In North America, the 80 USD price for Grand Theft Auto VI is highly accessible, requiring only 3.8 hours of labor for the average worker in the United States and 5.2 hours in Canada. While Mexico presents a more significant barrier with a 36.0-hour requirement, the region as a whole remains the primary target for the publisher’s current economic model, where digital-only distribution functions without imposing a prohibitive burden on the median income.
Central America faces a stark economic divide, where the cost of the game exacerbates existing inequalities. In relatively stable economies like Costa Rica (21.8 hours) and Panama (25.6 hours), the purchase remains manageable; however, across much of the isthmus, the burden intensifies, culminating in Nicaragua, where a staggering 102.0 hours of labor are required. This creates a deeply exclusionary environment where the lack of a physical resale market forces lower-income populations to sacrifice substantial portions of their monthly earnings or opt out of the legal market entirely.
South America presents a landscape of extreme financial disparities, ranging from the relative stability of Uruguay (16.9 hours) and Chile (27.4 hours) to the severe structural crises in nations like Bolivia (63.9 hours) and Surinam (218.1 hours). Within this context, the situation in Cuba stands as a unique, tragic anomaly; due to the systemic collapse of the currency and the reliance on an informal black market, a worker would theoretically need to dedicate 1562.6 hours of labor to afford the game.
Author: u/maven.mapping
Partner: u/the.world.in.maps

21 Comments
MonkeBizNES@lemmy.cafe · 33 pts · 58d
And this is why we need regional pricing that adjusts for things like gdp/capita or average income
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com · -4 pts · 58d
Countries with the lowest medians don't have the hardware required to play games like these
turdas@suppo.fi · 22 pts · 58d
It's possible they'll do regional pricing.
Sunshine@piefed.ca · 9 pts · 58d
They do regional pricing for GTA V
FishFace@piefed.social · 13 pts · 57d
This colour coding is terrible
Peppycito@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 57d
Fits into the theme of the community. Flashy looking graphics that convey little information confusingly.
Ledivin@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 58d
1,562.6? What in the ever-loving fuck is the cost of living in Cuba?
morto@piefed.social · 16 pts · 58d
Due to the economic embargo, anything priced in dollars will be very expensive. They operate internally detached from the dollar price
protist@retrofed.com · 11 pts · 58d
Very, very low, that's why it would take them so long to save up $80
NewDark@lemmy.today · 10 pts · 58d
The economically choked off and isolated country doesn't make a lot of money? surprised Pikachu face
Akasazh@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 57d
Still they have better medicare than in the usa
Beacon@fedia.io · 8 pts · 58d
K now show to get an x-ray.
bigfish@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 58d
And this is why "nearshore" offshoring exists. Business take advantage of timezone-adjacent remote staff but with dramatically lower wages.
megopie@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 57d
% of people who will be pirating it rather than paying because it is an infinitely replicable digital good once completed
VitoRobles@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 57d
I found it hilarious that I got gtaV for like $2.
farmgineer@nord.pub · 3 pts · 58d
Japan: ¥9,800 / ¥12,280 for standard / ultimate playstation version (since no PC and XBox is basically not a thing in Japan).
So an average minimum wage of 1,121 / hour -> ~897 after taxes/pension/etc (assuming 20% of gross). Just under 11 hours for the regular, 13.7 for ultimate.
Going by median instead, it's roughly 1529 / hour net so a bit under 6.5 hours and a bit over 8 respectively.
scutiger@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 58d
How does that make any sense? The price is the same whether physical or digital
Luisp@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 58d
Nope, Argentina minimum salary is 350k or 230 USD, 11 a day, 1.4 an hour, you would need 120 hours not 39
qarbone@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 58d
The values aren't based on minimum salary.
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 58d
The numbers are for average salary, not minimum
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 1 pts · 58d
edit: Small print too smoll 😵💫