Miami Is One of the Most Expensive Places in the World to Buy a Beer

If you live in MIami, you're likely aware that it's not a cheap place to live. Rents are the eighth-highest in the United States, with a median of about $2,450. Burgers sell for $15 in many restaurants, and a cocktail could set you back as much as $100 (if you want one flecked with real gold, that is). With those prices, it makes you just want to stay in your backyard and crack open a cheap beer. Not so fast, grasshopper, because according to a recent survey, even Miami's brews are costly. In fact, Miami has some of the highest beer prices in the world. 

Travel planning site GoEuro, which tracks train and flight costs, just released an insightful survey regarding one of mankind's oldest discoveries — beer.

For the 2015 GoEuro Beer Index, beer prices from both bars and stores were tracked in 75 of the world's most popular cities for tourism. Data compiled included five of the most commonly imported beers, as well as the main local beer in that county. The findings? Miami ranked as one of the most expensive cities in which to knock back a cold one, with an average price of $5.13 per beer. What'e even more disturbing is the disparity between getting a beer at the market to take home and the price of enjoying one out. 

According to the beer Index, the average price for a Miami supermarket beer is $1.29. However, the average price for a beer at a beer-drinking establishment is $8.97. The index also points out that Miamians really like their beer. On average we each drink about 85 liters of brew per year and spend an average of $1,311 on the beverage.

Of course, if you're a local, this isn't exactly news. In a New Times feature, Kyle Swenson's quest for a thirst quencher turned into an epic journey filled with expensive turns ($6.50 for a beer at The Abbey Brewing Co. and over seven bucks for a beer at the Whitelaw Hotel and Bar). The result of his findings? With only two major distributors having the lock on Miami's wholesale beer business, keg prices keep rising while bar owners are forced to pass the costs on to the consumer. If you're savvy, you can still find a $2 beer at neighborhood joints like Barracuda Bar & Grill in Coconut Grove. 

The only U.S. city that's more expensive to drink is New York, which was ranked number 71 on the list with an average beer cost of $5.20. Ironically, the Big Apple's average beer bar tab was exactly the same as Miami's with a beer costing about $8.97. The most expensive place on the list to grab a brewski? Geneva, Switzerland, where the average bar beer will set you back over ten bucks.

If you're still planning your summer vacation, you might want to check out the five cheapest cities to get a beer which are Krakow ($1.66 average), Kiev ($1.66), Bratislava ($1.69), Malaga ($1.72), and Delhi ($1.75). To see the entire list of cities, visit goeuro.com. 

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