Beer in some countries costs more than the beer in others (we are not going to get into the whole idea that the beer may cost more because it tastes better). David Adelman and the folks at FinancesOnline.com have crunched the numbers and determined that the world's least expensive beers, on average, are found in Ukraine: the average beer there goes for a mere 59 cents. That's for a half-liter serving, or essentially 16 ounces.
The next cheapest is Vietnam, which is also about 59 cents.
The next eight are Cambodia (68 cents), Saudi Arabia (70 cents), Czech Republic (71 cents), China (74 cents), Panama (75 cents), Macao (77 cents), Serbia (77 cents) and Bulgaria (78 cents).
Saudi Arabia? Alcohol is forbidden throughout the entire country, but apparently it is possible to find. Usually, it has been home-brewed.
Some other Islamic countries top the list of where beer is most expensive. Iran — where Muslims cannot legally drink alcohol, though non-Muslims may — has the world's most expensive beer at $7.71 for that same 16-ounce serving. The suds are considerably cheaper in the next-most-expensive country, Kuwait ($7.09).
Beer is more than a dollar cheaper in Papua New Guinea, at $5.14, followed by Singapore ($4.72), Norway ($4.61), Qatar ($4.53), Australia ($4.45), Afghanistan ($4.33) and Jordan ($4.17).
Perhaps because the beer is so cheap — and so good — in the Czech Republic, the country consumes the most beer per capita in the world, the equivalent of 419 bottles per year. Australia is second at 304 bottles per year, followed, unsurprisingly, by Germany at 299 bottles per year. And the United States? They're in 14th place, with 217 bottles for each American per year.
Given the cheapness of the beer, it is perhaps unsurprising that Ukrainians spend the least amount per year for their beer, just $72.69.
And what, you may be asking yourself right now, is the most popular beer in the world? That would be Snow Beer, a Chinese brew that sells 75 million barrels a year, almost all in China. Second place is Tsingtao, also from China but international in scope, with 58 million barrels. Third place is the american brew, Budweiser, which sells 40 million barrels worldwide.
Rounding out the remaining most-popular beers in the word are Yanjing, from China (40 million barrels), Bud Light (37 million), Corona Extra, from Mexico (32 million), Skol, brewed in Africa and South America (30 million), Heinekin, from the Netherlands (29 million), Coors Light (25 million) and Brahma, from Brazil (18 million).
