch pragmatisch - unter dem innovativen neuen Namen Wkusno i totschka (lecker und Punkt) wiederzueröffnen. Nur den Big Mac kann man wegen der Markenrechte leider nicht anbieten und somit wird Russland wohl auf absehbare Zeit nicht mehr im Big-Mac-Index vertreten sein. Breaking News - Verkaufsstart der Big-Mac-Kopie in Russland Nach gut 10 Monaten Entwicklungsarbeit hat das Science Lab von Wkusno i totschka bewiesen, was der Forschungsstandort Russland zu leisten vermag und Anfang März den "Big Hit" in seinen "lecker und Punkt-Filialen" eingeführt. Es soll sich um eine "verbesserte" Version des Big Mac handeln, allerdings lassen erste Reaktionen von Kunden darauf schließen, dass dies nicht ganz gelungen ist. Aber zumindest der Preis ist mit 186 Rubel, also derzeit (Februar 2025), mit rund 2,10 US-Dollar lecker und Punkt. Bis zum Rückzug der Konzernmutter McDonald's belegte Russland übrigens mit rund 800 Filialen im Ranking der Länder mit den meisten McDonald's Restaurants den zehnten Platz. Was ist der Big-Mac-Index und wie funktioniert er? Der Big-Mac-Index ist ein leicht verständlicher Indikator, der für den Kaufkraftvergleich von Ländern entwickelt wurde. Dieser Indikator wurde 1986 von der britischen Wochenzeitung „The Economist“ erfunden und wird halbjährlich im Januar und Juli jeden Jahres aktualisiert. Die Idee des Economist war, dass es überall auf der Welt McDonald's gibt und der Big Mac in jeder Filiale des Schnellrestaurants weltweit in standardisierter Größe, Zusammensetzung und Qualität verkauft wird. Der Erfolg des Indikators beruht auf seiner Einfachheit und darauf, dass der Big Mac wie auch McDonald's einen sehr hohen Bekanntheitsgrad haben – jeder hat schon von McDonald's und Big Mac gehört. Es handelt sich also um ein standardisiertes Produkt, das weltweit bekannt ist und konsumiert wird. Für den Preisvergleich wird der Preis für einen Big Mac in der jeweiligen Landeswährung zum aktuellen US-Dollar-Kurs umgerechnet. Je höher der umgerechnete Preis ist, desto höher wird auch die Kaufkraft im jeweiligen Land eingeschätzt. Je niedriger der umgerechnete Big Mac Preis ist, desto geringer wird die jeweilige Kaufkraft im Land eingeschätzt. Preisniveau in der Europäischen Union Zwischen den 27 Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union (EU) gibt es deutliche Unterschiede im Preisniveau, was aus der Angabe des Big-Mac-Index für die Eurozone nicht direkt ersichtlich ist. Der Preisniveauindex für Verbrauchsgüter und Dienstleistungen in der Europäischen Union bietet hingegen einen detaillierten Vergleich. Während die Verbraucherpreise in Dänemark rund 38 Prozent über dem EU-Durchschnitt liegen, muss man in Bulgarien derzeit nur rund halb so viel für Verbrauchsgüter und Dienstleistungen aufwenden.

In January 2024, it was estimated that a Big Mac burger in Argentina would cost an average of 3.83 U.S. dollars. Overall, Argentina ranked second with one of the lowest prices for a Big Mac in selected Latin American countries.

The Big Mac Index in Argentina
The Big Mac Index is an indicator that measures an economy's purchasing power. As it is mainly a standardized product, elaborated similarly across many markets, the evolution of its cost can provide insights into variations of real consumption prices in a given country. For instance, the price for a Big Mac in Argentina decreased by almost half from 2018 to 2019. This reflects Argentina's peso devaluation in comparison to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies in that period, caused by high inflation rates in the country, among other macroeconomic reasons.

McDonald's in Latin America
Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. is McDonald's franchisee in Latin America. The company's name was inspired by McDonald's famous logo, as 'Arcos Dorados' means 'Golden Arches' in Spanish. It manages the brand's operations in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Arcos Dorados’ revenue averages three billion U.S. dollars per year, making it McDonald's largest franchisee in the world. The company is also publicly listed in the New York Stock Exchange. Based on its market capitalization value, Arcos Dorados' net worth was estimated at around 1.64 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Los países del centro y norte de Europa son los que gozan de mayor poder adquisitivo en el Viejo Continente y son también aquellos donde sus habitantes más pagan por uno de los productos más famosos de McDonald's: el Big Mac. Así, por ejemplo, el precio medio de una hamburguesa Big Mac en Suiza era superior a los ocho dólares estadounidenses en enero de 2024, frente a los menos de tres dólares que le costaba este mismo producto a un consumidor en Egipto o Indonesia. ¿Qué es el Índice Big Mac? El Índice Big Mac lo publica anualmente The Economist desde 1986 y es considerado como un indicador simplificado del poder adquisitivo de un país. Este sistema consiste en comparar los precios de la hamburguesa Big Mac en todos los países donde se comercializa ese producto. Para solventar el problema de la diferencia de divisa, los precios estandarizados de una Big Mac se calculan convirtiendo los precios medios nacionales de una Big Mac a dólares estadounidenses bajo un tipo de cambio determinado. Un McDonald's en cualquier rincón del mundo Se utiliza la hamburguesa Big Mac para establecer la comparación, ya que es uno de los principales productos de McDonald's, que se fabrica bajo los mismos estándares de tamaño, composición y calidad en todos los países donde es comercializado. Desde su fundación en 1948, la cadena de hamburgueserías ha desarrollado una ambiciosa estrategia de expansión presencial y cuenta con más de 41.500 restaurantes en todo el mundo. Tal es el impacto de esta empresa de origen norteamericano, que su valor de marca estimado asciende a más de 221.500 millones de dólares y cerró el año 2023 con unos beneficios netos de más de 8.000 millones.

