Beer Price Index – Comparing Beer Prices Worldwide
This interactive dashboard provides a structured comparison of beer prices worldwide.
All prices are converted to € per liter to enable consistent comparison across countries, brands, and packaging types.
The index highlights where beer is relatively cheap or expensive compared to the Netherlands and the global average.
From price comparison to structural comparison
The Beer Price Index focuses on economic comparison.
GlobalBeerIndex applies the same normalization principle to beer styles themselves — mapping structural differences across 15 defined sensory dimensions.
Where is beer cheap or expensive?
Purpose: This view provides an overview of average beer prices per country. Prices are standardized to € per liter to allow fair comparison.
What can you do with it?
Relative price level per country
Brand-level differences (Budweiser, Carlsberg, Heineken)
Packaging-level differences (bottle vs. can)
Index comparison versus the Netherlands
Custom Weights
Purpose: Define your own weighting of brands and packaging types to create a personalized beer basket.
What can you do with it?
Compare countries based on your brand preferences
Evaluate the sensitivity of country rankings to changes in brand composition
Identify price differences under different weighting assumptions
All prices are converted to € per liter to ensure comparability across countries and packaging types.
Disclaimer
The current Beer Price Index is based on manually collected data for a single reference date (September 18, 2025).
Results may vary depending on data source selection and sample scope.
Future iterations aim to expand the dataset and introduce automated collection for improved representativeness.
What does this dashboard show?
Methodology & Normalization
What is being measured
Price per liter (€/L)
For each country, consumer prices are converted to €/L per brand × packaging (bottle/can).
Formula: €/L = price / volume_in_liter
Country averages
For each country, we calculate the average €/L for every brand and packaging type based on the collected observations.
Basket
Equal Weights: simple average across the selected brands (and, if both packaging types are included, across packaging as well).
Basket €/L (Equal) = average( €/L per selected brand × packaging )
Custom Weights: user-defined weights per brand (and optionally packaging) are normalized to 100%.
Basket €/L (Weighted) = Σ( weight_i × average €/L_i )
Index vs NL (=1.00)
On the map, we show the relative price compared to the Netherlands:
Index = country value / NL value
< 1.00 → cheaper than NL (teal)
≈ 1.00 → same as NL (gray)
1.00 → more expensive than NL (orange)
Normalization
Currency & volume: all prices are converted to €/L to enable fair comparison across countries and packaging types.
Weights: in the “Custom Basket,” user-defined weights are automatically normalized to 100%.
Selections: active filters (brand, packaging) determine which observations are included in the averages and the basket.
Why like this?
Apples-to-apples: By converting everything to €/L, distortions caused by packaging size are avoided.
Transparent & reproducible: Equal Weights provides a neutral baseline; Custom Basket reflects your specific market question.
Brands: The selected brands are characterized by their broad global distribution and availability. They are present in almost all of the countries studied, enabling a fair and consistent comparison. The choice of these brands is based solely on their international coverage and is entirely independent of any commercial affiliations.
Important notes
Sample: The current measurement is based on manual data collection for a single date (September 18, 2025).
Sample sensitivity: Results may vary depending on source selection or sample size.
Outliers: Extremely high or low prices may influence the outcomes; with limited observations, the ability to smooth these effects is restricted.
Page 1 – Beer Index
What is visible?
Here you see an interactive map by country and brand. You can zoom in and apply filters to immediately see which countries are cheaper or more expensive than both the Netherlands and the global average.
How to read the visuals
Map: color = index vs NL (teal = cheaper, orange = more expensive, gray = equal)
Tiles: highlights showing cheapest, most expensive, and averages
Ranking: countries to the left of the line = cheaper than NL, to the right = more expensive
Known limitations
The data have so far been collected manually for a single date. Small sample variations may influence the results.
Page 2 – Custom weights
What is visible?
In this view, you set the weights for brands and packaging yourself. This creates a personalized index that reflects your preferences or market focus.
How to read the visuals
Table & chart: show prices per liter for both an equally weighted basket and your own weighted selection.
Filter options: set your brand and packaging preferences and compare countries based on your customized basket.
Map: colors again indicate price differences relative to the Netherlands, based on your own composition.
Tips to Explore
Switch between equal weights and weighted basket to see the differences.
Compare how sensitive countries are to your brand preferences.
Use filters to focus on specific packaging types (can vs. bottle).
Frequently asked questions
Here you’ll find answers to questions we’re often asked — yours might already be among them.
How does this relate to GlobalBeerIndex?
The Beer Price Index focuses on economic comparison (price per liter).
GlobalBeerIndex applies a similar normalization principle to beer styles themselves, enabling structural comparison across 15 sensory dimensions.
What does “price per liter (€/L)” mean in this dashboard?
All prices have been converted to €/liter to allow fair comparisons across countries and packaging types. For example: a 330 ml bottle priced at €1.50 equals €4.55 per liter.
Why is the Netherlands (=1.00) used as the reference point?
The Netherlands serves as the benchmark. By relating all countries to NL (=1.00), you can immediately see where beer is cheaper (<1.00) or more expensive (>1.00) than in the Netherlands.
What is the difference between “Equal Weights” and “Custom Weights”?
Equal Weights: each brand carries the same weight in the calculation.
Custom Weights: you define the weights yourself (e.g., 50% Heineken, 25% Budweiser, 25% Carlsberg). This way, the index reflects your own preferences or analysis.
How often is the Beer Index updated?
At this moment, there is only one measurement (September 18, 2025). The aim is to make this a recurring process at least twice a year: on January 1 and July 1.
How reliable are the figures?
Because the data have so far been collected manually and the sample is limited, the results may contain deviations. With a larger, automated dataset, the outcomes will become more reliable.
Future
Roadmap: expanding toward a larger, automated dataset with broader geographic and brand coverage.
Interested or want to contribute? Feel free to get in touch.