How long minimum-wage work takes to afford a Big Mac

Across 63 countries, a minimum-wage worker must spend between 21 min (Australia) and 4356 h (Venezuela) working to afford a single Big Mac — a median of 89 min. Figures use The Economist's Big Mac Index divided by local pay.

Ranking by work time

#CountryWork time
1🇦🇺 Australia21 min
2🇳🇿 New Zealand22 min
3🇹🇼 Taiwan24 min
4🇳🇱 Netherlands25 min
5🇱🇺 Luxembourg26 min
6🇬🇧 Britain26 min
7🇮🇪 Ireland26 min
8🇯🇵 Japan27 min
9🇩🇪 Germany27 min
10🇧🇪 Belgium30 min
11🇫🇷 France30 min
12🇨🇦 Canada31 min
13🇰🇷 South Korea36 min
14🇭🇰 Hong Kong36 min
15🇮🇱 Israel39 min
16🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates40 min
17🇷🇴 Romania47 min
18🇵🇱 Poland51 min
19🇪🇸 Spain51 min
20🇨🇿 Czech Republic51 min
21🇺🇸 United States51 min
22🇸🇮 Slovenia54 min
23🇬🇷 Greece54 min
24🇴🇲 Oman55 min
25🇱🇹 Lithuania56 min

Frequently asked questions

Which country is quickest to afford a Big Mac by working?

Australia, at 21 min of working.

Where does it take the longest?

Venezuela, at 4356 h.

What is the median across 63 countries?

89 min of working to afford one Big Mac.

How is this calculated?

The local hourly minimum wage divided into the local Big Mac price (×60). Monthly and daily minimums are converted to hourly using each country's standard work week.