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The Cost of Mining Bitcoin in 198 Different Countries

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Map comparing the cost of mining bitcoin in 198 countries

Cost of Mining Bitcoin in 198 Different Countries

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It takes an estimated 1,449 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy to mine a single bitcoin. That’s the same amount of energy an average U.S. household consumes in approximately 13 years.

Given the high amount of energy needed to mine bitcoin, it can be a costly venture to get into. But exact prices fluctuate, depending on the location and the cost of electricity in the area.

Where are the cheapest and most expensive places to mine this popular cryptocurrency? This graphic by 911 Metallurgist provides a snapshot of the estimated cost of mining bitcoin around the world, using pricing and relative costs from March 23, 2022.

How Does Bitcoin Mining Work?

Before diving in, it’s worth briefly explaining the basics of bitcoin mining, and why it requires so much energy.

When someone mines for bitcoin, what they’re really doing is adding and verifying a new transaction record to the blockchain—the decentralized bank ledger where bitcoin is traded and distributed.

To create this new record, crypto miners need to crack a complex equation that’s been generated by the blockchain system.

Potentially tens of thousands of miners are racing to crack the same code at any given time. Only the first person to solve the equation gets rewarded (unless you’re part of a mining pool, which is essentially a group of miners who agree to combine efforts to increase their chances of solving the equation).

The faster your computing power is, the better your chances are of winning, so solving the equation first requires powerful equipment that takes up a lot of energy.

The Costs and Profits of Mining Bitcoin in 198 Countries

Across the 198 countries included in the dataset, the average cost to mine bitcoin sat at $35,404.03, more than bitcoin’s value of $20,863.69 on July 15, 2022. Though it’s important to note that fluctuating energy prices, and more or less miners on the bitcoin network, constantly change the necessary energy and final cost.

Here’s a breakdown of what the cost to mine one bitcoin in each country was in March 23, 2022, along with the potential profit after accounting for mining costs:

#CountryCost to mine 1 bitcoinProfit (July 15, 2022)
1🇰🇼 Kuwait$1,393.95$18,362.58
2🇩🇿 Algeria$4,181.86$15,574.67
3🇸🇩 Sudan$4,779.27$14,977.26
4🇾🇪 Yemen$7,161.77$12,594.76
5🇪🇹 Ethiopia$7,168.91$12,587.62
6🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan$7,168.91$12,587.62
7🇦🇴 Angola$7,368.04$12,388.49
8🇶🇦 Qatar$7,368.04$12,388.49
9🇰🇵 North Korea$7,744.32$12,012.21
10🇰🇿 Kazakhstan$8,762.00$10,994.53
11🇿🇲 Zambia$9,160.27$10,596.26
12🇦🇿 Azerbaijan$9,558.54$10,197.99
13🇧🇳 Brunei$9,956.81$9,799.72
14🇮🇷 Iran$10,355.09$9,401.44
15🇺🇿 Uzbekistan$10,355.09$9,401.44
16🇽🇰 Kosovo$10,560.17$9,196.36
17🇸🇬 Singapore$10,952.50$8,804.03
18🇲🇳 Mongolia$11,151.63$8,604.90
19🇧🇹 Bhutan$11,749.04$8,007.49
20🇧🇭 Bahrain$11,948.18$7,808.35
21🇴🇲 Oman$11,948.18$7,808.35
22🇹🇯 Tajikistan$12,545.59$7,210.94
23🇺🇦 Ukraine$12,744.72$7,011.81
24🇬🇪 Georgia$13,143.00$6,613.53
25🇦🇬 Paraguay$13,143.00$6,613.53
26🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago$13,143.00$6,613.53
27🇸🇷 Suriname$14,337.81$5,418.72
28🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia$14,736.09$5,020.44
29🇦🇲 Armenia$15,333.50$4,423.03
30🇹🇳 Tunisia$15,333.50$4,423.03
31🇸🇾 Syria$15,532.63$4,223.90
32🇨🇬 Congo (Republic Of The)$16,130.04$3,626.49
33🇲🇲 Myanmar$16,130.04$3,626.49
34🇷🇺 Russia$16,130.04$3,626.49
35🇮🇶 Iraq$16,926.59$2,829.94
36🇲🇩 Moldova$16,926.59$2,829.94
37🇹🇷 Turkey$17,723.13$2,033.40
38🇷🇴 Romania$18,320.54$1,435.99
39🇦🇱 Albania$18,718.81$1,037.72
40🇧🇩 Bangladesh$18,718.81$1,037.72
41🇱🇮 Liechtenstein$18,917.95$838.58
42🇱🇹 Lithuania$18,917.95$838.58
43🇲🇿 Mozambique$19,117.08$639.45
44🇪🇬 Egypt$19,316.22$440.31
45🇨🇩 Congo (Democratic Republic Of The)$19,913.63-$157.10
46🇳🇴 Norway$20,112.77-$356.24
47🇦🇹 Austria$20,311.90-$555.37
48🇨🇱 Chile$20,311.90-$555.37
49🇪🇪 Estonia$20,511.04-$754.51
50🇸🇪 Sweden$20,710.18-$953.65
51🇨🇫 Central African Republic$20,909.31-$1,152.78
52🇺🇸 United States$21,088.53-$1,332.00
53🇧🇬 Bulgaria$21,307.58-$1,551.05
54🇮🇩 Indonesia$21,307.58-$1,551.05
55🇷🇸 Serbia$21,307.58-$1,551.05
56🇦🇷 Argentina$21,506.72-$1,750.19
57🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates$21,705.86-$1,949.33
58🇳🇬 Nigeria$22,303.27-$2,546.74
59🇲🇬 Madagascar$22,502.40-$2,745.87
60🇱🇻 Latvia$22,701.54-$2,945.01
61🇰🇷 South Korea$22,701.54-$2,945.01
62🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina$23,099.81-$3,343.28
63🇹🇼 Taiwan$23,298.95-$3,542.42
64🇮🇱 Israel$23,498.08-$3,741.55
65🇪🇨 Ecuador$23,697.22-$3,940.69
66🇲🇾 Malaysia$23,896.36-$4,139.83
67🇳🇵 Nepal$23,896.36-$4,139.83
68🇳🇿 New Zealand$23,896.36-$4,139.83
69🇱🇺 Luxembourg$24,095.49-$4,338.96
