How Much Does a Six Pack of Beer Cost in South Africa?

This Sunday is National Beer Day, and it's the perfect time to raise a glass and celebrate. But have you ever wondered how much beer costs? It may surprise you to learn that bottled beers have a higher average price than their counterparts on tap or canned, despite containing less alcohol. This Expensivity World Beer Index compares the average price of a bottle of beer in 58 countries on a detailed map. In South Africa, you can get a decent bottle of wine by simply breaking an R50 note, and a six-pack of beers is barely R10 more expensive. While this may seem like a bargain, the adjustment for inflation shows that beer actually costs less now than it did in the mid-20th century. Theoretically, if you bought a six-pack and a bottle of wine at the end of each working week for a year, it would cost you 654 rupees annually in Cape Town. Researchers calculated the average price of a typical beer bottle (330 ml, just under a pint) from well-known brands through online stores and the Numbeo statistics database. The Czech Republic stands out in this regard, with an average of 468 beers in a year, which is equivalent to 1.3 beers per day. A standard drink is equivalent to a 12 oz can or bottle of beer (which is five percent alcohol), a 5 oz glass of wine (12 percent alcohol), or 1.5 oz of spirits (40 percent alcohol). A man who drinks six to eight 12-ounce cans of beer every day on a regular basis can almost count on developing cirrhosis of the liver within 10 to 15 years. Although fewer people have been able to have a beer in the pub during this pandemic, the worldwide desire for beer prevails. Last month, an international team of researchers announced that global warming and more frequent droughts could cause an annual decrease of 17% in the production of barley, a key ingredient in beer. No matter the price of beer in your country, it's worth raising a glass for the timelessness of this humble drink. So this National Beer Day, take some time to appreciate how much beer costs and how it has evolved over time.