Who Has the Cheapest Pizza in the World?

Not France, that’s for sure. According to the latest “Arbitrage” rundown from the Wall Street Journal, a large Pizza Hut pan pizza with pepperoni will cost you 19 euros, or $27.60 in today’s dollars. It had better be good! I think I’d rather order one in Manila, where it’s $6.58.

These comparisons are always kind of flawed of course, like the Big Mac index that The Economist does ($1.45 for a Big Mac in China, $5.20 in Switzerland). All things are not equal when it comes to chain restaurants. While no self-respecting resident of Chicago or New York would take Pizza Hut over their local joint down the block, in many foreign countries Pizza Hut is an exotic place to take the family. Same with McDonalds: fattening, cheap food for fat people here in the U.S., but “special occasion” or “date night” stop in other countries where the average customer doesn’t have trouble fitting through the door.

Plus the exchange rates have a big effect, the ingredients may be harder to find in some spots than others, and the Journal rundown leaves out some notable countries where they don’t have a correspondent — like Italy, which would seem relevant here. Still, here are a few examples of what it would cost you to order a large pepperoni pie around the world.

Jakarta – $7.95

Sydney – $8.93

Bangkok – $10.74

Shanghai – $13.81

Singapore – $15.46

Tokyo – $17.99 (a bargain!)

New York City – $19.22 (but under $15 where I live, $9.99 with the right coupon)

Brussels – $20.81

London – $27.89

[flickr photo by robopoppy]