The Big Mac Index 2026 By Country With Live Rates Today
Big Mac Index By Country
The Big Mac Index โ invented by The Economist in 1986 โ is the world's most delicious way to understand currency valuations and purchasing power parity. Hover over any country to discover how far your dollar really goes. Click to lock your selection and explore deeper insights about global economics, one burger at a time.
How it works
Purchasing-power parity implies that exchange rates are determined by the value of goods that currencies can buy
Differences in local prices โ in our case, for Big Macs โ can suggest what the exchange rate should be
Using burgernomics, we can estimate how much one currency is under- or over-valued relative to another
Varying labour costs and barriers to migration and trade may undermine purchasing-power parity
To control for this, our adjusted index predicts what Big Mac prices should be given a country's GDP per person
The difference between the predicted and the market price is an alternative measure of currency valuation
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), the notion that in the long run exchange rates should move towards the rate that would equalise the prices of an identical basket of goods and services (in this case, a burger) in any two countries. Our tool updates with live exchange rates, giving you the most accurate Big Mac Index data available for 56 countries worldwide.
Historical Price Trends (2000-2025)
Track how Big Mac prices changed over 25 years. All prices in USD.
* Prices in USD. Data from The Economist Big Mac Index (January or July each year).
Country Rankings
| # โ | Country โ | Price (USD) โ | Local Price | vs Base โ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland | $9.08 | CHF7.3 | +48% |
| 2 | ๐บ๐พ Uruguay | $8.76 | $339 | +43% |
| 3 | ๐ณ๐ด Norway | $7.52 | kr76 | +23% |
| 4 | ๐ธ๐ช Sweden | $7.26 | kr67 | +19% |
| 5 | ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark | $7.14 | kr46 | +17% |
| 6 | ๐ฌ๐ง Britain | $7.08 | ยฃ5.29 | +16% |
| 7 | ๐ช๐บ Euro area | $7.05 | โฌ6.08 | +15% |
| 8 | ๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel | $6.36 | โช20 | +4% |
| 9 | ๐ต๐ฑ Poland | $6.25 | zล22.7 | +2% |
| 10 | ๐จ๐ด Colombia | $6.21 | $22,900 | +1% |
| 11 | ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico | $6.17 | $109 | +1% |
| 12 | ๐บ๐ธ United States | $6.12 | $6.12 | โ (Base) |
| 13 | ๐จ๐ท Costa Rica | $6.04 | โก2,990 | -1% |
| 14 | ๐น๐ท Turkey | $5.90 | โบ255 | -4% |
| 15 | ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore | $5.78 | S$7.45 | -6% |
| 16 | ๐ฆ๐บ Australia | $5.69 | $8.5 | -7% |
| 17 | ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | $5.54 | $7.7 | -9% |
| 18 | ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina | $5.53 | $8,000 | -10% |
| 19 | ๐จ๐ฟ Czech Republic | $5.50 | Kฤ115 | -10% |
| 20 | ๐จ๐ฑ Chile | $5.42 | $4,790 | -11% |
| 21 | ๐ฑ๐ง Lebanon | $5.36 | Lยฃ480,000 | -12% |
| 22 | ๐ฆ๐ช United Arab Emirates | $5.17 | AED19 | -15% |
| 23 | ๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia | $5.07 | SR19 | -17% |
| 24 | ๐ญ๐ณ Honduras | $5.06 | L134 | -17% |
| 25 | ๐ต๐ช Peru | $5.03 | S/16.9 | -18% |
| 26 | ๐ญ๐บ Hungary | $4.99 | Ft1,660 | -18% |
| 27 | ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand | $4.94 | $8.6 | -19% |
| 28 | ๐ง๐ญ Bahrain | $4.77 | BD1.8 | -22% |
| 29 | ๐ณ๐ฎ Nicaragua | $4.75 | C$174 | -22% |
| 30 | ๐ถ๐ฆ Qatar | $4.67 | QR17 | -24% |
| 31 | ๐ฐ๐ผ Kuwait | $4.54 | KD1.4 | -26% |
| 32 | ๐ง๐ท Brazil | $4.45 | R$23.9 | -27% |
| 33 | ๐ฌ๐น Guatemala | $4.30 | Q33 | -30% |
| 34 | ๐น๐ญ Thailand | $4.30 | เธฟ135 | -30% |
| 35 | ๐ฒ๐ฉ Moldova | $4.09 | L70 | -33% |
| 36 | ๐ป๐ช Venezuela | $4.04 | Bs1,370 | -34% |
| 37 | ๐ท๐ด Romania | $3.98 | lei17.45 | -35% |
| 38 | ๐ด๐ฒ Oman | $3.97 | OMR1.53 | -35% |
| 39 | ๐ฆ๐ฟ Azerbaijan | $3.91 | โผ6.65 | -36% |
| 40 | ๐ต๐ฐ Pakistan | $3.86 | Rs1,080 | -37% |
| 41 | ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea | $3.74 | โฉ5,500 | -39% |
| 42 | ๐จ๐ณ China | $3.66 | ยฅ25.5 | -40% |
| 43 | ๐ฏ๐ด Jordan | $3.53 | JD2.5 | -42% |
| 44 | ๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia | $3.39 | RM13.75 | -45% |
| 45 | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | $3.36 | R54.9 | -45% |
| 46 | ๐ญ๐ฐ Hong Kong | $3.21 | HK$25 | -48% |
| 47 | ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine | $3.19 | โด139 | -48% |
| 48 | ๐ฏ๐ต Japan | $3.03 | ยฅ480 | -51% |
| 49 | ๐ป๐ณ Vietnam | $2.89 | โซ76,000 | -53% |
| 50 | ๐ต๐ญ Philippines | $2.84 | โฑ169 | -54% |
| 51 | ๐ช๐ฌ Egypt | $2.65 | Eยฃ125 | -57% |
| 52 | ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia | $2.52 | Rp42,500 | -59% |
| 53 | ๐ฎ๐ณ India | $2.51 | โน227 | -59% |
