List of world's most expensive single objects

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This is a list of the world's most expensive single objects. The figures below represent the estimated cost to build these objects, not taking into account inflation. These objects may not be for commercial use.[clarify] This list is for the sole purpose of identifying expensive man-made objects and the respective economic costs involved in building them.

Country Total cost (in USD) Object Description Year of completion Image
Flag of the United States United States

Flag of Russia Russia

Flag of Japan Japan

Flag of Canada Canada

Logo of European Space Agency European Space Agency

 157 billion[1] International Space Station

(under construction)

 Space station 2010 (expected)
Flag of the People's Republic of China China 25 billion[2] Three Gorges Dam

(under construction)

 Hydroelectric river dam 2011 (expected)
Flag of the United States United States 14.6 billion[3] Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts) Tunnel system 2007
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom

Flag of France France

 10 billion[4][unreliable source?] Channel Tunnel Undersea railway tunnel 1994
Flag of the United States United States 8.1 billion per unit[5] CVN-78 class aircraft carrier

(under construction)

 United States Navy supercarrier 2015 (expected)
Flag of the United States United States 8 billion (1977 dollars)[6] Alaska Pipeline Oil pipeline 1977
Flag of Europe European Union

Flag of India India

Flag of Japan Japan

Flag of the People's Republic of China China

Flag of Russia Russia

Flag of South Korea South Korea

Flag of the United States United States

 6.5 billion[7] ITER

(under construction)

 Experimental fusion reactor 2016 (expected)
Flag of the United States United States 6.3 billion[8] New Bay Bridge

(San Francisco & Oakland, California) (under construction)

 2013
Flag of World World 6 billion[9] Large Hadron Collider LHC

(under construction)

 Particle Accelerator 2008 (expected)
Flag of Japan Japan 5 billion[10] Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge World's longest suspension bridge 1998
Flag of Russia Russia 4.3 billion[11] Mir

(de-orbited in 2001)

 Space station 1996
Flag of the United States United States 4.2 billion [12] National Ignition Facility (NIF) Research 2009 (expected)
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 4.1 billion[verification needed] Burj Dubai

(under construction)

 Supertall skyscraper 2009 (expected)
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 3.9 billion [13] Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier Royal Navy supercarrier 2014 (expected)
Flag of the United States United States 3.8 billion [14] Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant Sewage treatment 2000
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 3.75 billion[15] Oosterscheldekering Storm surge barrier and floodgate 1986
Flag of Australia Australia 3.2 billion[16] Rivercity Motorway (North South Bypass Tunnel(1 of 5 Proposed) Tunnel System 2010
Flag of the United States United States 3.2 billion[17] USS Jimmy Carter Seawolf class submarine 2004
Flag of the United States United States 2.2 billion per unit[18] B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Multi-role stealth heavy bomber operated by the United States Air Force 1988
Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan 1.8 billion[19][20] Taipei 101 World's tallest completed skyscraper 2004
Flag of the United States United States ~ 1.7 billion per unit[21][verification needed] Space Shuttle Partially reusable launch system created by NASA 1977
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 1.57 billion[22] Wembley Stadium Stadium 2007
Flag of the United States United States 1.3 billion[23] New Yankee Stadium Stadium 2009
Flag of the United States United States 1 billion[24] Dallas Cowboys New Stadium

(under construction)

 Stadium 2009 (expected)
Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong 1 billion[verification needed] Bank of China Tower Skyscraper 1990
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 900 million[verification needed] RMS Queen Mary 2 Ocean liner owned by Cunard Line 2003
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 650 million[25] Burj Al Arab World's third tallest hotel building[26] 1999
Flag of the United States United States 500 million per unit[27] Titan IV Space booster 1989

[edit] See also

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ European Space Agency ISS Feature - How much does it cost?.
  2. ^ The Three Gorges Dam.
  3. ^ Project Updates.
  4. ^ BBC News - Call for new Channel Tunnel.
  5. ^ Defense Industry Daily Cost Analysis.
  6. ^ Pipeline Facts.
  7. ^ RTDinfo Magazine on European Research, May 2006.
  8. ^ [Michael]. "Bay Bridge cost up $140 million", San Francisco Chronicle, Hearst Communications, 2008-03-08. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. .
  9. ^ A community website from IOP Publishing, Mar 2008.
  10. ^ Megastructures. National Geographic for Channel Five.
  11. ^ space.com.
  12. ^ http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d01677r.pdf
  13. ^ Evans, Michael. "Go-ahead for £5bn aircraft carriers", The Times, Times Newspapers, 2007-07-25. Retrieved on 2007-07-26. 
  14. ^ http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/03sewer/html/sewditp.htm
  15. ^ Delta works site (in Dutch).
  16. ^ Tunnel price tops $3b; Last Of Big Subs
  17. ^ New Sub Can Tap Undersea Cables 500-Foot USS Jimmy Carter Cost $3.2 Billion; Last Of Big Subs
  18. ^ United States General Accounting Office (GAO) B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (Letter Report, 08/14/97, GAO/NSIAD-97-181)
  19. ^ Teo, Justin (December 4, 2006). The Asian Journal - Reaching for the sky: Taipei 101 & Petronas Towers. Radio Singapore International. Retrieved on 2008-03-25. “...the Taipei 101 cost US$1.8 billion dollars.”
  20. ^ "Australian wins Taiwan race up world's tallest skyscraper", ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:43pm AEST. Retrieved on 2008-03-25. "The 508-metre-high Taipei 101, which cost 58 billion Taiwan dollars to build, was opened in December 2004."  (If adjusted for inflation, 58 billion Taiwan dollars, using the Universal Currency Converter, would approximately equal to USD $1,926,782,273.)
  21. ^ NASA Space Shuttle FAQ.
  22. ^ "Wembley kick-off: Stadium is ready and England play first game in fortnight", Daily Mail, 2007-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-19. 
  23. ^ "The USA's Most Expensive Stadium", Daily Mail, 2008-04-01. Retrieved on 2007-03-19. 
  24. ^ Dallas Cowboys website.
  25. ^ "Burj Al Arab", Forbes Traveler, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-24. 
  26. ^ "World's Tallest Hotels", Emporis, 2006-06-01. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  27. ^ Federation of American Scientist calculation gives unit price of $500M at yearly production of 2 units