20 of the Most Expensive Things in the World in 2023

It’s no secret that our team loves a good coffee pick-me-up, and we even love to order off the menu — but the record holder for the most expensive Starbucks drink ever ordered took the cost of coffee to the next level.  As Mashed reports, back in 2017, William Lewis Jr. spent $148.99 for a Super Venti Flat White at a Maryland Starbucks. The coffee was huge (he brought his own cup): it contained approximately 11,000 mg of caffeine (170 espresso shots were added to the standard shots of a venti flat white). The drink also included added coconut milk. 

When it comes to the priciest dog breeds you can own, the Tibetan mastiff (one is pictured above) is among the most expensive — so it makes sense that the most expensive dog sold was a Tibetan mastiff puppy.  According to USA Today, a golden-haired Tibetan mastiff puppy (not the one pictured above) was reported to have been sold from a breeder to a property developer in China for almost $2 million back in 2014. One can only wonder how much pet insurance could cost for this pup!

While many of us living in Canadian cities probably consider our own cities to be quite expensive, the most expensive cities in the world right now aren’t actually in Canada. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living Index, New York City and Singapore tied for the most expensive cities in the world in 2022. It's no surprise these cities topped the list, especially considering the average monthly rent for New York City is approximately $4,500 USD, according to Rent Cafe.

Michelin-Star restaurants aren’t known for being cheap, and Sublimotion — which is deemed by many as the most expensive restaurant in the world — certainly lives up to that notion.  Located in Ibiza’s Hard Rock Hotel, Sublimotion is a 12-seat restaurant that offers more than just food — a meal at Sublimotion is an experience. Founded by two-star Michelin chef Paco Roncero, the restaurant offers an immersive 20-course dinner.

Ever wondered what the most expensive dress in the world is? It’s actually Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress, which was sold to Ripley’s Believe It or Not in 2016 for nearly $5 million USD, making it the world’s most expensive dress, according to Glamour. Originally designed by Jean Louis, Marilyn Monroe wore the sparkly nude gown on May 19, 1962 during a celebration of President John F. Kennedy’s 45^th birthday in New York City. In 2022, Kim Kardashian wore the dress to the Met Gala for their “Gilded Glamour” theme. The move received a lot of controversy, after Kardashian reportedly told Access Hollywood that the dress could not be altered or tailored in any way – meaning that she had to fit the dress instead of having the dress fit her.

How much would you be willingpay for a piping hot pizza? According to Wealthy Gorilla, the most expensive pizza in the world costs a whopping $12,000.

Made by Renato Viola, it’s no surprise that the Louis XIII comes at such a high cost, as it not only takes 72 hours to prepare, but it comes topped with three types of caviar, the finest lobster from Norway and seven types of cheese. Plus, it comes served with champagne.

Diamond’s are a girl’s best friend – but blue diamonds are sure to put a dent in that per’s pocket. Wealthy Gorilla reports that the legendary blue diamonds are the most valuable gemstones, clocking in at an impressive $3.93 million per carat.

From the famous Hope Diamond (which has its first records appearing in 1666) to the Heart of Eternity to the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond (which holds the record for the highest price paid for any diamond) – these gems are highly coveted among the rich and famous.

You might think somewhere like Harvard or Columbia would top the list of the most expensive colleges in the world, but coming in at number one is Harvey Mudd College.

With the second highest production rates of STEM PhDs, Harvey Mudd has landed on lists of the best schools in the United States time and time again, and its engineering program is one of the best in the nation. One year of tuition costs a hefty $67,255 USD, but hopefully with a Harvey Mudd degree under your belt, you can get a high paying job pretty quickly.

If you think your phone is expensive, wait until you see the Falcon Supernova iPhone 6 Pink Diamond AKA the most expensive phone in the world. With a price tag of a jaw-dropping $48.5 million USD, it’s no surprise this phone one the title.

The Falcon Supernova is a customized iPhone 6 from 2004, which is covered in 24-carat gold and comes decorated with a giant pink diamond on the back. Coated in platinum, the flashy iPhone also has hack prevention technology to keep the owner’s information private.