El índice Big Mac es un indicador basado en el precio de una hamburguesa Big Mac en todo el mundo y refleja el poder adquisitivo de una economía. En 2023, el precio promedio más alto de una Big Mac en América Latina fue de 7,04 dólares estadounidenses, registrado en Uruguay. En la tercera posición se encuentra el país vecino, Argentina, donde el valor de la hamburguesa fue de 5,19 dólares. ¿Cómo se calcula el Índice Big Mac?El índice Big Mac es publicado por The Economist desde 1986 y es un indicador simplificado del poder adquisitivo de un país, ya que se calcula comparando los precios de una hamburguesa Big Mac en una gran cantidad de naciones. Para hacer la comparación, se utiliza la hamburguesa Big Mac, que es uno de los principales productos de McDonald's, porque está disponible en casi todos los países y se fabrica en tamaño, composición y calidad estándares.McDonald's en LatinoaméricaMcDonald’s es una cadena de restaurantes de comida rápida que opera a nivel mundial. En América Latina, McDonald's realiza la mayor parte de sus operaciones bajo la empresa Arcos Dorados Holdings, cuya sede está en Montevideo, Uruguay. El mayor mercado latinoamericano de esta marca es Brasil, donde McDonald's cuenta con una red de alrededor de 1.000 restaurantes.

El índice Big Mac es un indicador basado en el precio de una hamburguesa Big Mac en todo el mundo y refleja el poder adquisitivo de una economía. El precio promedio de una Big Mac en Colombia en enero de 2024 fue de 5,06 dólares estadounidenses, alcanzando su punto más alto Índice Big MacEl índice Big Mac es publicado por The Economist desde 1986 y es un indicador simplificado del poder adquisitivo de un país, ya que se calcula comparando los precios de una hamburguesa Big Mac en una gran cantidad de naciones. Para hacer la comparación, se utiliza la hamburguesa Big Mac, que es uno de los principales productos de McDonald's, porque está disponible en casi todos los países y se fabrica en tamaño, composición y calidad estándares.McDonald’s es una cadena de restaurantes de comida rápida que opera a nivel mundial. En América Latina, McDonald's realiza la mayor parte de sus operaciones bajo la empresa Arcos Dorados Holdings, cuya sede está en Montevideo, Uruguay.

El índice Big Mac es un indicador basado en el precio de una hamburguesa Big Mac en todo el mundo y refleja el poder adquisitivo de una economía. En enero de 2024, el precio medio de una Big Mac en Perú era de 4,25 dólares estadounidenses, alcanzando la cifra más alta desde 2010.

As of January 2025, New South Wales was home to the highest number of McDonald's locations in Australia, with over 330 stores. In comparison, there were only 16 McDonald's restaurants in Tasmania that same year. In total, almost 1,050 McDonald's stores were in operation nationwide in 2025. Australia: one of McDonald’s leading international markets Famous for its Big Mac, American quick service restaurant (QSR) chain McDonald’s is by far the most valuable fast food brand worldwide, with an estimated brand value of almost 222 billion U.S. dollars. The Australian McDonald’s franchise is one of the largest contributors to McDonald’s total revenue among the company’s internationally operated markets. In 2023, McDonald’s Australia Holdings Pty Ltd generated an annual revenue of around 831 million U.S. dollars. Battle of the burger chains McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s are the most prevalent burger franchises in Australia, with McDonald’s recording the highest brand score index value across Australia’s QSRs in 2024. In terms of locations, McDonald’s boasted the highest number of locations of all burger franchises across Australia in 2025 and had more than double the number of stores compared to Hungry Jack’s. Nonetheless, by a small margin, Australian consumers voted Hungry Jack’s as being better value for money than McDonald’s. Furthermore, the Big Jack was rated higher across all categories than the Big Mac regarding taste, quality of ingredients, and value for money. Popular Australian burger chain Grill’d also keeps its foot in the door of Australia’s burger market due to its extensive variety of burger options and highly-rated dine-in experience. With Wendy’s and Mr. Charlie’s entering Australia’s fast food market, the battle of the country’s burger chains may become even more intense.