70🇮🇸 Iceland$24,294.63-$4,538.10
71🇨🇦 Canada$24,493.76-$4,737.23
72🇲🇦 Morocco$24,692.90-$4,936.37
73🇿🇼 Zimbabwe$24,692.90-$4,936.37
74🇻🇳 Vietnam$24,892.04-$5,135.51
75🇨🇮 Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)$25,091.17-$5,334.64
76🇱🇾 Libya$25,091.17-$5,334.64
77🇹🇿 Tanzania$25,091.17-$5,334.64
78🇦🇩 Andorra$25,276.27-$5,519.74
79🇨🇳 China$25,489.45-$5,732.92
80🇱🇧 Lebanon$25,887.72-$6,131.19
81🇱🇦 Laos$26,285.99-$6,529.46
82🇫🇮 Finland$26,485.13-$6,728.60
83🇫🇷 France$27,082.54-$7,326.01
84🇨🇭 Switzerland$27,082.54-$7,326.01
85🇵🇱 Poland$27,281.67-$7,525.14
86🇷🇼 Rwanda$27,281.67-$7,525.14
87🇹🇭 Thailand$27,281.67-$7,525.14
88🇨🇿 Czech Republic$27,480.81-$7,724.28
89🇱🇸 Lesotho$27,679.95-$7,923.42
90🇲🇪 Montenegro$28,078.22-$8,321.69
91🇲🇱 Mali$28,277.35-$8,520.82
92🇨🇷 Costa Rica$28,675.63-$8,919.10
93🇳🇱 Netherlands$28,675.63-$8,919.10
94🇧🇾 Belarus$29,273.04-$9,516.51
95🇳🇦 Namibia$30,069.58-$10,313.05
96🇲🇰 Macedonia, North$30,866.13-$11,109.60
97🇸🇲 San Marino$30,866.13-$11,109.60
98🇸🇰 Slovakia$31,065.26-$11,308.73
99🇿🇦 South Africa$32,060.94-$12,304.41
100🇧🇼 Botswana$32,459.22-$12,702.69
101🇸🇿 Swaziland$32,857.49-$13,100.96
102🇧🇪 Belgium$33,255.76-$13,499.23
103🇺🇾 Uruguay$33,255.76-$13,499.23
104🇧🇷 Brazil$33,454.90-$13,698.37
105🇭🇷 Croatia$33,454.90-$13,698.37
106🇮🇹 Italy$33,454.90-$13,698.37
107🇺🇬 Uganda$33,654.03-$13,897.50
108🇨🇲 Cameroon$33,853.17-$14,096.64
109🇲🇽 Mexico$33,853.17-$14,096.64
110🇲🇼 Malawi$34,251.44-$14,494.91
111🇧🇮 Burundi$34,450.58-$14,694.05
112🇱🇰 Sri Lanka$34,450.58-$14,694.05
113🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea$34,649.72-$14,893.19
114🇧🇴 Bolivia$34,848.85-$15,092.32
115🇲🇷 Mauritania$35,047.99-$15,291.46
116🇵🇸 Palestine$35,047.99-$15,291.46
117🇹🇬 Togo$35,047.99-$15,291.46
118🇦🇫 Afghanistan$35,844.53-$16,088.00
119🇭🇺 Hungary$35,844.53-$16,088.00
120🇸🇱 Sierra Leone$35,844.53-$16,088.00
121🇲🇨 Monaco$35,922.73-$16,166.20
122🇵🇭 Philippines$36,043.67-$16,287.14
123🇰🇭 Cambodia$36,242.81-$16,486.28
124🇸🇳 Senegal$36,242.81-$16,486.28
125🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe$36,441.94-$16,685.41
126🇮🇪 Ireland (Republic Of)$37,835.90-$18,079.37
127🇲🇹 Malta$37,835.90-$18,079.37
128🇨🇾 Cyprus$38,035.03-$18,278.50
129🇬🇦 Gabon$38,035.03-$18,278.50
130🇸🇻 El Salvador$38,831.58-$19,075.05
131🇵🇪 Peru$38,831.58-$19,075.05
132🇨🇴 Colombia$39,628.12-$19,871.59
133🇩🇴 Dominican Republic$40,026.40-$20,269.87
134🇬🇹 Guatemala$40,026.40-$20,269.87
135🇬🇲 The Gambia$40,225.53-$20,469.00
136🇬🇳 Guinea$40,424.67-$20,668.14
137🇮🇳 India$40,424.67-$20,668.14
138🇦🇺 Australia$40,623.81-$20,867.28
