Water is one of the defining characteristics of Earth. It’s the driving force behind nearly every aspect of life and without it, almost everything we know would cease to exist.
The lengths people will go to for the best water in the world are seemingly limitless. Whether it’s scouring the most remote islands, harvesting giant icebergs, or sucking the water directly out of the Amazon rainforest’s air, the creativity just doesn’t stop.
Against intuition, some of the most expensive water bottles in the world don’t focus on what is contained within. Instead, they bring together a creative touch with extravagant materials such as diamonds and other precious gems to create valuable works of art.
Whatever the source, the best bottled water brands available today all bring something special to the table.
The 11 most expensive water brands
| # | Brand | Price per liter |
| 11 | BLVD | $27 |
| 10 | Berg | $31 |
| 9 | Uisge Source | $63 |
| 8 | ROI | $64 |
| 7 | Minus 181 | $77 |
| 6 | Svalbardi | $144 |
| 5 | Evian Virgil Abloh | $207 |
| 4 | NEVAS deklart | $1,073 |
| 3 | Ô Amazon | $2,784 |
| 2 | Bling H2O | $3,600 |
| 1 | Fillico Jewelry | $6,709 |
| Bonus – Auction high | Acqua di Cristallo | $115,200 |
BLVD – $27 per liter
Now that the world has reached an estimated 8 billion people in population, finding truly clean and pure water sources isn’t as easy as it used to be. But in Tasmania, an island off the southeast tip of Australia, 40% of the land is still covered in lush rainforest.
And if you go even deeper by drilling 20 meters into the bluestone bed, you can find clean water filtered by nature and ready to quench your thirst. And that’s exactly what BLVD has done.
| Country: | Australia |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $20 for 750 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | 86 mg/l |
Berg – $31 per liter
Canada is a remote and rugged island with stunning beauty around every corner. But it’s not the island that provides this water source.
Berg harvests and melts massive pieces of icebergs that have broken off into the ocean, many of which were once part of 15,000-year-old glaciers from western Greenland.
| Country: | Canada |
| Source type: | Iceberg |
| Price per bottle: | $23 for 750 ml on Aqua Maestro |
| Minerality (TDS): | 10 mg/l |
ROI – $64 per liter
The Roitschocrene spring is the source of ROI’s water, and according to legend, it is the location where Apollo instructed Pegasus to strike down a hoof and open up this spring.
Today, the fine water coming from here is the most magnesium-rich mineral water in the world and can provide a multitude of health benefits when enjoyed in moderation.
| Country: | Slovenia |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $32 (€29.8) for 500 ml at Fine Liquids |
| Minerality (TDS): | 7,481 mg/l |
Minus 181 – $77 per liter
One of the most expensive water brands in the world, Minus 181 has done a lot of work to bring fresh water to your table.
By punching a 181-meter-deep (hence the name) drill down into a pocket of water encased between two impenetrable layers of Ice-Age clay, Minus 181 has tapped into a water source with exceptional quality and a well-balanced taste.
| Country: | Germany |
| Source type: | Deep well |
| Price per bottle: | $53 (€ 49) for 681 ml at Fine Liquids |
| Minerality (TDS): | 320 mg/l |
Uisge Source – $63 per liter
An excellent Scottish Whisky should be enjoyed for its pure elegance. You don’t want to mess around with the distinct flavors that come from the peat soil and natural waters used in the distilleries.
While a dash of water can open up the aromas and flavors, it can also be devastating if the quality isn’t up to par. Enter: Uisge (meaning water in Scottish Gaelic) Source—water specifically designed for whisky pairing.
With Uisge Source’s Three Regions Set, you can pair your dash of water accurately with the Scotch of choice, whether it’s from the Highlands, Speyside, or Islay malts.
| Country: | Scotland, UK |
| Source type: | Springs and historic wells |
| Price per bottle: | $19 (£17) for 3 x 100 ml on Uisge Source’s website |
| Minerality (TDS): | 125 mg/l (Speyside ), 225 mg/l (Highland), (183mg/l (Islay) |
Svalbarði Polar Blue Ice Edition – $144 per liter
Not all brands of water are the same. Svalbarði has set out to make a difference in the world by combining the demand for ultra-pure water with the need for scientific funding.
