Here's Where You'll Find The Cheapest Beer In The World
There's undeniably a place for intricately crafted cocktails or quirky natural wine explained by a sommelier. Sometimes though, an unfussy beer is what best hits the spot. Whether it's at your go-to neighborhood bar or over dinner, there's a dependable nature to a cold pint.
However, what's not uniform about the beverage is its price. Perhaps you checked out a new bar across town, or even more noticeably, changed up cities — the tab can be unexpectedly steep. So, on a global scale, what are the spots with the most affordable beer-drinking prices?
Turns out, there are quite a few, with a range of cities across continents in close contention. Options like Freetown, Sierra Leone; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; or Hanoi, Vietnam regularly top such lists, with average prices of under 85 cents a pint. The majority of cities that offer supremely low beer prices are located in Africa or Asia. So look around, and you'll find a large range of beautiful spots to sip on a cold and cheap pint. And if the palate isn't to your liking, you can always use mixers to make cheap beer taste better.
Many cities worldwide sell pints for under $1
It's difficult to crown a single, definite city for the most affordable beer — many urban centers lie in a similar range, and prices can shift from year to year. Freetown, Sierra Leone tops a list published on Time Out in 2022, and comes second in a 2023 Mirror article on the same topic. However, in an updated 2024 study conducted by Finder, the West African capital is eclipsed by a handful of other African cities. This list now ranks Maseru, Lesotho as the destination with the cheapest beer, averaging 81 cents per pint. In fact, most entries are sub-Saharan African cities, although Vientiane, Laos has seen a steady decrease in beer prices, with pints now at 86 cents.
Indeed, Southeast Asia is a continent that offers many well-priced options; Vietnamese cities are also among the most affordable beer destinations. A 2022 report by Statista noted Hanoi, Vietnam as one of the cheapest beer cities worldwide, averaging 77 cents for half a liter. And in that aforementioned Finder study, Ho Chi Minh City is also listed as one of the best-priced options. Especially in the north of the country, travelers will love sampling Bia Hoi, freshly-brewed street beers that retail for as low as 20 cents.
And a final region to consider is Central Asia, where beer-drinking has grown more fashionable in alignment with influential neighbors China and Russia. Tashkent, Uzbekistan was cited in the previously mentioned Mirror article as the cheapest beer city in 2023, and Almaty, Kazakhstan also makes appearances on several lists.
Most of the world's beer comes from large companies
While there's undeniable intrigue in traveling the world and sampling new beers, the truth is that most options may be disappointingly similar. According to Statista, some 88% of global beer production is carried out by 40 brewing groups. Giants Anheuser Busch InBev and Heineken account for well over a third of worldwide production — meaning their offerings are what's often on tap. So don't worry, you won't need to know how a Kölsch beer is different from a pilsner to order abroad– the majority are brewed in the macro lager style.
Nevertheless, this doesn't encompass all cities, bars, and beers; after all, this is considering the whole world. For example, beer enthusiasts should place special emphasis on Prague. While not the most affordable worldwide, it's among the top ten cheapest beer cities in Europe, with an average cost a bit over $2 a pint. And not only does the nation drink the most beer per capita, but the offerings are especially delicious. After all, the pilsner style was invented in the Czech Republic, and you can still find uber-fresh Pilsner Urquell here ubiquitously. It's here — and in other cities with brewing traditions — that you'll be able venture out to a neighborhood bar, find a high quality brew, and enjoy several rounds stress-free.