# The GTA 6 Affordability Index: how many hours you have to work to buy GTA 6

> A price tag only tells half the story. We divided GTA 6's official price by the minimum wage in 13 countries and states to find out how long people actually have to work to buy it. The gap is bigger than you'd think.

- URL: https://leonidascout.com/gta-6-affordability-index/
- Published by: Leonida Scout Editors
- Last updated: October 16, 2026

GTA 6 costs **$79.99** in the US, **£69.99** in the UK and **₹5,999** in India. Those numbers are hard to compare, and they don't tell you much about what the game actually costs the people buying it. So we asked a simpler question: **how many hours does someone on the minimum wage have to work to buy GTA 6?**

We call it the **GTA 6 Affordability Index**. It works like The Economist's famous Big Mac Index, but with a video game: take the official price of the Standard Edition in each market, divide it by the local minimum hourly wage, and you get the hours of work it takes to earn the game.

The results range from **under five hours** to **more than a month of full-time work**.

**Key findings**

| | |
|---|---|
| Most affordable | New York City and California, about 4.7 hours |
| Most affordable country | Australia, 4.9 hours |
| UK | 5.5 hours |
| US federal minimum | 11 hours, more than twice Australia |
| Least affordable | India: 68 hours (Delhi), 270 hours (national floor) |
| GTA 5 vs GTA 6 (US federal) | 8.3 hours then, 11 hours now: a third more work |

## The GTA 6 Affordability Index

_(A bar chart of these results is on the web version of this page.)_

### Full results

| Rank | Market | Minimum wage | Standard Edition | Hours of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | $17.00 | $79.99 | 4.7 |
| 2 | California | $16.90 | $79.99 | 4.7 |
| 3 | Australia | A$26.44 | A$129.95 | 4.9 |
| 4 | Netherlands | €14.99 | €79.99 | 5.3 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | £12.71 | £69.99 | 5.5 |
| 6 | Ireland | €14.15 | €79.99 | 5.7 |
| 7 | Germany | €13.90 | €79.99 | 5.8 |
| 8 | Canada (federal) | CA$18.15 | CA$109.99 | 6.1 |
| 9 | France | €12.31 | €79.99 | 6.5 |
| 10 | Spain | €9.36 | €79.99 | 8.5 |
| 11 | United States (federal) | $7.25 | $79.99 | 11.0 |
| 12 | India (Delhi) | ₹88.73 | ₹5,999 | 67.6 |
| 13 | India (national floor) | ₹22.25 | ₹5,999 | 269.6 |

Hours are rounded to one decimal place. Wages are adult statutory minimums before tax, as of October 2026. For India and Spain, which set daily or monthly minimums, we converted to an hourly equivalent, as explained in the methodology below.

## Finding 1: the cheapest GTA 6 isn't where the price is lowest

Australia has one of the **highest sticker prices** for GTA 6, at A$129.95 for the Standard Edition. But Australia also has the **highest minimum wage** in our index, A$26.44 an hour from July 2026. The result: an Australian minimum-wage worker earns GTA 6 in **4.9 hours**, faster than anyone in Europe.

India is the opposite. At **₹5,999**, GTA 6 is one of the cheapest official prices in the world when converted to US dollars. But measured against local wages, it's by far the most expensive place in our index to buy the game.

A low price and an affordable price aren't the same thing.

## Finding 2: in the US, it depends entirely on your state

The US appears in our index three times, because the minimum wage varies so much between states:

- **New York City: 4.7 hours**, at $17.00 an hour
- **California: 4.7 hours**, at $16.90 an hour
- **US federal minimum: 11.0 hours**, at $7.25 an hour

That's a gap of more than **six hours** for the same $79.99 game in the same country. The federal minimum still applies in around 20 states that haven't set a higher rate of their own, so millions of American workers are on the slow end of that range.

