Beer prices in South Africa vs the world
European ticketing and travel comparison site, GoEuro, has compiled its annual Beer Price Index, showing which global cities give you the most beer for your buck in 2016.
The index combines data from 70 cities from around the world – including South Africa – and compares the average price of local beers between bars and shops, as well as comparing yearly average purchasing and consumption.
According to the group, beer prices for 2016 have changed for multiple reasons, including currency exchange rate fluctuations, domestic inflation and deflation, manufacturers and retailers changing their prices, and changes in domestic tax rates.
Notably, South African beer (represented by Cape Town) has become significantly cheaper – moving from the world’s 12th cheapest, to the 3rd cheapest.
The prices for the beers were calculated using the average price of local and imported 330ml draught beers at several major hotel chains and stores in each city, not taking purchasing power into account.
World’s cheapest beer cities
| City | Country | Average price (Supermarket) | Average price (Bar) | Overall Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bratislava | Slovakia | $0.51 | $2.80 | $1.65 |
| Kiev | Ukraine | $0.69 | $2.63 | $1.66 |
| Cape Town | South Africa | $0.67 | $3.07 | $1.87 |
| Krakow | Poland | $0.82 | $2.80 | $1.87 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | $0.68 | $3.58 | $2.13 |
| Belgrade | Serbia | $0.44 | $3.95 | $2.19 |
| Cairo | Egypt | $1.01 | $3.76 | $2.39 |
| Warsaw | Poland | $0.87 | $4.02 | $2.45 |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | $1.09 | $3.82 | $2.45 |
| Budapest | Hungary | $0.41 | $4.53 | $2.47 |
World’s most expensive beer cities
| City | Country | Average price (Supermarket) | Average price (Bar) | Overall Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lausanne | Switzerland | $1.42 | $17.60 | $9.51 |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | $1.37 | $11.08 | $6.22 |
| Singapore | Singapore | $2.16 | $9.33 | $5.75 |
| Zurich | Switzerland | $1.35 | $10.03 | $5.69 |
| Oslo | Norway | $2.54 | $8.59 | $5.57 |
| Tokyo | Japan | $2.30 | $8.66 | $5.48 |
| Paris | France | $0.75 | $10.08 | $5.41 |
| Abu Dhabi | UAE | $1.35 | $9.37 | $5.36 |
| New York | USA | $1.49 | $9.22 | $5.36 |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | $1.40 | $9.12 | $5.26 |
While not listed among the 70 cities covered by GoEuro, Johannesburg is even cheaper than Cape Town for alcohol purchases, according to another global measure.
In the 2016 Deutsche Bank world prices report, the financial group showed that Joburg and Cape Town are some the cheapest cities in the world for foreigners trading in dollars – particularly when it came to alcohol purchases.
Both Joburg and Cape Town ranked in the top 5 cheapest cities for “sins” (drinking and smoking) – coming in second and third cheapest, respectively.
According to a World Health Organization report on alcohol consumption, beer is the alcohol of choice in South Africa, with 48% of the drinking population favouring the beverage over wine (18%) and spirits (17%).
South Africa is also one of the world’s biggest drinking nations, and certainly the biggest in Africa, where the average alcohol consumption is almost double the WHO African region average.
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