> it is probably more affordable in Denmark than US
It's not. You're not accounting for the higher US wages for one thing. Median take home pay is about 40% higher in the US vs Denmark.
The Big Mac Index also gets pricing wrong for the Big Mac in the US market. Their quoted $5.65 figure is higher than nearly every state's average, and far higher than most states. The average US state Big Mac price is comparable to or below Denmark.
US workers have far more disposable income than workers in Denmark. Tax rates are dramatically higher in Denmark than in the US (over 2x higher for someone earning $40,000 per year). The US has a far more progressive taxation system. Someone earning $38,000 in Denmark takes home about as much as someone earning $30,000 in the US; someone earning $61k in Denmark takes home about as much as someone earning $50k in the US.
US workers at the median and average earn higher wages than people in Denmark do.
"In Denmark, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29,606 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 33,604 a year."
vs
"In the United States, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 45,284 a year, much higher than the OECD average of USD 33,604 a year, and the highest figure in the OECD."
Since this has deflated the myth about higher wages in Denmark, the next response will be: yeah, but people in Denmark have healthcare. And so do people in the US as it turns out, commonly provided by their employer. So if we're going to back healthcare costs out of the high Denmark tax rates, we have to add the drastically more expensive US healthcare (about 90% more expensive in the US per capita) back in to employee wages to one extent or another to adjust correctly. The US worker would gain even more ground vs their peer in Denmark.
But does this tell the whole story? Well, no. Household finances are in horrific condition in Denmark compared to the US, which throws further question on affordability of the burger prices. The people of Denmark are approximately the most indebted people in the world vs their disposable incomes.
It's not. You're not accounting for the higher US wages for one thing. Median take home pay is about 40% higher in the US vs Denmark.
The Big Mac Index also gets pricing wrong for the Big Mac in the US market. Their quoted $5.65 figure is higher than nearly every state's average, and far higher than most states. The average US state Big Mac price is comparable to or below Denmark.
US workers have far more disposable income than workers in Denmark. Tax rates are dramatically higher in Denmark than in the US (over 2x higher for someone earning $40,000 per year). The US has a far more progressive taxation system. Someone earning $38,000 in Denmark takes home about as much as someone earning $30,000 in the US; someone earning $61k in Denmark takes home about as much as someone earning $50k in the US.
US workers at the median and average earn higher wages than people in Denmark do.
"In Denmark, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29,606 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 33,604 a year."
vs
"In the United States, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 45,284 a year, much higher than the OECD average of USD 33,604 a year, and the highest figure in the OECD."
https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/denmark/
Don't like average (since the high tier incomes in the US warp things so much)? Ok, how about the median:
$35,600 US (2017) vs $28,926 Denmark (2016)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_income
Since this has deflated the myth about higher wages in Denmark, the next response will be: yeah, but people in Denmark have healthcare. And so do people in the US as it turns out, commonly provided by their employer. So if we're going to back healthcare costs out of the high Denmark tax rates, we have to add the drastically more expensive US healthcare (about 90% more expensive in the US per capita) back in to employee wages to one extent or another to adjust correctly. The US worker would gain even more ground vs their peer in Denmark.
But does this tell the whole story? Well, no. Household finances are in horrific condition in Denmark compared to the US, which throws further question on affordability of the burger prices. The people of Denmark are approximately the most indebted people in the world vs their disposable incomes.
https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-debt.htm