Data status: figures below come from the Burger Parity reference dataset. They are not independently verified current prices. An editorial revision is not a price verification date. Inspect the records and source labels.
The lowest score in a selected product basket answers a narrow question: where does this particular set of reference products cost least in US dollars? It does not identify the cheapest country for every household. Start with the recorded ranking, then examine the items that drive it.
The actual top ten in this dataset
- Japan — BPS 81.6, reference basket $88.33.
- China — BPS 81.8, reference basket $88.61.
- Canada — BPS 83.0, reference basket $89.82.
- United States — BPS 83.6, reference basket $90.54.
- Australia — BPS 89.0, reference basket $96.36.
- India — BPS 89.8, reference basket $97.18.
- Indonesia — BPS 91.3, reference basket $98.80.
- South Korea — BPS 91.3, reference basket $98.91.
- Sweden — BPS 93.7, reference basket $101.40.
- New Zealand — BPS 93.8, reference basket $101.52.
Why the ranking can surprise you
The basket includes ten products, from bread and a Big Mac to an iPhone. Equal weights applied to dollar prices do not create equal economic influence: a device costing hundreds of dollars can dominate a meal costing a few dollars. A low device price may therefore move a country ahead of one with cheaper everyday food.
What to compare before making a decision
Use the product pages to isolate the purchases you actually make. Compare subscriptions with the same plan and devices with the same storage size. Build a separate monthly budget for recurring expenses, including housing, utilities, healthcare and transport. None of those household-specific needs can be inferred from a single basket score.
Correction to the earlier article
The earlier version listed countries and scores that were not supported by the site tables. This page now derives its list directly from the same calculation used on the rankings page. The original URL remains available so existing links continue to work.