Mapping the Price of Beer Around the World

Whether you’re sipping a pint of kölsch in Germany or drinking a Heineken at a hotel bar in Hong Kong, there are a number of factors that can influence how much your beverage will cost. Cost of living is certainly a primary factor, but taxes, availability, type of establishment, type of beer (craft beer vs macro brew), and local tastes will also affect the price of your pint.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank recently gathered critical data on how much a pint of beer costs in various major cities around the world.

Sticker Shock

Many of the cities that topped the price list have a higher cost of living, and it’s no surprise to see Singapore and Oslo rank near the top.

The city of Dubai, however, is a unique case.

Technically, drinking is only permissible for expats and non-Muslim residents in Dubai, and being drunk in public can come with serious consequences. That said, the city’s establishments serve beer with prices that reflect its high-end look and feel. Considering the scarcity and heavy regulations, those craving a pint might be happy to overlook the price tag of $12.

Cheap Thrills

The thirsty citizens of the Czech Republic consume the most beer by a long shot – a full 36% more than neighbors Austria and Germany. This is partially because demand is so high that companies are willing to compete on cost. As a result, beer is often cheaper than water in restaurants and pubs in Prague.

Manila’s low cost of living and steady supply of domestic beer earned it the lowest price per pint on the Beer Price List. San Miguel, the Philippines’ largest brewery, dominates with a market share of over 90%, and beer consumption is also on the rise in the country.

The 48 Pack

The median price of beer in the 48 cities analyzed was $5.70, and below is the full list of cities ordered from most to least expensive pint.

Rank City Country Price of Beer Pint #1 Dubai United Arab Emirates $12.00 #2 Oslo Norway $10.30 #3 Hong Kong China $8.90 #4 Singapore Singapore $8.30 #5 Zurich Switzerland $7.70 #6 New York City United States $7.70 #7 San Francisco United States $7.70 #8 Paris France $7.30 #9 Stockholm Sweden $7.30 #10 London United Kingdom $7.20 #11 Dublin Ireland $7.10 #12 Helsinki Finland $7.10 #13 Auckland New Zealand $7.00 #14 Shanghai China $7.00 #15 Melbourne Australia $6.80 #16 Copenhagen Denmark $6.70 #17 Boston United States $6.70 #18 Milan Italy $6.50 #19 Amsterdam Netherlands $6.10 #20 Sydney Australia $6.10 #21 Edinburgh United Kingdom $6.00 #22 Chicago United States $5.70 #23 Madrid Spain $5.70 #24 Toronto Canada $5.70 #25 Wellington New Zealand $5.70 #26 Vancouver Canada $5.50 #27 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia $5.40 #28 Athens Greece $5.10 #29 Jakarta Indonesia $5.00 #30 Tokyo Japan $5.00 #31 Moscow Russia $4.70 #32 Vienna Austria $4.60 #33 Frankfurt Germany $4.60 #34 Brussels Belgium $4.50 #35 Mumbai India $3.90 #36 Berlin Germany $3.90 #37 São Paulo Brazil $3.70 #38 Istanbul Turkey $3.70 #39 New Delhi India $3.40 #40 Bangalore India $3.20 #41 Rio de Janeiro Brazil $3.20 #42 Lisbon Portugal $2.80 #43 Warsaw Poland $2.60 #44 Cape Town South Africa $2.60 #45 Mexico City Mexico $2.40 #46 Johannesburg South Africa $2.20 #47 Prague Czech Republic $1.60 #48 Manila Philippines $1.50

It’s worth noting that the data collection focuses on expat (read: touristy) areas of the city. While that’s not a perfect picture of prices in a city, it does allow for a more consistent comparison of wildly differing markets.