At **** U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the January 2025 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was **** dollars in the U.S., and **** 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.

Our source data are from several places. Big Mac prices are from McDonald’s directly and from reporting around the world; exchange rates are from Thomson Reuters; GDP and population data used to calculate the euro area averages are from Eurostat and GDP per person data are from the IMF World Economic Outlook reports.

The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. It "seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible."

The Big Mac PPP exchange rate between two countries is obtained by dividing the price of a Big Mac in one country (in its currency) by the price of a Big Mac in another country (in its currency). This value is then compared with the actual exchange rate; if it is lower, then the first currency is under-valued (according to PPP theory) compared with the second, and conversely, if it is higher, then the first currency is over-valued.

Compare countries by seeing how long person has to work for to buy a big mac: https://www.economist.com/news/2020/07/15/the-big-mac-index

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index

As of January 2025, Argentina 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 4.01 U.S. dollars, while the average price for a Big Mac burger in Brazil amounted to approximately 4.03 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 AmericaMcDonald’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.

In January 2025, it was estimated that a Big Mac burger in Argentina would cost an average of 6.95 U.S. dollars. Overall, Argentina ranked with the highest price 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.

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 4.6 U.S. dollars in January 2025. 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.

Here 3 DataSet for a complete overview of the economy of the country you are interested in.

Big Mac Index, Inflation forecast and Average Salary

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Big Mac Index

The Big Mac index was invented by The Economist in 1986 as a lighthearted guide to whether currencies are at their “correct” level. It is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity (PPP). By diverting the average national Big Mac prices to U.S. dollars, the same goods can be informally compared. So when the price of a burger is considered, the economic value of all these factors is accounted for. Thus, comparing the prices of similar burgers in two countries reflects a region’s cost of living and affordability. This is the theory behind Burgernomics.

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Inflation forecast

Inflation forecast is measured in terms of the consumer price index (CPI) or harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) for euro area countries, the euro area aggregate and the United Kingdom. Inflation measures the general evolution of prices. It is defined as the change in the prices of a basket of goods and services that are typically purchased by households. Projections are based on an assessment of the economic climate in individual countries and the world economy, using a combination of model-based analyses and expert judgement. The indicator is expressed in annual growth rates.

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Average Salary (income)

The average salary is calculated based on reported salaries of respondents. The average salary definition is to add the salaries in the sample together, then divide by the number of respondents. The result is the average salary for everyone surveyed.

In January 2025, the price of a McDonald's Big Mac sandwich in Israel stood at **** U.S. dollars. By comparison, the price of a Big Mac in the Euro Area stood at **** U.S. dollars, and **** U.S. dollars in the United States. The Big Mac index is regarded as an indicator for the purchasing power parity (PPP) of global currencies. Since 2010, the price of Big Macs in Israel, as expressed in U.S. dollars, has trended upwards.

Mcdonalds' BigMac prices in many countries. It might be interesting to look at the price evolution over time, possibly investigating up and down and having a look at other economic indicators.

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 *** U.S. dollars in January 2025. Costa Rica price for a Big Mac is among the highest in Latin America, only behind Uruguay and Argentina. Big Mac IndexThe Big 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 ****, 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.

One United States dollar was worth over ********* Indonesian rupiah in September 2025, the highest value in a comparison of over 50 different currencies worldwide. All countries and territories shown here are based on the Big Mac Index - a measurement of how much a single Big Mac is worth across different areas in the world. This exchange rate comparison reveals a strong position of the dollar in Asia and Latin America. Note, though, that several of the top currencies shown here do not rank among the most traded. The quarterly U.S. dollar exchange rate against the ten biggest forex currencies only contains the Korean won and the Japanese yen.

The highest share of McDonald’s customers in Germany was recorded among the ** to ** age group, followed by those aged 30 to 39 years. McDonald’s ranked as the most visited fast food restaurant in the country.

To go or not to go

Mcdonald’s recorded fluctuating, though mostly stable revenue in Germany in recent years. While being the most popular fast food establishment in Germany, roughly a third of the German population stated they never visited McDonald’s and a quarter of consumers did so rarely. The same was true for millennials.

Big Mac prices

Globally, McDonald’s has shifted towards a franchise concept rather than continuing with company owned restaurants. One of its most famous products, the Big Mac, varies greatly in price around the world, with the most expensive one recorded in Switzerland.

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 6 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 2024, McDonald's brand value amounted to ***** billion U.S. dollars, down from ***** billion dollars a year earlier – a small decrease of *****************. The Golden Arches McDonald's started its business as a barbecue restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Throughout the years, the company transformed into the leading fast-food franchise with the famous Golden Arches logo. As of May 2025, McDonald's ranked among the largest companies worldwide by market capitalization. Furthermore, the food behemoth was the highest-valued quick-service restaurant chain in the world by a wide margin in 2024, beating competitors such as Starbucks, KFC, and Burger King. More than a hamburger McDonald's operates in over 100 countries and produces its most famous hamburger, the Big Mac. This fact provides an informal measure of purchasing power parity between countries – namely the Big Mac Index, introduced by The Economist in 1986. According to the index, Switzerland had the most expensive Big Macs worldwide at **** dollars as of January 2025. Argentina and Uruguay followed at **** dollars and **** dollars, respectively.

This statistic shows the average prices for women's clothing in selected cities around the world in 2018. In 2018, a woman in Milan could get a new wardrobe for about ***** US dollars.

