Global study reveals wide disparities in food and drink prices across major cities in 2025

A new report from the Deutsche Bank Research Institute, “Mapping the World’s Prices 2025,” reveals significant differences in the cost of wine, beer, coffee, and restaurant meals across 69 major cities worldwide. The study, released in June 2025, compares the prices of everyday gastronomic items and highlights where travelers and residents pay the most and least for these popular products.

According to the report, buying a mid-range bottle of wine is most expensive in Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, New York, and Oslo. In these cities, the price for a bottle exceeds $20, making it a luxury item for many consumers. In contrast, cities such as Rome, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Budapest, and Lisbon offer some of the lowest prices for wine, ranging from $4.60 to $5.80 per bottle. Madrid and Barcelona also rank among the more affordable cities for wine lovers, with bottles priced between $6.90 and $8.10.

Beer prices show similar disparities. A domestic beer purchased at a store is most expensive in Sydney ($4.75), Melbourne ($4.59), and Singapore ($4.27). However, Shanghai, Beijing, and Frankfurt offer much lower prices for local beer, with costs between $0.82 and $1.06 per bottle. Madrid and Barcelona are also on the lower end of the scale at about $1.20 per bottle.

Ordering an imported beer at a restaurant can be particularly costly in some cities. Dubai leads with an average price of $13.61 per imported beer, followed by New York at $12 and Oslo at $10.98. On the other hand, cities like Beijing, Bogotá, and Cape Town offer imported beers in restaurants for around $2 to $2.50. In Madrid and Barcelona, the average price is about $4.62.

Coffee drinkers will find that a cappuccino in a central location is priciest in Zurich at $6.77 per cup. The cheapest city for this beverage is Cairo at just $1.57 per cup. In Madrid and Barcelona, cappuccinos cost an average of $2.67 and $2.41 respectively.

Dining out also varies widely by city. A three-course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant costs more than $145 in New York, Geneva, and Zurich—the highest among surveyed cities. Meanwhile, Bangalore, Jakarta, and Delhi offer similar meals for as little as $18 to $20 for two people. In Madrid and Barcelona, the average price for such a meal has risen by over 30% in the past five years to reach about 69 euros (approximately $74).

The Deutsche Bank report provides insight into how global economic trends are affecting everyday expenses related to food and drink in urban centers around the world as of mid-2025. The findings reflect not only local market conditions but also broader shifts in tourism patterns and consumer behavior following recent years of inflation and changing travel habits.