If you thought spending Rs 2,29,900 on the 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max was expensive, wait till you hear about this fruit. The Yubari King melon from Japan is widely regarded as one of the world's most expensive fruits. In May 2026, a pair of Yubari King melons fetched a record 5.8 million yen (about Rs 34 lakh) at the season's first auction. That is nearly 15 times the price of Apple's top-end iPhone and enough to buy several new cars. The record-breaking sale took place at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.
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Before you assume every Yubari King melon costs a fortune, here's the catch. The eye-popping Rs 34 lakh price came from the first auction of the harvest season, a prestigious annual event where buyers often bid aggressively for publicity and to celebrate the arrival of the year's first premium produce. These auction prices are exceptions, not the norm.
So, how much does one usually cost?
Representational Photo: Pexels
Outside these high-profile auctions, reports on Japan's luxury fruit market suggest a premium Yubari King melon can retail for around 20,000 Yen to 50,000 Yen (Rs 11,748 to Rs 29,371) depending on its size, appearance and sugar content. The finest gift-grade melons can cost significantly more, with some selling for over 100,000 Yen (around Rs 60,000) even outside auction events.
So, why is it so expensive?
The Yubari King is a hybrid of the Earl's Favourite and Burpee's "Spicy" cantaloupe varieties and is cultivated under strict conditions in greenhouses. Farmers carefully manage everything from temperature and pollination to watering, ensuring each melon develops a near-perfect round shape, fine netted skin, vibrant orange flesh and exceptional sweetness. Only the finest fruits earn the coveted top grade. Production is also tightly controlled, and only melons grown in Yubari that meet specific quality standards can be sold under the Yubari Melon name.
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The melon is also considered a prestigious gift in Japan, where premium fruits are often exchanged on special occasions. This cultural significance, combined with limited production, strict quality standards and meticulous farming, helps explain why Yubari King melons command some of the highest prices in the fruit world.