In brief
- A 2 kg Cabrales cheese sold for a record €37,500 at auction in Asturias, Spain, on 30 August 2026.
- Pule, made from donkey and goat milk in Serbia, is the priciest regular cheese at about $600 per pound.
- Swedish moose cheese costs about $500 per pound because moose are hard to milk.
- Scarce milk, long ageing and small production are the main reasons for high cheese prices.
As of October 2026, the most expensive cheese ever sold is a piece of Cabrales blue cheese from Asturias, Spain, which fetched €37,500 at auction on 30 August 2026. For cheese sold at regular prices, Serbia’s Pule, made from donkey milk, is the most expensive at about $600 per pound.
Prices for rare cheese depend on how scarce the milk is, how long the cheese is aged and whether it is a one-off auction lot. The ranking below mixes one record auction price with the regular retail prices reported for each cheese.
We have removed some cheeses that appeared on older versions of this list, such as Wyke Farms Cheddar and Jersey Blue, because we could not find a reliable source for the high prices often quoted for them.
Also readPatek Philippe 2499 Record: $10.3 Million Pink Gold SaleThe most expensive cheeses in the world: summary
| Rank | Cheese | Origin | Reported price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabrales | Spain | €37,500 for about 2 kg (auction, 2026) |
| 2 | Pule | Serbia | About $600 per pound |
| 3 | Moose Cheese | Sweden | About $500 per pound |
| 4 | White Stilton Gold | United Kingdom | About $355 per pound |
| 5 | Bitto Storico | Italy | Up to about €300 per kg (aged) |
| 6 | Caciocavallo Podolico | Italy | About €100 per kg |
| 7 | Old Ford | England | About €100 per kg |
| 8 | Caciobufala | Italy | About €85 per kg |
| 9 | Comté (40 months) | France | About €70 per kg |
1. Cabrales: €37,500
Cabrales is a strong blue cheese with protected designation of origin status, made in the Picos de Europa mountains of Asturias. It is aged in natural limestone caves, where the cool, damp air helps the blue mould develop.
Every August, the best cheese from the annual Cabrales competition is auctioned in Arenas de Cabrales. On 30 August 2026, a cheese of just over 2 kg from the Ángel Díaz Herrero dairy in Tielve sold for €37,500, according to Euro Weekly News. Four restaurants in Gijón and Madrid pooled their bids to buy it.
The same dairy set the previous Guinness World Record in August 2024, when a 2.3 kg cheese sold for €36,000 (about $42,232). Before that, the record was €20,500, set in 2019.
2. Pule: $600 per pound
Pule is made only at the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve in western Serbia. It uses about 60% milk from Balkan donkeys and 40% goat milk, according to The Takeout.
The cost comes from the milk. A female donkey gives less than half a gallon a day, and only a few hundred Balkan donkeys live at Zasavica. It takes more than six gallons of milk to make a block of just over 2 pounds.
The cheese is crumbly and lightly smoked, with a flavour often compared to Manchego. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is reported to be a fan.
3. Moose Cheese: $500 per pound
Moose cheese comes from the Elk House (Älgens Hus), a small farm in Bjurholm in northern Sweden. Cheese Scientist lists it at about $500 per pound.
Moose are difficult to milk and need gentle handling. If a moose becomes stressed, its milk can dry up. The farm makes very small quantities, which keeps prices high.
4. White Stilton Gold: $355 per pound
White Stilton Gold was created by Long Clawson Dairy in the UK as a limited edition in 2011. It is White Stilton mixed with edible gold flakes and gold liqueur.
Cheese Scientist lists it at about $355 per pound, while Money.it gives about €900 per kg. Cheese Scientist notes that it tastes much like regular White Stilton, so the price is mainly for the gold.
5. Bitto Storico: €300 per kg
Bitto Storico, also called Storico Ribelle, is made in the Orobie Alps of Lombardy, Italy. Producers use raw cow’s milk mixed with milk from the rare Orobica goat, and make the cheese only in summer on high mountain pastures.
It can be aged for more than ten years, and the oldest wheels are among the oldest cheeses sold commercially. Money.it lists aged Bitto Storico at about €300 per kg. Younger wheels cost much less.
6. Caciocavallo Podolico: €100 per kg
Caciocavallo Podolico is a stretched-curd cheese from southern Italy, made with milk from the Podolica cow. The herds graze on mountain pastures in summer.
The cheese can be aged for five or six years and has a strong, fruity flavour from the wild herbs the cows eat. It sells for about €100 per kg, according to Money.it.
7. Old Ford: €100 per kg
Old Ford is a hard goat’s milk cheese from England, sold through Neal’s Yard Dairy. It is still pressed and aged by hand.
It ripens for about three months in summer and up to eight months for autumn batches. It has citrus and floral notes and sells for about €100 per kg.
8. Caciobufala: €85 per kg
Caciobufala is a stretched-curd cheese made from water buffalo milk in the Piana del Sele area of Campania, Italy. Money.it names the Casa Madaio dairy as a leading producer.
It has a long, rounded shape and an aromatic flavour. It sells for about €85 per kg.
9. Comté (40 months): €70 per kg
Comté is made from raw cow’s milk in the Jura region of eastern France. Most Comté is aged for 4 to 18 months, but some wheels are kept for 40 months or more.
These very old wheels have a dense, crystalline texture and deep nutty flavour. They sell for about €70 per kg, according to Money.it.
How we ranked these
We ranked cheeses by the highest price reported by a named source. Cabrales is ranked first because of its record auction sale, which works out to more than €18,000 per kg. That price applies only to the competition winner, not to Cabrales sold in shops.
Retail prices for the other cheeses vary by seller, age and exchange rates, so treat them as approximate. For more rare food, see our lists of the most expensive dishes in the world and the most expensive wines.
Sources: Euro Weekly News, August 2026; Guinness World Records; The Takeout; Cheese Scientist; Money.it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive cheese in the world?
The most expensive cheese ever sold is a Cabrales blue cheese from Asturias, Spain, which sold for €37,500 at auction on 30 August 2026. Among cheeses sold at regular prices, Serbia’s Pule, made from donkey and goat milk, is the most expensive at about $600 per pound.
Why is Pule cheese so expensive?
Pule uses milk from Balkan donkeys, which give less than half a gallon a day. Only a few hundred of these donkeys live at the Zasavica reserve in Serbia, and it takes more than six gallons of milk to make about 2 pounds of cheese. This scarcity keeps the price near $600 per pound.
How much did the record Cabrales cheese sell for?
In August 2026, a Cabrales cheese of just over 2 kg sold for €37,500 at the annual auction in Arenas de Cabrales. It came from the Ángel Díaz Herrero dairy in Tielve. The same dairy set the earlier Guinness record of €36,000 in 2024.
Is moose cheese real?
Yes. Moose cheese is made by the Elk House (Älgens Hus) farm in Bjurholm, Sweden. Moose are hard to milk and their milk can dry up if they are stressed, so output is tiny. It sells for about $500 per pound, according to Cheese Scientist.
What is the most expensive Italian cheese?
Aged Bitto Storico from the Orobie Alps in Lombardy is one of the most expensive Italian cheeses, at up to about €300 per kg for old wheels. It is made only in summer from cow and Orobica goat milk and can be aged for more than ten years.
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