Their Limited Blue Ice Edition water celebrates the glacial colors found at 78° north, where a team of talented glaciologists and scientists travel on a dedicated research expedition to collect samples.
The water is harvested from icebergs sourced in the fjords around the Svalbard islands, giving a taste of arctic purity while also supporting a worthy research endeavor.
| Country: | Norway |
| Source type: | Iceberg |
| Price per bottle: | $108 (€99.95) for 750 ml on Svalbarði’s website |
| Minerality (TDS): | 21 mg/l |
Evian Virgil Abloh – $207 per liter
Evian water can be found all over the world at reasonable prices. But their collaboration with visionary artist Virgil Abloh has turned a line of their products into some of the most expensive water bottles in the world.
The stylish bottles are designed to inspire sustainable actions, which Evian has already put to the forefront with a new energy-neutral biogas plant.
| Country: | Germany |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $155 for 750 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | 357 mg/l |
NEVAS Design edition deklart – $1,073 per liter
Sometimes the most expensive water in the world isn’t just about what’s inside. And that’s the case for these limited-edition fancy water bottles from NEVAS.
The deklart series of magnum-sized water bottles are works of art completed by Dennis Klapschus. He brings his bright and playful take on Walt Disney characters to the exterior of these water bottles and lets your imagination go wild.
The brand refers to its water as the first premium cuvée water, referring to its blend of two different Artesian water sources.
| Country: | Germany |
| Source type: | Artesian springs |
| Price per bottle: | $1,610 (€1,500) for 1.5 L on NEVAS’ website |
| Minerality (TDS): | 2,000 mg/l |
Ô Amazon Bird of Revelation – $2,784 per liter
By harnessing the so-called “flying rivers” of the Amazon rainforest, Ô Amazon brings some of the best bottled water to the world.
Their patented technology harvests water produced by the trees, and they use the profits to sponsor projects focused on sustainable development and preservation of the area.
Their typical Onça Pintada Series bottle sells for $120, but a collaboration with artist Duda Penteado has created some of the most expensive bottles of water in the world.
| Country: | Brazil |
| Source type: | Air-water generator |
| Price per bottle: | $2,088 for 750 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | 4 mg/l |
Bling H2O The Ten Thousand – $3,600 per liter
If you couldn’t already tell, we’re about to dive deep into specialty expensive water bottles that blow away the price of Larq water bottles. In this case, we’re turning to over ten thousand Swarovski Crystals (hence the name) used on one of the most expensive bottled water in the world.
Bling H2O’s The Ten Thousand series is custom-ordered and can be made in virtually any color combination desired. Make a statement by ordering your own. It is sure to be a unique conversation starter.
| Country: | United States |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $2,700 per 750 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | 68 mg/l |
Fillico Jewelry Black King – $6,709 per liter
Fillico sits at the throne atop the list for the most expensive water in the world. And the jewels featured on many of their bottles are the perfect accompaniment for royal receptions and other glamorous events, blowing away the usual list of best water bottles.
By creating a variety of limited-edition choices, one can select from an entire lineup which seem to constantly change) of luxury water bottles ranging from around $105 per 750 ml bottle, all the way up to the most expensive Black King.
The exquisite appearance is paired with Nunobiki spring water from the Kobe region of Japan, making for the best all-around experience and the most expensive bottled water available today.
| Country: | Japan |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $4,831 (€4.499) for 720 ml at Fine Liquids |
| Minerality (TDS): | 13 mg/l |
Auction high: Acqua di Cristallo – $115,200 per liter (when adjusted for inflation)
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Guinness World record holder for the most expensive water ever sold at auction. While the one-time auction sale in 2010 had the proceeds going to fight climate change and is unlikely to be repeated, it was a historical moment for pricey water.
The most expensive bottle of water ever sold is one Acqua di Cristallo Tributo a Modigliani. It sourced the water from springs in France and Fiji, plus a glacier in Iceland. Oh yeah, there’s also 5 mg gold dust sprinkled inside, and the entire 750 ml bottle is coated in 24k gold.