Whether you’re a casual vinyl collector or a record enthusiast, getting your hands on a special edition of your favourite album can be a pretty exceptional experience – albeit an expensive one. Wealthy Gorilla reports that the most expensive vinyl record ever sold is Wu-Tang Clan’s 2015 album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin – which was recorded in secret over six years. What makes it so expensive? Only one copy of the band’s seventh studio album was ever created. It was stored in a vault at Marrakech, Morocco’s Royal Mansour Hotel before it was auctioned off by Paddle8 in 2015 for $2 million USD.

It may come as no surprise that the most expensive food in the world is a type of caviar – but just how much does the most expensive caviar cost? One kilogram of almas caviar costs a whopping $34,500 USD. So why buy a car when you can have some caviar?

The reason almas caviar is so expensive is that it comes from albino sturgeon, a type of fish that only delivers a limited number of eggs once every 100 years – making it some of the most coveted caviar in the world.

Formeopping the list of the most expensive beauty products in the world was Clive Christian’s Baies Rose Iconic Elixir. For just one ounce of this fragrance, you’d have to cough up $2,500 USD. That product is no longer for sale, bringing Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale Cure Face Treatment up to the number one spot.

The intensive, four-week treatment aims at accelerating your skin’s renewal cycle, so this $1,550 product is something that you use for just four weeks at a time. Ultimately, the bioenergetic technology is supposed to leave you with firmer skin – but it comes with a catch. Guerlain recommends you use the treatment twice-per-year, which means you’d pay a whopping $3,100 annually for this one skincare product.

Calling all sneaker heads: you’re going to want to feast your eyes on these shoes (if you haven’t already). Made out of 24-carat gold, this collab between Nike and Drake is the most expensive pair of sneakers in the world. Designed by Matthew Senna, just one Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordan shoe weighs a hefty 50 pounds. So, if you’re willing to lug them around and have $2 million USD to spare, maybe these could be the shoes of your dreams.

If you thought the Below Deck yachts were impressive, wait till you see the History Supreme, which is the most expensive yacht in the world. With a hefty price tag of $4.8 billion, this 100-foot-long superyacht is built out of 10,000 kg of solid gold.

Designed by luxury designer Stuart Huges, Malaysia’s richest man, Robert Knock, reportedly owns this impressive boat, which took around three years to build. And if that’s not enough, the master bedroom features a T-Rex bone statue, a wall made out of meteorite rocks and a 24-carat gold wall aquarium.

For a mere $100,000 USD per night, you can stay at the most expensive hotel room in the world at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. After taking part in one of the most costly renovations in history, the almost 1400-room hotel not only features an extensive art collection, but it also has bowling lanes and a suite with its very own basketball court.

The most expensive room in the hotel is The Empathy Suite, which is an 8500 square foot penthouse designed by Damien Hirst. The room alon features a “hanging” pool, commissioned art works (including the bodies of two sharks), a 13-seater bar and more.

Pule cheese is reportedly the most expensive cheese in the whole world. Costing anywhere between $600 and $1,300 per pound, pule cheese is only available in Serbia or Montenegro. Since it’s made from donkey milk – and donkey’s produce very little milk – only a tiny amount of Pule cheese can be made annually (hence the hefty price tag).

Not only does it take 25 litres of donkey milk to produce a kilogram of Pule cheese, but the milk exclusively comes from Balkan donkeys in the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve – making it even more exclusive.

With a not-so-subtle name like Billionaire Vodka, it’s no surprise that this brand snags the number one spot when it comes to the most expensive alcoholic drinks. As Wealthy Gorilla reports, the brand – which has a motto of “it’s good to be the king” – produces a vodka that’s worth $3.7 million USD.

Billionaire Vodka produces the alcohol entirely by hand, on demand. Not only is it made in small micro-batches, but it comes in a five-litre bottle designed by Leon Verre, decked out in around 3,000 diamonds and Swarovski crystals.