World Beer Index 2021 Advertiser Disclosure

World Beer Index: The Cost and Consumption of Beer Around the World

Beer. Everybody likes to drink it. Nobody likes to pay for it. Still, the cost of a beer stings more or less depending on where in the world you’re drinking.

Expensivity wondered just how much the cost of beer differs from country and the effect the price of beer has on national consumption. We researched the price of a beer around the world and used World Health Organization statistics to figure out who’s drinking it all.

All prices are in US dollars. All beers are 33cl (330ml) bottles.

Key Findings

  • Qatar has the most expensive beer in the world, with an average price of US$11.26 per 33cl (330ml) bottle.
  • The cheapest beer is in South Africa, where the average price is $1.68 per bottle.
  • The Czech Republic has the highest consumption rate, with 468 beers per person per year.
  • Germans spend an average $1,907.78 per year on beer, the top figure in our study.

Qatar Wins World Cup for Expensive Beer

A beer in Qatar is expensive. The mostly Muslim country introduced a 100% tax on alcohol imports ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and visitors need a special permit to drink alcohol. China looks pretty expensive too, but consider that we averaged the price of a hotel beer ($13.61) and a supermarket beer ($1.81).

The Price of Beer Around The World

Tap on the map to see it full size

It’s clear the steep prices are aimed at visitors. Beer is cheapest in South Africa, where a culture of buying in bulk tends to keep prices down.

The International Beer Index in Full

Where there is beer, there are beer geeks. Here is Expensivity’s data in full so you can find out exactly what kind of beer culture to expect from country to country. Click the arrows to sort by price, consumption, or total spend.