Pricele #98: Big Mac in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
The puzzle for 6 October 2026 asked what a Big Mac costs in Saudi Arabia. Here is the answer and the context behind it.
The answer
Big Mac · Saudi Arabia
$5.07
19 SAR
About 25 minutes of the average local wage buys a Big Mac.
Cheaper than 61% 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 Saudi Arabia sits
Of the 45 countries priced for big mac, Saudi Arabia ranks #28 from the top at $5.07, 8% below the median of $5.53.
Saudi Arabia has some of the cheapest fuel in the game, with domestic petrol priced well below world markets, though the kingdom has raised it repeatedly since 2016 as part of budget reform. Food is largely imported and priced closer to global levels. VAT was introduced in 2018 and tripled to 15% in 2020, with no reduced rate for food, so Saudi groceries now carry a heavier tax load than groceries in most of Europe. The kingdom is a useful reminder that a country can subsidise one item heavily and tax the rest at a high flat rate at the same time.
| Nearby on the big mac table | USD | Local | Work time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | $4.99 | 1,660 HUF | 35 min |
| Peru | $5.03 | 16.9 PEN | 1.5 h |
| Saudi Arabia | $5.07 | 19 SAR | 25 min |
| United Arab Emirates | $5.17 | 19 AED | 21 min |
| Lebanon | $5.36 | 480,000 LBP | 1.7 h |
What else costs what in Saudi Arabia
| Item | USD | Local | Work time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola (330ml can) | $0.80 | 3 SAR | 4 min |
| Cappuccino | $3.70 | 13.88 SAR | 19 min |
| Milk (1 litre) | $1.71 | 6.41 SAR | 9 min |
| Eggs (dozen) | $2.57 | 9.64 SAR | 13 min |
| Apples (1 kg) | $2.22 | 8.33 SAR | 11 min |
| Gasoline (1 litre) | $0.62 | 2.33 SAR | 3 min |
| Diesel (1 litre) | $0.48 | 1.79 SAR | 2 min |
| Electricity (100 kWh) | $5.30 | 20 SAR | 27 min |
| Cigarettes (20-pack) | $7.47 | 28 SAR | 37 min |
| Vape e-liquid (1 ml) | $1.02 | 3.83 SAR | 5 min |
| Mobile data (1 GB) | $1.49 | — | 7 min |
| A day's healthy diet | $1.53 | 5.75 SAR | 8 min |
Go deeper
See the full table for big mac in every country or everything priced in Saudi Arabia.