## Finding 3: GTA 6 costs a third more work than GTA 5 did

This is the finding that surprised us most. GTA 5 launched in September 2013 at **$59.99**. The US federal minimum wage was **$7.25** then, and it's still **$7.25** now. It hasn't changed since 2009.

| | GTA 5 (2013) | GTA 6 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $59.99 | $79.99 |
| US federal minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Hours of work | 8.3 | 11.0 |

For a worker on the federal minimum wage, GTA 6 takes **about 2.8 more hours** to earn, a **33% increase**. In most other countries in our index, minimum wages have risen substantially since 2013, so the higher price of GTA 6 is offset at least partly by higher pay. In US federal minimum-wage states, it isn't.

## Finding 4: Europe is tightly bunched, except Spain

Five of the six European markets in our index fall within about **1.2 hours** of each other, between 5.3 hours in the Netherlands and 6.5 hours in France. The eurozone price is the same everywhere, €79.99, so the difference comes down to wages:

- **Netherlands: 5.3 hours**, with Europe's highest minimum wage in our index, €14.99
- **Ireland: 5.7 hours**
- **Germany: 5.8 hours**, after its minimum wage rose to €13.90 in January 2026
- **France: 6.5 hours**, even after the SMIC rose to €12.31 in June 2026

**Spain is the outlier at 8.5 hours.** Its minimum wage is set as a monthly salary, €1,221 paid 14 times a year, which works out to an hourly equivalent of about €9.36, well below its neighbors.

The **UK** sits in the middle of the pack at **5.5 hours**. Its minimum wage of £12.71 is close to the Netherlands' and Ireland's once converted, and its lower price, £69.99, does the rest.

## Finding 5: in India, GTA 6 can cost a month of work

India's minimum wage isn't one number. Each state sets its own rates, and there's also a national floor. We used two:

- **Delhi**, one of India's highest state minimums: ₹18,456 a month for unskilled workers. At 26 working days of 8 hours, that's about ₹88.73 an hour. GTA 6 takes **67.6 hours**, or about **8.5 working days**.
- **The national floor wage** of ₹178 a day, or about ₹22.25 an hour. GTA 6 takes **269.6 hours**, or about **34 working days**, more than a month of full-time work.

Most Indian gamers aren't on the minimum wage, and many states set rates between these two figures. But the comparison shows why GTA 6's relatively low Indian price still puts it out of reach for many people. It also helps explain why fake "free GTA 6" downloads target Indian players so heavily. Our [GTA 6 free download guide](/gta-6-free-download/) explains how those scams work.

## Calculate your own number

The minimum wage is just one reference point. Enter your own hourly pay to see how long GTA 6 takes you to earn:

_(An interactive calculator for your own hourly pay is on the web version of this page.)_

## Methodology

We kept the method simple, so anyone can check it:

1. **Price:** the GTA 6 **Standard Edition** price on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store in each market, as reported by price trackers in October 2026. For the Ultimate Edition, add roughly 25%.
2. **Wage:** the **adult statutory minimum hourly wage**, before tax, in force in October 2026. Where a country sets a daily or monthly minimum, we converted it to an hourly equivalent:
   - **India (Delhi):** ₹18,456 a month ÷ 26 working days ÷ 8 hours
   - **India (national floor):** ₹178 a day ÷ 8 hours
   - **Spain:** €1,221 a month × 14 payments ÷ 1,826 annual working hours, giving about €9.36
3. **Hours of work** = price ÷ hourly wage.

### Limitations

- **Taxes differ.** UK, European and Australian prices include VAT or GST. US and Canadian prices don't include sales tax, so the real cost there is slightly higher than shown.
- **Wages are before tax.** Take-home pay is lower everywhere, by different amounts in each country.
- **Minimum wages aren't typical wages.** Most people earn more than the minimum. The index compares the floor, not the average.
- **Some prices are disputed.** Australia's Standard Edition is most commonly reported at A$129.95, but one source reports A$109.99. At that price, Australia's figure would fall to about 4.2 hours, making it the most affordable market in our index.
- **Canada uses the federal rate.** Most Canadian workers are covered by provincial minimums, which range above and below the federal CA$18.15.

We'll update the index if prices change or new wage rates take effect. If GTA 6 goes on sale, the hours will drop too.

