If you’re putting together a travel budget for your big trip this year and you plan on making vino a major part of it, you’ll want to get across the most and least expensive countries to buy a bottle of wine.
Online database CompareMyJet, which is geared toward helping people seeking private jet services find the best deals, has done the hard yards and put together such a round-up, comparing the average price of a bottle of wine across 36 OECD countries. The results? Well, not that you’d really be going there for the wine, but Iceland is unsurprisingly the most expensive, while – surprisingly – Portugal is the least.
Portugal is also the world’s largest consumer of wine per capita, with CompareMyJet’s results indicating 45 litres are consumed per 1,000 people. Given Portugal is the third largest wine producer, the findings make sense, with costs driven down to an average of £3.49 (AU$6) per bottle. Compare this with Iceland, where a bottle of wine will cost you, on average, £14.97 (AU$26.79) and you can see the stark difference.
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Although jet-setting wine enthusiasts would rarely expect to head off to Reykjavik on a wine-buying spree. The country imports virtually all of its wines, and it’s often incredibly difficult to find a decent bottle outside of a high-end restaurant like Kol Restaurant or Krost (although there are now a fair few wine bars in Iceland’s capital).
Interestingly, Hungary is the second least expensive country to buy wine, with the average bottle priced at £3.91 (AU$7). Chile clocks in as the third cheapest, with the average bottle set at £4.17 (AU$7.50). Given both Hungarian wines and Chilean wines are vastly underrated, this is very good news. Next time you’re in Budapest craving a Tokaji, don’t worry if finding some quality drops will stretch your travel budget.
If you’re wondering where Australia comes in, we’re in the top 10 for the most expensive countries for wine. An average bottle down under costs will set you back £10.96 (AU$20), but obviously, you should consider this a fairly entry-level price. If you’ve ever tried to start a collection, you’ll know just how expensive it can get. And then we have restaurant markups which can easily 3x a bottle’s RRP.
For those curious, here at the top 10 most expensive countries, and the least expensive countries, in which to buy a bottle of wine.
Most Expensive Countries To Buy Wine
| Country | Average Price Of A Bottle Of Wine |
| 1. Iceland | £14.97 (AU$27) |
| 2. Norway | £14.35 (AU$26) |
| 3. South Korea | £12.79 (AU$23) |
| 4. United States | £12.33 (AU$22) |
| 5. Switzerland | £11.07 (AU$20) |
| 6. Australia | £10.96 (AU$20) |
| 7. Finland | £10.47 (AU$19) |
| 8. Ireland | £10.47 (AU$19) |
| 9. United Kingdom | £9.36 (AU$17) |
| 10. Mexico | £9.14 (AU$14) |
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Least Expensive Countries To Buy Wine
| Country | Average Price Of A Bottle Of Wine |
| 1. Portugal | £3.49 (AU$6) |
| 2. Hungary | £3.91 (AU$7) |
| 3. Chile | £4.17 (AU$7.50) |
| 4. Slovakia | £4.36 (AU$8) |
| 5. Germany | £4.89 (AU$9) |
| 6. Spain | £4.89 (AU$9) |
| 7. Austria | £5.24 (AU$9.50) |
| 8. Netherlands | £5.24 (AU$9.50) |
| 9. Slovenia | £5.24 (AU$9.50) |
| 10. Czech Republic | £5.41 (AU$10) |
