ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Big Mac index

The Big Mac Index is like a game that helps us understand how much things cost in different countries. You know how your mom gives you some money to buy a toy, and you want to see how much it costs in different stores? Well, the Big Mac Index does the same thing, but with hamburgers!

Imagine you really like Big Mac burgers, and you want to see how much they cost around the world. So, you look at the price of a Big Mac burger in different countries and compare them. The reason we use Big Mac burgers is that they are sold all over the world, and they have the same ingredients and quality, so we can compare them easily.

If you see that Big Mac burgers are more expensive in one country than another, it tells you something about the two countries' economies. For example, if Big Mac burgers in the United States cost $3.99, but in Japan, they cost $5.60, you can tell that things are more expensive in Japan than in the US. This is because the money in Japan can buy less stuff than the money in the US. This is called 'purchasing power.'

The Big Mac Index is used by economists and regular people like you and me to understand the relative value of money in different countries. It's like a fun game because it involves burgers, but it's also a serious way to learn about the world!