Frequently Asked Questions

A satoshi (sat) is the smallest unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC (one hundred millionth of a Bitcoin). It is named after Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. There are exactly 100,000,000 satoshis in one Bitcoin. Think of sats like cents to a dollar, but with 8 decimal places instead of 2. At current prices, 1 sat equals a fraction of a cent in USD.

Prices on SatsAtlas are calculated by taking the local currency price of an item, converting it to USD using current exchange rates, and then converting to satoshis using the real-time Bitcoin price. The formula is: sats = (USD price / BTC price) x 100,000,000. This means sats prices change both when the underlying item price changes and when Bitcoin's price changes.

Bitcoin prices update every 5 minutes via the CoinGecko API. Country price averages for everyday items are recalculated daily from our data sources. Inflation and CPI data follows the World Bank release schedule, typically updated monthly or quarterly. User submissions are processed in real-time after moderation.

SatsAtlas currently covers 100+ countries worldwide, including all major economies and many emerging markets. Our coverage depends on data availability from sources like Numbeo. Countries with more data contributors tend to have more accurate and comprehensive pricing. We are continuously expanding coverage as new data becomes available.

The Bitcoin Adoption Score is a composite metric that estimates how Bitcoin-friendly a country is. It considers factors like legal status of Bitcoin, presence of Bitcoin ATMs, Lightning Network adoption, regulatory environment, and overall crypto usage. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater Bitcoin adoption and friendliness.

The mining cost represents the estimated cost to mine 1 Bitcoin in a given country. It is calculated using the average electricity price in that country multiplied by the estimated energy consumption per Bitcoin mined (approximately 150,000 kWh per BTC based on current network difficulty and hardware efficiency). Countries with cheap electricity naturally have lower mining costs.

We track everyday items including: Beer (bar and store), Coffee (cappuccino), Big Mac, Bread, Milk, Eggs, Rice, Chicken, Beef, Pizza, Gasoline, Electricity, Rent (1-bedroom city center), Internet, Utilities, Public Transport, Mobile data, Gym membership, and accommodation (Airbnb, Hostel, Hotel). We are always expanding based on community interest.

Sats prices change for two reasons: (1) the underlying USD or local currency price of an item changes due to supply and demand, and (2) the Bitcoin price fluctuates. Even if a coffee costs the same $5 USD, its sats price will decrease when Bitcoin appreciates. Over longer time horizons, sats prices tend to decrease as Bitcoin gains value — this is the key insight of thinking in sats.

Yes, SatsAtlas is completely free and always will be. We believe in open access to economic data. Our mission is to help people understand the world through a Bitcoin lens. No subscriptions, no paywalls, no hidden fees.