A Big Mac costs 72 cents in Argentina and $4.42 in Switzerland. It costs $2.44 in Japan and $3.19 in Britain. In the Euro area it costs $2.64.
There's also a Big Mac theory in which you calculate PPP, or purchasing power parity, by working out an index based on the disparity between the price of a hamburger in two countries, then comparing that index with the exchange rate of the two countries' currencies. The theory states that the actual exchange rate will tend to drift towards the PPP index figure.
I give you this information so that you can go forth and make a lot of money of the Foreign Exchange market. Or simply so that you can fly to the country with the cheapest Big Macs and have a thrifty (but short) life.
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:04 (twenty-three years ago)
― Pete (Pete), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)
(Japanese Big Macs are rubbish btw).
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:07 (twenty-three years ago)
But have you tried the McTerriyaki burger?
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)
― geeta (geeta), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)
Overall, the dollar now looks more overvalued against the average of the other big currencies than at any time in the life of the Big Mac index. Most emerging-market currencies also look cheap against the dollar. Over half the emerging-market currencies are more than 30% undervalued. That implies that any currency close to McParity (eg, the Argentine peso last year, or the Mexican peso today) will be overvalued against other emerging-market rivals.
....
Every time we update our Big Mac index, readers complain that burgernomics does not cut the mustard. The Big Mac is an imperfect basket. Hamburgers cannot be traded across borders; prices may be distorted by taxes, different profit margins or differences in the cost of non-tradable goods and services, such as rents. Yet it seems to pay to follow burgernomics.
In 1999, for instance, the Big Mac index suggested that the euro was already overvalued at its launch, when nearly every economist predicted it would rise. Several studies confirm that, over the long run, purchasing-power parity—including the Big Mac PPP—is a fairly good guide to exchange-rate movements.
Still, currencies can deviate from PPP for long periods. In the early 1990s the Big Mac index repeatedly signalled that the dollar was undervalued, yet it continued to slide for several years until it flipped around. Our latest figures suggest that, sooner or later, the mighty dollar will tumble: relish for fans of burgernomics.
― geeta (geeta), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)
H A M B U R G U E S A!
― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 20 December 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)
you are being conned.
― g-kit (g-kit), Friday, 20 December 2002 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)
― Mike Hanle y (mike), Friday, 20 December 2002 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)
― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 20 December 2002 15:14 (twenty-three years ago)
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 15:48 (twenty-three years ago)
― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Mike Hanle y (mike), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)
― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)
― Mike Hanle y (mike), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:32 (twenty-three years ago)
Too late. Time to deal with the consequences of the trend you set....;>
Most delish burgers ever? From this chain called "Fuddruckers" in the Texas area. Impossible to bite into: so big, you need a knife and fork to cut them. In fact, the staff want you to fill out a will before eating them.
The cholesterol content alone will kill you. Who needs long-life when there is enjoyment to be had;>?
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)
― the pinefox, Friday, 20 December 2002 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)
― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 20 December 2002 16:52 (twenty-three years ago)
anyone for 'piss wax' ?
― piscesboy, Friday, 20 December 2002 17:55 (twenty-three years ago)
That made me laugh, but actually I wouldn't be surprised if, before long, you have to fill out some sort of 'will-not-litigate' agreement before biting the bun.
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:36 (twenty-three years ago)
― Momus (Momus), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:37 (twenty-three years ago)
http://www.mosburger.co.jp/
yum!
― g (graysonlane), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:47 (twenty-three years ago)
― g (graysonlane), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:49 (twenty-three years ago)
http://www.hollyeats.com/WhiteRose.htm
― g (graysonlane), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)
http://www.beef.org/dsp/dsp_content.cfm?locationId=710&contentTypeId=1&contentId=252
vegans are the real subversives...
― g (graysonlane), Friday, 20 December 2002 19:57 (twenty-three years ago)
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 20 December 2002 20:46 (twenty-three years ago)