Pint Purchasing Power Calculator
Find out how many pints your hourly wage can buy, how long you need to work to earn one, and how your purchasing power compares to the national average.
Your Details
Enter your hourly wage and local pint price to work out your purchasing power
Enter your gross hourly wage before tax and deductions.
Enter the average price of a pint of beer or lager where you drink.
Calculation Results
Your pint affordability and purchasing power breakdown
Enter your wage and pint price above and click Calculate Purchasing Power to see how many pints your money buys.
Purchasing Power Index & What It Means
Your Purchasing Power Index shows how your pints-per-hour figure compares to the national baseline (based on average UK hourly earnings and average pint price). Use the table below to interpret your score.
| Index Score | Classification | Pints / Hour | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 70 | Low Power | < 2.5 | Pints take up a large share of your hourly earnings |
| 70 – 99 | Below Average | 2.5 – 3.6 | Slightly less affordable than the national average |
| 100 – 130 | Average | 3.6 – 4.7 | In line with typical UK affordability |
| Above 130 | High Power | > 4.7 | Pints are highly affordable relative to your wage |
Pint Purchasing Power FAQ
Everything you need to know about pint affordability, purchasing power, and how the index is calculated.
Pint Purchasing Power measures how many pints of beer an hour of your wage can buy. It is calculated by dividing your hourly wage by the price of a pint. A higher figure means your income stretches further at the bar, while a lower figure means pints take up a larger share of your earnings.
Like the well-known Big Mac Index, a pint of beer is a simple, widely understood product sold almost everywhere. Comparing its price to local wages gives a quick, relatable snapshot of the cost of living and relative affordability between cities, regions, or countries.
The index compares your personal ‘pints per hour worked’ figure against a national average baseline (based on average UK hourly earnings and average pint price). An index of 100 means you match the national average exactly, above 100 means your money buys more pints than average, and below 100 means it buys fewer.
Divide 60 by the number of pints your hourly wage can buy. For example, if your wage buys 3 pints per hour, then 60 ÷ 3 = 20 minutes of work is needed to earn one pint.
Yes. As wages and pint prices both change at different rates, purchasing power shifts year to year. This is sometimes referred to informally as ‘pintflation’ when the price of a pint rises faster than average wages, eroding how many pints a typical hour of work can buy.