This Country Has the Most Expensive Beer in the World

Iceland may be more affordable than many other European destinations, but if you want to save money, don't spend too much time at the pub. That's because a bjór there will set you back $12.75, making it the world's most expensive destination for beer, according to an infographic created by UK-based appliance manufacturer Amica.

Using data from The Wall Street Journal and cost-of-living information from numbeo.com, Amica set out to determine how much beer you'd get in bars around the world for $1. In Iceland, apparently, it's not very much. For $1, you’ll receive 45ml, or “barely a sip,” as Amica puts it.

The high price of alcohol in Iceland has much to do with taxes. Alcohol is taxed by volume, so the state would collect 94.1 percent of a bottle’s retail price for a one-liter bottle of vodka priced at $66, according to Iceland Magazine. Next to Iceland, the most expensive countries to order a pint in are Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and France.

The U.S. isn’t significantly better off, though. On average, $1 will get you 83ml of beer, or about two shot glasses full. Of course, there are notable exceptions, depending on the quality of the beer and the type of establishment you find yourself in.

As for the cheapest countries for beer, Paraguay and Vietnam are your best bets, followed by Ethiopia, Ukraine, and Nigeria. In parts of Vietnam (primarily Hanoi), you can sit outdoors on a low plastic stool and order a type of fresh, preservative-free beer called bia hoi (literally “gas beer”), which sells for less than 50 cents per glass.

Check out Amica's infographic below, which uses a 568ml pint glass to help people visualize the amount of beer they'll get for a buck.