Pricele #67: Big Mac in China 🇨🇳
The puzzle for 5 September 2026 asked what a Big Mac costs in China. Here is the answer and the context behind it.
The answer
Big Mac · China
$3.66
25.5 CNY
About 40 minutes of the average local wage buys a Big Mac.
Cheaper than 82% of the 45 countries in the game.
Source: The Economist Big Mac Index, Jan 2026.
About big mac
The Big Mac is the most-quoted price in economics. The Economist started publishing its Big Mac Index in 1986 as a light-hearted way to test purchasing-power parity, the theory that a currency should buy the same basket of goods anywhere. Because the burger is close to identical everywhere it is sold, the gap between what it costs in two countries is a rough read on whether a currency is over- or undervalued.
Where China sits
Of the 45 countries priced for big mac, China ranks #37 from the top at $3.66, 34% below the median of $5.53.
Chinese prices vary enormously between tier-one cities and smaller ones, so a single national figure hides a wide spread. Imported and branded goods carry a premium; domestically produced staples are among the cheapest in the game. VAT is banded rather than flat, at 13%, 9% or 6% depending on category, with food and agricultural products at 9%, which means the tax wedge itself differs between two items in the same basket. Read the Chinese column as an urban average with a wide error bar around it, not as a price any particular shopper pays.
| Nearby on the big mac table | USD | Local | Work time |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | $3.36 | 54.9 ZAR | 45 min |
| Malaysia | $3.39 | 13.75 MYR | 53 min |
| China | $3.66 | 25.5 CNY | 40 min |
| South Korea | $3.74 | 5,500 KRW | 16 min |
| Pakistan | $3.86 | 1,080 PKR | 7.7 h |
What else costs what in China
| Item | USD | Local | Work time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola (330ml can) | $0.48 | 3.5 CNY | 5 min |
| Cappuccino | $2.96 | 20.04 CNY | 32 min |
| Milk (1 litre) | $1.79 | 12.12 CNY | 20 min |
| Eggs (dozen) | $1.58 | 10.69 CNY | 17 min |
| Apples (1 kg) | $1.83 | 12.39 CNY | 20 min |
| Gasoline (1 litre) | $1.24 | 8.39 CNY | 14 min |
| Diesel (1 litre) | $1.10 | 7.44 CNY | 12 min |
| Electricity (100 kWh) | $7.90 | 53.2 CNY | 86 min |
| Natural gas (100 kWh) | $5.10 | 34.7 CNY | 56 min |
| Cigarettes (20-pack) | $2.49 | 17.99 CNY | 27 min |
| Beer (330ml) | $0.54 | 3.89 CNY | 6 min |
| Spirits (750ml bottle) | $3.32 | 24 CNY | 36 min |
| Mobile data (1 GB) | $0.38 | — | 4 min |
| A day's healthy diet | $1.75 | 12.6 CNY | 19 min |
Go deeper
See the full table for big mac in every country or everything priced in China.