Israel has claimed the second position in The Economist's Big Mac Index for 2026, released Thursday, trailing only Switzerland in the ranking of countries where McDonald's signature hamburger commands the highest price.
The index, created four decades ago by the British publication, tracks the worldwide cost of the Big Mac to measure relative pricing across markets. Though presented with an informal tone, the tool is designed to illustrate how exchange rates influence the prices of identical goods globally.
Israel's ascent to second place reflects the appreciation of the shekel over the past year. In July 2024, when the exchange rate stood at 3.8 shekels per dollar, Israeli Big Mac prices ranked lower than most Western nations in the index. The Bank of Israel's representative rate for July 31 was 3.0570 to the dollar.
Current prices show a Big Mac costs $7.67 in Israel, compared with $6.22 in the United States and $2.42 in Taiwan, according to the index.
The Economist selected the Big Mac as its measure because McDonald's operates globally with a standardized product that remains largely consistent across all markets.