## Why we built this index

Every GTA 6 price guide, including ours, lists prices side by side: $79.99, £69.99, €79.99, ₹5,999. But converting currencies at the exchange rate doesn't tell you how expensive something feels to the people buying it. A price in hours of work does. It's a simple, honest way to compare across countries, and it shows something no price list can: that the same game can cost one player an afternoon and another player a month.

## Use and cite this data

You're welcome to share, quote or chart the GTA 6 Affordability Index in your own articles, videos or posts. Please credit **Leonida Scout** and link to this page, so readers can see the methodology and the latest figures. We'll keep the numbers here up to date as prices and minimum wages change.

## The bottom line

On the minimum wage, GTA 6 takes about **4.7 hours** to earn in New York City and California, **4.9 hours** in Australia and **5.5 hours** in the UK. At the US federal minimum, it takes **11 hours**, a third more than GTA 5 did in 2013. In India, it takes **68 hours** at Delhi's minimum wage and around **270 hours** at the national floor.

For prices in every region, see our [GTA 6 price by country guide](/gta-6-price-by-country/), and to save money, read [Standard vs Ultimate: which edition to buy](/gta-6-editions-price/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How many hours do you have to work to buy GTA 6?

At the minimum wage, it ranges from about 4.7 hours in New York City and California to 11 hours at the US federal minimum, 68 hours at Delhi's minimum wage and about 270 hours at India's national floor wage, for the Standard Edition.

### Where is GTA 6 most affordable?

Measured in minimum-wage work hours, GTA 6 is most affordable in New York City (4.7 hours), California (4.7 hours) and Australia (4.9 hours).

### Where is GTA 6 least affordable?

In our index, India is by far the least affordable: about 68 hours of work at Delhi's minimum wage, and about 270 hours, or 34 eight-hour days, at the national floor wage. Among wealthier countries, the US federal minimum wage of $7.25 is the lowest, at 11 hours.

### Is GTA 6 more expensive than GTA 5 was?

For a US worker on the federal minimum wage, yes. GTA 5 cost $59.99 in 2013, or about 8.3 hours at $7.25 an hour. GTA 6 costs $79.99, or about 11 hours, because the federal minimum wage hasn't changed since 2009. That's a third more work.

### How is the GTA 6 Affordability Index calculated?

We divide the price of the GTA 6 Standard Edition in each market by that market's adult statutory minimum hourly wage, before tax. The result is the number of hours a minimum-wage worker needs to earn the price.

## Sources

- [Government of Canada: Federal minimum wage raised to $18.15](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/03/government-of-canada-raises-the-federal-minimum-wage.html)
- [CBC: Federal minimum wage increasing to $18.15 per hour](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-minimum-wage-increase-9.7140017)
- [Connexion-Emploi: Minimum wage in Europe, 2026 country ranking](https://www.connexion-emploi.com/en/a/minimum-wage-in-europe-country-ranking)
- [Employsome: France minimum wage 2026, SMIC €12.31 from June](https://employsome.com/blog/france-minimum-wage/)
- [Employsome: Minimum wage Netherlands 2026](https://employsome.com/blog/minimum-wage-netherlands/)
- [Moving to Spain: Spain minimum wage 2026](https://movingtospain.com/spain-minimum-wage/)
- [Xero: Minimum wage Australia 2026](https://www.xero.com/au/guides/minimum-wage-australia/)
- [Paycor: Minimum wages by state, 2026](https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/articles/minimum-wage-by-state/)
- [HR Software Chennai: Minimum wages in Delhi 2026](https://hrsoftwarechennai.com/minimum-wages-in-delhi/)
- [Husys: Minimum wages in India 2026](https://husys.com/blogs/minimum-wages-in-india/)
- [Khel Now: How much does GTA 6 cost in the USA, UK, India and more](https://khelnow.com/gaming/how-much-does-gta-6-cost-in-usa-uk-india-japan-australia-202606)
- [Endgame Tools: GTA 6 price in every country](https://endgametools.com/en/gta-6/prices)