In 2010, it was sold by Planet Foundation A.C. at auction in Mexico City for 774,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to $60,000 at the time or $86,400 US today.
| Country: | Spain |
| Source type: | Spring and glacier |
| Price per bottle: | $60,000 in 2010 (or 86,400 in inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars) for 750 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | N/A |
Beverly Hills 9OH2O – $250,000 per liter (when adjusted for inflation)
There aren’t too many people who would spend over $200,000 for a liter of water, but those who want to once had the option to.
The Beverly Hills 9OH2O Diamond Edition was once available in 2018 for $100,000 per 500 ml bottle, or $125,000 when inflation-adjusted for today. Designed and created by a Beverly Hills jeweler, the otherwise normal-looking bottle is topped with a cap containing 850 tiny diamonds and is filled with California spring water.
The California Secretary of State shows the Beverly Hills Drink Company is no longer in good standing. However, Beverly Hills 9OH2O’s website now offers a Lifestyle Collection retailing at $9 for a two-bottle taster, while recent social media feeds indicate the brand might have reopened in Dubai, UAE.
| Country: | United States |
| Source type: | Spring |
| Price per bottle: | $125,000 for 500 ml |
| Minerality (TDS): | 170 mg/l |
Expensive water brands: conclusion
By going to extremes to find the best water in the world, the most expensive water brands can charge premium prices for their fancy water.
Some venture to remote parts of the world, while a lucky few sit at the base of fresh springs that bring high-quality H2O directly to their feet. Against intuition, the most expensive water bottles might not put much emphasis on what’s inside at all.
Artist collaborations might inflate the price of some of these expensive water bottles, but they also are bringing needed resources and energy to sustainability efforts across the globe. And at the end of the day, we’re all in this boat together.
So next time you throw down less than $5 on a bottle of water, it might seem like a bargain. After all, other people are paying close to $5,000 for a single bottle of Fillico Jewelry Black King.
For now, the most expensive water brands are:
- Fillico Jewelry Black King: $6,709 per liter
- Bling H2O The Ten Thousand: $3,600 per liter
- Ô Amazon Bird of Revelation: $2,784 per liter
- NEVAS deklart: $1,073 per liter
- Evian Virgil Abloh: $207 per liter
- Svalbarði Polar Blue Ice Edition: $144 per liter
- Minus 181: $77 per liter
- ROI: $64 per liter
- Uisge Source: $63 per liter
- Berg: $31 per liter
- BLVD: $27 per liter
TDS in water and why it matters
If you’re one to glug down your eight glasses a day without much consideration, you may not notice the subtle differences between different water brands. However, if you’re loyal to one brand in particular, it may have something to do with the TDS in the water. TDS—total dissolved solids—measures the minerals, salts, and compounds that naturally dissolve in water. Another word for this is minerality. In short, it affects the flavor and feel of water, as well as our health.
While not all waters comprise exactly the same mineral makeup, the most frequent minerals are major ions and they usually make up at least 90% of the water’s TDS. Major ions include calcium, magnesium and iron—all of which have a positive impact on our health. Calcium maintains strong bones. Magnesium converts blood sugar into energy. And iron is essential for liver functionality. However, water can also contain other minerals that may pose health risks if we consume more than the maximum limit. More than 1 mg/l of copper can cause stomach aches. While more than 0.001 mg/l of mercury can damage our kidneys.
So how do we know whether to opt for water with higher TDS levels or lower TDS levels? Bottled water is generally regulated by national authorities and is void of harmful minerals. This means that bottled water with higher levels of TDS can contribute to our mineral intake. And it can benefit those who don’t receive enough calcium or magnesium specifically. When it comes to taste and mouthfeel, high TDS levels are more bitter, salty or sulphuric. And whilst you may not enjoy the taste in isolation, the water often pairs well with red meats and heavier meals.
On the other hand, a low TDS concentration isn’t harmful to our health. It’ll still keep us hydrated but won’t necessarily add to our mineral intake. When it comes to taste and pairing, lower TDS waters are cleaner and lighter. As a result, they are ideal for mixing with cocktails, whiskies and teas. And they are usually our preferred choice when it comes to getting in our eight glasses a day.
