New Zealand 'most expensive country to buy cocaine'

A new survey has shown that New Zealand pays the most for cocaine. Photo / 123RF

Cocaine is listed as the dearest commonly used drug on earth, and a new survey has shown that New Zealand has the most expensive in the world.

The Global Drug Survey 2018 has revealed cocaine users in New Zealand were on average paying $340 for a gram of cocaine.

The second most expensive country to buy the drug, according to the survey, was Australia, where buyers pay on average $319 per gram.

The strict border patrols and the high cost of importing the drug into New Zealand and Australia are the main drivers of the price.

This is in stark contrast to Colombia, where users pay a mere $6.86 per gram of cocaine. Brazil came in second cheapest at $15.50 per gram and in Mexico the average cost was $38.

Over the past five years more than half a million people have taken the survey. The 2018 edition was compiled from 130,000 people from over 40 countries. 3223 New Zealanders completed the survey.

The average cost of cocaine in the UK was $127 per gram, according to the survey. In Scotland is was $145, in the United States $92, and in the Netherlands $80.

The survey of 15,000 cocaine users worldwide also found that participants could get cocaine delivered quicker on average than they could get a pizza.

When asked "can you get get cocaine in less than 30 minutes", 30.3 per cent of respondants replied "yes", compared to the 16.5 per cent who said "yes" to getting a sub-30 minute pizza delivery.

- additional reporting MailOnline