To get an overview on how prices compare around the world, have a look at the Economist's Big Mac Index. The annual consumer price index for urban consumers in the U.S. can be accessed here.

This statistic shows the average prices for men's clothing in selected cities around the world in 2018. In 2018, a man in Milan could get a new wardrobe for about ******** US dollars.

To get an overview on how prices compare around the world, have a look at the Economist's Big Mac Index.

This statistic shows the average prices for home electronics and household appliances in selected cities around the world in 2018. In 2018, home electronics and household appliances (based on the predefined basket of the survey) were most expensive in Budapest, with a cost of ***** US dollars for the basket of goods.

To get an overview on how prices compare around the world, have a look at the Economist's Big Mac Index.

In 2024, the United States accounted for 14.88 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) after adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP). This share was expected to decrease to 13.98 percent by 2030, which is roughly a seventh of the global total. What is PPP? The easiest way to understand purchasing power parity is the Big Mac Index, a measure developed by The Economist. The index tracks the price of the McDonald’s Big Mac burger, sold at each of its thousands of restaurants worldwide. Countries where the Big Mac is most expensive have higher purchasing power, meaning one can buy more for each unit of that currency. To calculate PPP, economists use a group of goods to calculate the ratio of the price of this group in each country. This ratio is then used to convert all countries into a standardized price level, on parity with each other. Why use PPP? A U.S. dollar in the United States does not have the same purchasing power as a dollar in China, even after considering the exchange rate. For this reason, adjusting for PPP gives an idea of what the rest of the world could buy in the United States, if prices were the same as in their home country. However, some economists argue that using PPP for comparisons between countries is inaccurate because it changes the price level differently for each country. Still, because it accounts not only for country-specific effects but also inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, PPP is a very popular metric.

The statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States from 1987 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. The gross domestic product of the United States in 2024 amounted to around 29.18 trillion U.S. dollars. The United States and the economy The United States’ economy is by far the largest in the world; a status which can be determined by several key factors, one being gross domestic product: A look at the GDP of the main industrialized and emerging countries shows a significant difference between US GDP and the GDP of China, the runner-up in the ranking, as well as the followers Japan, Germany and France. Interestingly, it is assumed that China will have surpassed the States in terms of GDP by 2030, but for now, the United States is among the leading countries in almost all other relevant rankings and statistics, trade and employment for example. See the U.S. GDP growth rate here. Just like in other countries, the American economy suffered a severe setback when the economic crisis occurred in 2008. The American economy entered a recession caused by the collapsing real estate market and increasing unemployment. Despite this, the standard of living is considered quite high; life expectancy in the United States has been continually increasing slightly over the past decade, the unemployment rate in the United States has been steadily recovering and decreasing since the crisis, and the Big Mac Index, which represents the global prices for a Big Mac, a popular indicator for the purchasing power of an economy, shows that the United States’ purchasing power in particular is only slightly lower than that of the euro area.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China amounted to around 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and Brazil, China came first that year and second in the world GDP ranking. The stagnation of China's GDP in U.S. dollar terms in 2022 and 2023 was mainly due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. China's real GDP growth was 5.4 percent in 2023 and 5.0 percent in 2024. In 2024, per capita GDP in China reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars. Economic performance in China Gross domestic product (GDP) is a primary economic indicator. It measures the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy over a certain time period. China's economy used to grow quickly in the past, but the growth rate of China’s real GDP gradually slowed down in recent years, and year-on-year GDP growth is forecasted to range at only around four percent in the years after 2024. Since 2010, China has been the world’s second-largest economy, surpassing Japan.China’s emergence in the world’s economy has a lot to do with its status as the ‘world’s factory’. Since 2013, China is the largest export country in the world. Some argue that it is partly due to the undervalued Chinese currency. The Big Mac Index, a simplified and informal way to measure the purchasing power parity between different currencies, indicates that the Chinese currency yuan was roughly undervalued by 38 percent in 2024. GDP development Although the impressive economic development in China has led millions of people out of poverty, China is still not in the league of industrialized countries on the per capita basis. To name one example, the U.S. per capita economic output was more than six times as large as in China in 2024. Meanwhile, the Chinese society faces increased income disparities. The Gini coefficient of China, a widely used indicator of economic inequality, has been larger than 0.45 over the last decade, whereas 0.40 is the warning level for social unrest.

India’s share of global gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 8.25 percent in 2024 when adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) and was projected to increase to 10 percent by 2030. This reflects the growth of India’s economy, which is helped in this ranking by the low purchasing power of the rupee. The Indian economy A significant portion of India’s economic growth comes from a shift in the workforce from the agricultural sector to the more-productive service sector. This labor force shift is particularly significant in India because of the country’s staggering population figures. As such, changes in the Indian economy have an impact on a significant portion of the world population. What does PPP mean? The Economist magazine uses the Big Mac Index to illustrate purchasing power. Since the product should be the same in every country that has a McDonalds, the Big Mac’s price should reflect the purchasing power of each local currency. For the calculation in this statistic, economists took the prices of several standard goods (though not the Big Mac) and put them at the same level based on their prices in the local currency. Thus, the power of these currencies to purchase was put on par across countries, giving purchasing power parity. As such, this statistic can be interpreted as the relative size of the Indian economy if the whole world used the Indian rupee price levels.