139🇬🇷 Greece$40,623.81-$20,867.28
140🇲🇺 Mauritius$40,822.94-$21,066.41
141🇧🇯 Benin$41,221.21-$21,464.68
142🇭🇳 Honduras$41,420.35-$21,663.82
143🇭🇹 Haiti$42,017.76-$22,261.23
144🇹🇩 Chad$42,216.90-$22,460.37
145🇳🇪 Niger$42,416.03-$22,659.50
146🇰🇪 Kenya$43,212.58-$23,456.05
147🇫🇯 Fiji$43,411.71-$23,655.18
148🇪🇷 Eritrea$43,610.85-$23,854.32
149🇸🇸 South Sudan$43,809.99-$24,053.46
150🇵🇰 Pakistan$44,208.26-$24,451.73
151🇵🇹 Portugal$44,208.26-$24,451.73
152🇧🇿 Belize$45,004.80-$25,248.27
153🇳🇷 Nauru$45,378.54-$25,622.01
154🇹🇱 Timor-Leste$46,597.89-$26,841.36
155🇬🇭 Ghana$46,996.17-$27,239.64
156🇯🇵 Japan$47,195.30-$27,438.77
157🇧🇫 Burkina Faso$47,394.44-$27,637.91
158🇩🇰 Denmark$48,190.98-$28,434.45
159🇯🇴 Jordan$48,987.53-$29,231.00
160🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England$49,301.82-$29,545.29
161🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland$50,090.64-$30,334.11
162🇵🇦 Panama$50,580.62-$30,824.09
163🇩🇪 Germany$50,978.89-$31,222.36
164🇬🇧 Ireland (Northern)$51,536.83-$31,780.30
165🇪🇸 Spain$51,775.44-$32,018.91
166🇩🇯 Djibouti$52,173.71-$32,417.18
167🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales$52,194.19-$32,437.66
168🇨🇻 Cape Verde$52,372.85-$32,616.32
169🇯🇲 Jamaica$52,571.98-$32,815.45
170🇧🇧 Barbados$52,970.26-$33,213.73
171🇸🇮 Slovenia$52,970.26-$33,213.73
172🇹🇻 Tuvalu$53,887.02-$34,130.49
173🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau$54,364.21-$34,607.68
174🇰🇲 Comoros$55,957.30-$36,200.77
175🇧🇸 Bahamas$56,753.85-$36,997.32
176🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea$57,550.39-$37,793.86
177🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis$60,935.71-$41,179.18
178🇬🇩 Grenada$61,533.12-$41,776.59
179🇵🇼 Palau$63,922.75-$44,166.22
180🇱🇨 Saint Lucia$63,922.75-$44,166.22
181🇸🇨 Seychelles$63,922.75-$44,166.22
182🇬🇾 Guyana$65,316.71-$45,560.18
183🇳🇮 Nicaragua$66,511.52-$46,754.99
184🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and Grenadines$68,901.16-$49,144.63
185🇹🇴 Tonga$72,087.34-$52,330.81
186🇩🇲 Dominica$73,282.16-$53,525.63
187​🇻🇺​ Vanuatu$76,070.07-$56,313.54
188🇼🇸​ Samoa$76,667.48-$56,910.95
189​🇨🇺​ Cuba$76,946.27-$57,189.74
190🇱🇷 Liberia$77,663.16-$57,906.63
191​🇲🇻​ Maldives$78,459.70-$58,703.17
192🇲🇭 Marshall Islands$80,849.34-$61,092.81
193🇸🇴 Somalia$82,044.16-$62,287.63
194🇰🇮 Kiribati$82,243.29-$62,486.76
195🇫🇲 Micronesia, Federated States Of$82,442.43-$62,685.90
196🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda$89,412.20-$69,655.67
197🇸🇧 Solomon Islands$142,581.59-$122,825.06
198🇻🇪 Venezuela$246,530.74-$226,774.21

