Forget the Crystal Ball...Let the Big Mac Decide Your 2016 Travels!
For 30 years, The Economist has released The Big Mac Index that compares global economies based on the price of a Big Mac at market exchange rates. As a traveler, one could use the guide to gauge where the money may go further in 2016.
Here are some of the best values per The Big Mac Index. I’ve not included any countries that have a State Department travel warning. The average Big Mac price was $4.93 in the US. If you are looking for great value in your destination choice, you may want to check out the following:
Russia - $1.53, South Africa - $1.77, Malaysia - $1.82, India - $1.90, Taiwan - $2.08, Indonesia - $2.19, Poland - $2.37, Argentina - $2.39, Sri Lanka $2.43, Hong Kong - $2.48, Vietnam - $2.67, and China - $2.68
Countries that don't offer much of a spending bargain at all:
Switzerland - $6.44, Sweden - $5.23, Norway - $5.21
Countries with a slight advantage over the United States in terms of value:
Denmark - $4.32, UK - $4.22, Canada - $4.14, Costa Rica - $4.02, Euro Area - $4.00, New Zealand - $3.91, Australia - $3.74, Uruguay - $3.74, South Korea - $3.59, United Arab Emirates - $3.54
Please note that this doesn’t reflect an actual exchange rate. It only compares the cost of one item in US dollars in each of the countries represented. You may find in the great value countries though deals in food, accommodations, and other travel related costs as the lower price can reflect an undervalued currency.
To check out more potential destinations via the Big Mac, here’s a link to the economist article, http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index
