Nov 3, 2025

An Alternative Big Mac Index

How much time does an average worker need to afford a Big Mac in a given country?

Overview

It's clear that the affordability of a Big Mac doesn't only depend on its price but also on the income, expenses, and economic setting specific to one’s region.

Thinking of a solution

I aim to bring my unique perspective and creativity to the design. Utilizing our everyday materials with selective visual cues, this visualization can help people quickly grasp the overall picture of the economic circumstances around this popular fast-food item.

Project Type

Web Development

Research

Tools

JavaScript

amCharts

Figma

Team

Individual Project

Timeline

Aug 2023 - Dec 2023 (3 months)

Insight

While the traditional Big Mac Index compares currency purchasing power, my version translates this into a more familiar landscape by measuring how many hours of work it takes the typical person to afford a Big Mac.

Insight

While the traditional Big Mac Index compares currency purchasing power, my version translates this into a more familiar landscape by measuring how many hours of work it takes the typical person to afford a Big Mac.

Insight

While the traditional Big Mac Index compares currency purchasing power, my version translates this into a more familiar landscape by measuring how many hours of work it takes the typical person to afford a Big Mac.

Click to see my work

Preview

The new Big Mac Index shows an interactive chart for further analysis.

Data

To find out how long it takes for an average worker in a country to afford a Big Mac,
I have found two datasets that closely match each other.

The Economist’s Big Mac Data (filtered 21’ & 22’)

World Average Income 2021 | WorldData.info

Design Choices | Enhancing Visual Cues

#1: Tunability

The primary graph should be visually tunable and straightforward. Additionally, other visual elements like charts and labels should be easily recognizable and differentiated from each other. Gestalt's Principles (Proximity, Similarity, and Good Figure) are strongly considered for visual cohesiveness.

#1: Tunability

The primary graph should be visually tunable and straightforward. Additionally, other visual elements like charts and labels should be easily recognizable and differentiated from each other. Gestalt's Principles (Proximity, Similarity, and Good Figure) are strongly considered for visual cohesiveness.

#1: Tunability

The primary graph should be visually tunable and straightforward. Additionally, other visual elements like charts and labels should be easily recognizable and differentiated from each other. Gestalt's Principles (Proximity, Similarity, and Good Figure) are strongly considered for visual cohesiveness.

#2: Simple and Clean UI

I aim to make the design concept easily accessible to a broader audience. This involves adopting a design approach that integrates minimal texture and grid-based elements.

#2: Simple and Clean UI

I aim to make the design concept easily accessible to a broader audience. This involves adopting a design approach that integrates minimal texture and grid-based elements.

#2: Simple and Clean UI

I aim to make the design concept easily accessible to a broader audience. This involves adopting a design approach that integrates minimal texture and grid-based elements.

#3: Descriptive

While the static graph's simplistic appearance achieves a streamlined look, it comes at the cost of omitting some information. I decided to create an interactive version of this content. This especially benefits advanced users (economists and analysts) who prefer precise data.

#3: Descriptive

While the static graph's simplistic appearance achieves a streamlined look, it comes at the cost of omitting some information. I decided to create an interactive version of this content. This especially benefits advanced users (economists and analysts) who prefer precise data.

#3: Descriptive

While the static graph's simplistic appearance achieves a streamlined look, it comes at the cost of omitting some information. I decided to create an interactive version of this content. This especially benefits advanced users (economists and analysts) who prefer precise data.

#4: Interactive

These interactive visuals enable me to present a more engaging narrative and throughout the story through dynamic animations. Customizations can also be made for different audience queries.

#4: Interactive

These interactive visuals enable me to present a more engaging narrative and throughout the story through dynamic animations. Customizations can also be made for different audience queries.

#4: Interactive

These interactive visuals enable me to present a more engaging narrative and throughout the story through dynamic animations. Customizations can also be made for different audience queries.

#5: A11y-first

I created the a11y-first gradient color set using ColorDesigner.io to calculate a range of swatches. This method allows me to experiment with various color combinations in design and achieve a balanced palette (so that no single color stands out too prominently).

Next, I transferred the LAB palette to VIZ PALETTE and made some adjustments to improve the ability to distinguish the colors. It's important that all the colors can be adjusted, stand out well against the background, and are somewhat accessible for those with color blindness.

#5: A11y-first

I created the a11y-first gradient color set using ColorDesigner.io to calculate a range of swatches. This method allows me to experiment with various color combinations in design and achieve a balanced palette (so that no single color stands out too prominently).

Next, I transferred the LAB palette to VIZ PALETTE and made some adjustments to improve the ability to distinguish the colors. It's important that all the colors can be adjusted, stand out well against the background, and are somewhat accessible for those with color blindness.

#5: A11y-first

I created the a11y-first gradient color set using ColorDesigner.io to calculate a range of swatches. This method allows me to experiment with various color combinations in design and achieve a balanced palette (so that no single color stands out too prominently).

Next, I transferred the LAB palette to VIZ PALETTE and made some adjustments to improve the ability to distinguish the colors. It's important that all the colors can be adjusted, stand out well against the background, and are somewhat accessible for those with color blindness.

Key Insights

Income Disparity

Even though the Big Mac price is roughly the same for India and Turkey, the amount of needed work time for an average person in Turkey to afford that Big Mac is significantly lower than that of India (26.9 minutes vs. 135 minutes). Aligning with the data processing assumptions we went through in Section 7, it can be interesting to look at the wealth disparity in the two countries and calculate the same work-time statistic for the top 1% wealth vs. the bottom 50% wealth.

Income and Wealth Management

Another insight is that the ratio between average wealth and average income is much difference between the two countries. In 2021, looking at the bottom 50%, that ratio is 200% for India and 50% for Turkey. This means, while the Turkishs generally make more than the Indians, the Indians are better at keeping their wealth in check. This insight might change how McD prices its burgers in the two nations.

Big Mac pricing vs. COVID

For the Big Mac pricing changes between 2021 and 2022, Japan and Korea have the most decrease while Saudi Arabia and UAE have the most increase. Noticing that this is the COVID era, further research can potentially look at the inflation rate for the said period, and look at some COVID data points (country budgeting, mortality rates, import/export rates, and quarantine methods).

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Heading Out?

Appreciate you stopping by! Don't be a stranger, let's stay in touch.

Heading Out?

Appreciate you stopping by! Don't be a stranger, let's stay in touch.