The Most—And Least—Expensive Countries to Eat Out

Dining out can be a nice treat when you want to sit down and eat a good meal, or a necessity if you don't have access to a kitchen. It can be a good option for trying new places you've never been to, or for getting a familiar meal you know is always good.

But not all meals cost the same, and what might be a cheap, easy choice in one country may be expensive in another.

So how much do you need in your wallet to pay for one meal? Numbeo set out to review costs by outsourcing data from users about how much it cost them for a meal, then converted those costs into U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate. You may not be surprised by which countries are the most expensive, the least expensive, and where exactly the United States landed on the list.

European Countries Dominate Expensive Meals

Of the top 10 most expensive countries to have a meal, the United States was the only country on that list that wasn't in Europe. And when the view was expanded to the top 20 most expensive countries, all of them were European nations except the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

Switzerland topped the list of all countries with the most expensive meal in the world. The average meal price for one person dining out costs $31.20. Second-place Norway was almost $8 cheaper, with a meal for one person costing $23.60 there. Denmark was close behind at $23.43 for third place.

The United States ended up in ninth place with an average meal coming in at $20 per person. In comparison, the global cost for a meal for one person came to $9.35, according to data from Numbeo.

The top 10 countries with the most expensive meals and the average cost for a meal for one person include:

1. Switzerland: $31.20
2. Norway: $23.60
3. Denmark: $23.43
4. Belgium: $23.36
5. Netherlands: $23.36
6. Ireland: $23.35
7. United Kingdom: $21.82
8. Italy: $20.19
9. United States: $20.00
10. Austria: $18.68

Bangladesh Has the Cheapest Meal

Europe has the most expensive meals in the world, while the least expensive meals are mostly found in Asia. In fact, seven of the top 10 least expensive meals come from that part of the world. Of the top 20 countries with the least expensive meals, 11 of them are in Asia, with an additional five nations in Africa having one of the 20 least expensive meals.

If you're looking for really affordable food, your first stop should be Bangladesh. The South Asian nation is the cheapest option for a meal for one person, with the average cost coming in at only $1.63. Another Asian nation, Indonesia, came in second place with $1.70 for one meal.

South American nation Bolivia came in third place with $1.73 needed to buy one meal when dining out.

The 10 least expensive countries and how much it would cost you to dine out for one meal include:

1. Bangladesh: $1.63
2. Indonesia: $1.70
3. Bolivia: $1.73
4. Nigeria: $1.85
5. Vietnam: $1.91
6. Nepal: $1.96
7. India: $2.09
8. Pakistan: $2.16
9. Algeria: $2.72
10. Sri Lanka: $2.88

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