Workers in Northern and Western Europe can afford Grand Theft Auto VI after just a few hours of work, while employees in parts of Eastern Europe may need more than a full working week, highlighting the continent's wide wage disparities.

A map published by The World in Maps and Maven Mapping estimates the number of work hours required to purchase Rockstar Games' upcoming title by comparing average hourly earnings with the retail price of the game. The calculation is based on a mathematical formula using national wage data and the game's standard retail price.

The lowest work requirements are found in Northern Europe.

Denmark leads the ranking at 1.61 hours, followed by Iceland (1.70), Norway (1.77) and the Netherlands (1.61). Workers in Germany require 2.32 hours, while France needs 2.67 hours and Sweden 2.78 hours.

The figures reflect the region's high average wages and purchasing power. Eurostat data consistently show that Northern and Western European economies record some of Europe's highest earnings, supported by strong labour markets and high productivity.

The contrast becomes more pronounced further east.

The study estimates that workers in Ukraine need 31.12 hours of work to buy GTA VI, the highest figure on the map. Belarus follows with 19.9 hours, while Russia stands at 16.23 hours. Several Balkan countries also require considerably longer working times than Western Europe, including North Macedonia (25.15 hours), Albania (20.62 hours) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (18.56 hours).

These differences reflect substantial wage gaps across Europe despite increasing economic convergence in recent years.

GTA VI launch adds to industry pricing debate

The affordability comparison comes as Rockstar Games prepares to launch Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Rockstar has confirmed a standard edition price of US$79.99, ending months of speculation that the game could become the first major AAA release to exceed US$100.

Although the game's price is broadly consistent across many developed markets after currency adjustments, the number of hours required to earn that amount varies dramatically because of differences in wages, living standards and purchasing power.

The comparison illustrates that the cost of a global entertainment product can differ significantly in practical terms depending on where consumers live and work. Even with similar retail prices, purchasing power remains one of the clearest indicators of economic inequality across Europe.

A look at the global map reveals a truth of how almost every country uses the metric system, yet a few, most notably the United States, continue to rely primarily on the imperial or U.S. customary units.

Liberia and Myanmar are historically grouped with the U.S., though both have made slow, uneven moves toward metrication.

The result is a world where a kilogram means the same thing almost everywhere, but pounds, inches, Fahrenheit, and miles still dominate key sectors of American life.

This divide raises deeper questions about standardisation at a time when global collaboration is no longer optional. Scientists warn that climate reporting suffers when countries use different measurement norms, because conversion errors can alter data quality.

A system that the world mostly agrees on, but not universal

The metric system , created during the French Revolution and later refined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), is rooted in scientific consistency. It is designed around decimals, making it simple to learn, easy to scale, and globally interoperable.

Today, it is the official system for international trade, scientific research, and nearly all global standards bodies.

However, the United States remains the world’s most influential holdout. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. legally recognised the metric system in 1866 and reaffirmed its intention to adopt it with the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, but adoption was voluntary, not mandated.

This single detail is considered one of the main reasons the transition stalled. Industries, retailers, and local governments were never required to change, making the imperial system an enduring cultural and economic habit.

In practice, the U.S. already depends on the metric system more than most people realise. Scientists, the military, medicine, and even many manufacturers work almost entirely in metric. Yet household products, road signage, real estate, and groceries continue to use customary units, creating a split system that’s both familiar and complex.

Liberia and Myanmar are often mentioned alongside the U.S., but their situations differ . Myanmar announced in 2013 that it would begin transitioning to the metric system to streamline trade. Liberia uses metric units in certain industries such as medicine and shipping, but the customary system persists in everyday life.