Venezuela ranks as the number one most expensive country to mine bitcoin. It costs a whooping $246,530.74 to mine a single bitcoin in the South American country, meaning the process is far from profitable. Energy costs are so expensive in the country that miners would be out $225,667.05 for just one bitcoin.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the cheapest place to mine bitcoin is in Kuwait. It costs $1,393.95 to mine a single bitcoin in Kuwait, meaning miners could gain $19,469.74 in profits.

The Middle Eastern country has some of the cheapest electricity in the world, with one kWh costing an average of just 3 cents. For context, the average cost of one kWh in North America is 21 cents.

The Race is On

Despite the steep costs of bitcoin mining, many people believe it’s worth the upfront investment.

One thing that makes bitcoin particularly appealing is its finite supply—there are only 21 million coins available for mining, and as of this article’s publication, more than 19 million bitcoin have already been mined.

While the price of bitcoin (BTC) is notorious for its volatility, its value has still grown significantly over the last decade. And if cryptocurrencies become mainstream as many people believe they will, this could boost the price of bitcoin even further.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Technology

Nvidia Joins the Trillion Dollar Club

America’s biggest chipmaker Nvidia has joined the trillion dollar club as advancements in AI move at lightning speed.

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Nvidia Joins the Trillion Dollar Club

Chipmaker Nvidia is now worth nearly as much as Amazon.

America’s largest semiconductor company has vaulted past the $1 trillion market capitalization mark, a milestone reached by just a handful of companies including Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. While many of these are household names, Nvidia has only recently gained widespread attention amid the AI boom.

The above graphic compares Nvidia to the seven companies that have reached the trillion dollar club.

Riding the AI Wave

Nvidia’s market cap has more than doubled in 2023 to over $1 trillion.

The company designs semiconductor chips that are made of silicon slices that contain specific patterns. Just like you flip an electrical switch by turning on a light at home, these chips have billions of switches that process complex information simultaneously.

Today, they are integral to many AI functions—from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to image generation. Here’s how Nvidia stands up against companies that have achieved the trillion dollar milestone:

Joined ClubMarket Cap
in trillions
Peak Market Cap
in trillions
AppleAug 2018$2.78$2.94
MicrosoftApr 2019$2.47$2.58
AramcoDec 2019$2.06$2.45
AlphabetJul 2020$1.58$1.98
AmazonApr 2020$1.25$1.88
MetaJun 2021$0.68$1.07
TeslaOct 2021$0.63$1.23
NvidiaMay 2023$1.02$1.02

Note: Market caps as of May 30th, 2023

After posting record sales, the company added $184 billion to its market value in one day. Only two other companies have exceeded this number: Amazon ($191 billion), and Apple ($191 billion).

As Nvidia’s market cap reaches new heights, many are wondering if its explosive growth will continue—or if the AI craze is merely temporary. There are cases to be made on both sides.

Bull Case Scenario

Big tech companies are racing to develop capabilities like OpenAI. These types of generative AI require vastly higher amounts of computing power, especially as they become more sophisticated.

Many tech giants, including Google and Microsoft use Nvidia chips to power their AI operations. Consider how Google plans to use generative AI in six products in the future. Each of these have over 2 billion users.

Nvidia has also launched new products days since its stratospheric rise, spanning from robotics to gaming. Leading the way is the A100, a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) well-suited for machine learning. Additionally, it announced a new supercomputer platform that Google, Microsoft, and Meta are first in line for. Overall, 65,000 companies globally use the company’s chips for a wide range of functions.

Bear Case Scenario

While extreme investor optimism has launched Nvidia to record highs, how do some of its fundamental valuations stack up to other giants?

As the table below shows, its price to earnings (P/E) ratio is second-only to Amazon, at 214.4. This shows how much a shareholder pays compared to the earnings of a company. Here, the company’s share price is over 200 times its earnings on a per share basis.

P/E RatioNet Profit Margin (Annual)
Apple30.225.3%
Microsoft36.136.7%
Aramco13.526.4%
Alphabet28.221.2%
Amazon294.2-0.5%
Meta33.919.9%
Tesla59.015.4%
Nvidia214.416.19%

Consider how this looks for revenue of Nvidia compared to other big tech names:

For some, Nvidia’s valuation seems unrealistic even in spite of the prospects of AI. While Nvidia has $11 billion in projected revenue for the next quarter, it would still mean significantly higher multiples than its big tech peers. This suggests the company is overvalued at current prices.

Nvidia’s Growth: Will it Last?

This is not the first time Nvidia’s market cap has rocketed up.

During the crypto rally of 2021, its share price skyrocketed over 100% as demand for its GPUs increased. These specialist chips help mine cryptocurrency, and a jump in demand led to a shortage of chips at the time.

As cryptocurrencies lost their lustre, Nvidia’s share price sank over 46% the following year.

By comparison, AI advancements could have more transformative power. Big tech is rushing to partner with Nvidia, potentially reshaping everything from search to advertising.

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