The World's Most Expensive Bottled Water Costs Over $100,000

There's nothing that says "luxury" quite like a ridiculously overpriced bottle of water. Oh, so you took a substance that comes out of the earth for free — something everyone needs to survive — and made it into a pricey, high-end commodity? Cool. That sounds like a great idea.

Once upon a time, a chic, cylindrical glass bottle of Voss would have been the peak of conspicuous hydration consumption. But things have really spun out from there. Today, expensive bottles of water can go for $60 (Uisge Source), $125 (Svalbardi), or even $14,000 (Filico Jewelry). But the most expensive bottle of water ever was the Beverly Hills 9OH2O Diamond Edition, which had a price tag of $100,000 in 2018, or about $121,000 when adjusted for inflation in 2023.

Yes, you read that right: 100 grand for a bottle of water. But why would anyone be interested in something so ostentatious? How hydrating could it possibly be?

To understand why the Beverly Hills 9OH2O Diamond Edition could fund a state school college education, you first need to understand why it was created. The water, which is sourced from the mountains of Northern California, was developed by water sommelier Martin Riese. Water sommeliers are a new breed of food industry professionals. They are dedicated to decoding the subtle flavors in different types of water, and pairing them appropriately with food in the same way a traditional sommelier would with wine.

Beverly Hills 9OH2O was designed specifically to be the best water in the world ... and it has the awards to prove it. Each batch is a limited release and has a "silky smooth, crisp, light taste," according to the company's website. Sold in plastic blue bottles, it has an alkaline pH of 7.5 and is enriched with natural minerals to create the ideal tasting experience.

A standard 12-pack of 500-milliliter Beverly Hills 9OH2O goes for $42, averaging out to $7 per liter. That's simply normal person expensive, not "I could have bought a private island instead" expensive.

So why the upcharge? Well, the Beverly Hills 9OH2O Diamond Edition was packaged in a unique bottle. This version featured a cap made of white gold, topped with 850 white and black diamonds, and designed by Mario Jewellers of Beverly Hills. It also included Baccarat crystal tumblers and came with an unlimited supply of Beverly Hills 9OH2O water for one year.

You're not really paying for the water, of course. And it's unclear what, exactly, you're meant to do with that very pricey water bottle cap. Perhaps you could string it on a cord like a very fancy version of a bottle cap necklace? Who knows. Diamonds aside, this is technically the winner of the World's Best Water Award we're talking about, so all the agua enthusiasts out there might want to give this California water a try.