| 54 | ๐น๐ผ Taiwan | $2.47 | NT$78 | -60% |
References
- [1] "The Big Mac Index." https://www.economist.com/big-mac-index (Primary price data source, updated biannually)
- [2] "big-mac-data." GitHub repository. https://github.com/TheEconomist/big-mac-data (Raw dataset with historical records since 2000)
- [3] "Foreign Exchange Rates." Tokyo FX Market midday rates. (Exchange rate data for USD conversion)
- [*] Data is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. The Big Mac Index is intended as a lighthearted guide to currency valuation, not a precise indicator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does your Big Mac Index update daily, not biannually like The Economist?
Great question! The Economist publishes the official Big Mac Index twice a year with new burger prices. But here's the thing โ currency markets move every second. A dollar buys different amounts of yen today versus last week. Our site takes The Economist's price data and applies live exchange rates daily. So while the burger price in Tokyo stays the same, the USD equivalent changes constantly. Toggle "Live Rates" and watch the Big Mac Index numbers shift in real-time. It's like having a currency dashboard disguised as a menu.
How do you calculate the "difference from USA" percentage?
Simple math, burger style. We take each country's Big Mac price in USD, subtract the US price ($5.69), then divide by $5.69. If Japan's Big Mac costs $3.21, that's (3.21 - 5.69) / 5.69 = -43.6%. Negative means cheaper, positive means pricier. This percentage is the heart of the Big Mac Index โ it suggests whether a currency is under or overvalued. A -43% reading hints the yen might be 43% "too weak" against the dollar, at least by burger economics.
Can I compare Big Mac prices against currencies other than USD?
Absolutely โ and this is something most Big Mac Index tools don't offer. Use our base currency selector to switch from USD to EUR, GBP, JPY, or CNY. Suddenly Switzerland isn't the priciest anymore when measured in Swiss francs! This feature helps European travelers see the Big Mac Index from their perspective, or lets Chinese users compare purchasing power in yuan. The math recalculates everything on the fly.
What's the connection between the Big Mac Index and stock markets?
More than you'd think. When a currency is severely undervalued according to the Big Mac Index, it often correlates with cheaper labor costs, which can boost export-driven stock markets. Conversely, overvalued currencies can squeeze corporate profits. Some quant funds actually track the Big Mac Index as one input for currency-hedged equity strategies. We're adding historical charts so you can overlay Big Mac price trends with major market indices โ stay tuned.
I'm planning a trip. How do I use this practically?
Think of the Big Mac Index as your "bang for buck" compass. If you're choosing between Thailand (-42%) and Australia (+12%), your dollars stretch further in Bangkok. But it's not just about burgers โ the Big Mac Index reflects broader costs: hotels, meals, transport. Countries with cheap Big Macs usually have cheaper everything. Pro tip: check our historical trends. A currency that's dropped 20% this year means your vacation just got 20% cheaper.
Why do some countries have no data?
McDonald's doesn't operate everywhere. No Big Mac, no Big Mac Index. Countries like Iran, North Korea, and most of Africa lack McDonald's franchises. India's data uses the Maharaja Mac (chicken-based) since beef isn't sold there. The Big Mac Index covers about 70 countries โ a decent sample of the global economy, but not exhaustive. We grey out unavailable regions on the map so you know where the data gaps are.
How is this different from other Big Mac Index websites?
Most sites just republish The Economist's static tables. We built something more useful: daily rate updates, multi-currency base switching, interactive maps with click-to-explore, historical trend charts back to 2000, and SEO-friendly country pages you can bookmark. Our Big Mac Index tool is designed for travelers, students, and curious minds โ not just economists. Plus, everything loads fast and works beautifully on mobile. No paywalls, no clutter.
Is the Big Mac Index actually useful, or just a fun gimmick?
Both, honestly. The Big Mac Index started as a "lighthearted guide" in 1986, but it's been cited in hundreds of academic papers, central bank reports, and finance textbooks. Why? Because it makes purchasing power parity tangible. You don't need an economics degree to understand that a $2.50 burger in one country vs $7.99 in another reveals something real about currency values. The Big Mac Index won't replace Bloomberg terminals, but it'll make you smarter at dinner parties.