The Netflix Index by Sharesub: the Big Mac Index applied to streaming
Netflix charges a different rate in each country where the service is available. For strictly identical content, the Premium subscription varies by a factor of 10 depending on geography: $37.85 in Switzerland, $3.95 in Pakistan. Inspired by the Big Mac Index published by The Economist since 1986, we have built the Netflix Index: a comparison of Netflix Premium prices in 40 countries, converted to dollars, then adjusted to GDP per capita and related to the local average wage.
All data is open and downloadable. Here’s what the study reveals.
A massive price gap, concentrated at the extremes
The raw rankings put Switzerland in the lead with an index of 1.40 (40% above the US price), followed byIreland at 1.04. At the other end of the scale, Pakistan has an index of 0.15 – its Premium subscription costs 85% less than in the USA in absolute terms. Between these two extremes, Western Europe is concentrated in a narrow range: France at 0.95, Germany at 0.91, Spain and Italy at 0.87.
Clearly, Netflix practices aggressive geographic pricing in emerging markets (Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Nigeria) and maintains high prices in advanced economies – with Switzerland a notable anomaly, where a subscriber pays 40% more than an American.
The euro zone, a single currency but 12 different prices
The case of the euro zone deserves a closer look. Even for countries billed in euros, Netflix charges very different prices: €10.99 in Bulgaria, €12.99 in Croatia, €17.99 in Portugal, €21.99 in France and up to €23.99 in Ireland. The difference between the cheapest and the most expensive is more than double, within the same currency.
This segmentation broadly follows the standard of living in each country, but with some inconsistencies: Luxembourg, with the highest GDP per capita in Europe, pays the same price as France (€21.99), while Portugal – a more modest economy – is charged €17.99.
The adjusted index reverses the hierarchy
The price in dollars says little about the real weight of the subscription in a household budget. If you relate the index to GDP per capita (IMF 2025 data), the hierarchy is reversed. India, with a subscription costing just $9.71 (among the cheapest in absolute terms), has an adjusted index of 11.25 – Netflix weighs more than 11 times more than in the USA relative to the standard of living. Pakistan (10.71), Nigeria (7.83) and Egypt (7.23) follow.
In France, the adjusted index reaches 1.76: a French subscriber pays 5% less than an American in absolute terms, but Netflix weighs 76% more in its budget relative to GDP.
How many minutes of work does it take to pay Netflix?
A third angle completes the analysis: the working time required to finance a month’s subscription, calculated on the basis of the average net salary and 160 hours per month. A South Korean spends 39 minutes, a Japanese 41 minutes, a Canadian 44 minutes. A French person spends around 1 h 20.
At the other end of the scale, an Indian has to work 6 h 45 for the same service, a Nigerian 5 h 24, a South African 5 h 23. Even within Europe, disparities are real: 56 minutes in Denmark, 1 h 20 in France, 2 h 15 in Portugal, 2 h 32 in Greece.
The news: rise in the USA, judgment in Italy
Two recent events fuel the debate. On March 26, 2026, Netflix increased its Premium rate in the U.S. from $24.99 to $26.99, the second increase in less than two years – mechanically altering the benchmark for the entire study. On April 7, a court in Rome ruled that Netflix’s price hikes in Italy were illegal, a decision Netflix has appealed, the outcome of which could set a European precedent.
Methodology
The study covers the 40 countries for which data is available and verifiable. Netflix Premium prices were taken from netflix.com on April 9, 2026, converted into dollars using ECB/x-rates.com exchange rates of the same day (1 EUR = 1.169 USD). The gross index corresponds to the local price/US price ratio. The adjusted index divides the gross index by the country’s GDP/capita ratio relative to that of the USA (IMF estimates 2025). Work minutes are based on OECD and World Bank net average salaries (2024-2025).
All data can be downloaded in CSV format from the interactive tool, with dynamic classification, visualizations and country focus.
Consult the complete study : netflix-index.sharesub.com
Data free to reuse with mention “Sharesub.com / L’Indice Netflix”.
