The most expensive fruit ever sold is a pair of Yubari King melons from Hokkaido, Japan, which fetched ¥5.8 million (about $36,500) at the first auction of the season in Sapporo on May 22, 2026. That broke the previous record of ¥5 million set in 2019. This list ranks ten of the priciest fruits as of October 2026, using auction records first and retail prices after.
Almost all of the top prices come from one place: the first-of-season auctions in Japan, where wholesalers pay record sums for publicity and gifts. We separate these auction trophies from the prices an ordinary shopper can see on a shelf.
The 10 most expensive fruits in the world
| Rank | Fruit | Price | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yubari King melons (pair) | ¥5.8 million (about $36,500) | May 2026 | Sapporo auction |
| 2 | Ruby Roman grapes (one bunch) | ¥1.5 million (over $10,000) | July 2022 | Kanazawa auction |
| 3 | Taiyo no Tamago mangoes (pair) | ¥700,000 (about $4,500) | April 2024 | Miyazaki auction |
| 4 | Densuke watermelon | ¥700,000 top bid (about $4,800) | June 2025 | Hokkaido auction |
| 5 | Heligan pineapple | More than £1,000 to grow (estimate) | 2012 estimate | Cornwall, UK |
| 6 | Calmei yangmei (Myrica rubra) | About $60 a pound | 2023 | San Francisco |
| 7 | Square watermelon | Up to about $200 | 2001 to 2014 | Japan, Canada |
| 8 | Sekai-ichi apple | About $21 each (reported) | Not verified in 2026 | Japan |
| 9 | Sembikiya Queen strawberries | About $85 a box (reported) | Not verified in 2026 | Tokyo |
| 10 | Buddha-shaped pear | About $9 each (reported) | Not verified in 2026 | Japan, China |
1. Yubari King melons: ¥5.8 million for a pair
Yubari King is a cantaloupe grown in greenhouses in Yubari, Hokkaido. The melon is judged on roundness, a smooth rind and a trimmed stem. At the first auction of 2026, the produce wholesaler Futami Seika paid ¥5.8 million for a box of two and resold them to the Keio Store supermarket chain in Tokyo, which displayed them in store.
The price history shows how fast the top end moves: ¥2.5 million for two in 2008, ¥3 million in 2016, ¥5 million in 2019 from the drinks company Pokka, and now ¥5.8 million.
How we valued it: the winning bid for the pair, converted at about the 2026 rate.
2. Ruby Roman grapes: ¥1.5 million for one bunch
Ruby Roman is a red table grape grown only in Ishikawa Prefecture. Each grape must weigh more than 20 grams and hold at least 18% sugar. The first bunches sold for ¥100,000 in 2008. On July 15, 2022, a premium bunch of 27 grapes weighing 800 grams sold for ¥1.5 million at the Kanazawa wholesale market, a record. We found no higher price since.
How we valued it: the winning bid, as reported at the time.
3. Taiyo no Tamago mangoes: ¥700,000 for two
“Eggs of the Sun” are fully ripe mangoes from Miyazaki, each at least 350 grams with a sugar level over 15 degrees. In the opening sale of the 2024 season, a wholesaler from Miyazaki paid ¥700,000 for two, a record. The previous record was ¥500,000 in 2019.
How we valued it: the winning bid, converted at about 2024 rates.
4. Densuke watermelon: ¥700,000 top bid
This black-skinned watermelon grows only in Hokkaido, in a harvest of up to 10,000 a year. In the opening sale on June 20, 2025, the top bid was ¥700,000, won by the supermarket chain ARCS. The all-time record is reported at ¥650,000 in 2008 in some sources and ¥750,000 in 2019 in others, and we could not settle which is correct.
How we valued it: the 2025 top bid, with the record itself disputed.
5. Heligan pineapple: over £1,000 to grow
The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall grows pineapples in a Victorian pineapple pit, heated by fresh manure and tended by hand. In 2012 the cost of growing one was estimated at more than £1,000 once manure, upkeep and staff time were counted. These are not sold in shops, so the number is a cost, not a market price.
How we valued it: a cost estimate, not a sale.
6. Calmei yangmei: about $60 a pound
Yangmei, or Myrica rubra, is a Chinese bayberry. The California seller Calmei grafts imported trees and sold fruit at $59.99 a pound at a San Francisco market in 2023, the priciest fruit in the store. Its online listing put some varieties at $50 and one at $70 a pound.
How we valued it: the 2023 retail price per pound.
7. Square watermelon: up to about $200
These watermelons are grown in boxes so they take a cube shape. They are mostly ornamental. In 2001 they sold in Japan for ¥10,000, around $83, and some sold for $200 in Canada in 2014.
How we valued it: the highest retail price we could find, from older reports.
8. Sekai-ichi apple: about $21 each
The name means “best in the world.” The apples are hand-pollinated and washed in honey, and reported prices run to about $21 each. We could not confirm a current price, so this entry is an estimate from older coverage.
How we valued it: an older reported price, not confirmed for 2026.
9. Sembikiya Queen strawberries: about $85 a box
Sembikiya is a Tokyo fruit store famed for hand-picked, matched berries. A box of 12 has been reported at about $85. This is also an older figure.
How we valued it: an older reported price, not confirmed for 2026.
10. Buddha-shaped pears: about $9 each
Molds placed on the fruit while it grows turn each pear into a small figure. They have been reported at about $9 apiece.
How we valued it: an older reported price, not confirmed for 2026.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
- May 22, 2026: a pair of Yubari King melons sold for ¥5.8 million, a record.
- June 20, 2025: the first Densuke auction of the season reached a ¥700,000 top bid.
- April 2024: Taiyo no Tamago mangoes set a record at ¥700,000 a pair. We found no higher price in 2025 or 2026.
What drives these prices
- Ceremony, not cost. The record bids are paid at first-of-season auctions and treated as advertising.
- Strict grading. Ruby Roman, Yubari and Taiyo no Tamago all carry grade rules on size, sugar and shape. Only a few pieces make the top class.
- The gift culture. In Japan, a perfect fruit is a seasonal gift, and presentation matters as much as taste.
- Greenhouse craft. Yubari melons are grown under glass, which raises the cost, but it does not explain a ¥5.8 million pair.
The habits that let people afford this
Short audio lessons on money, mindset and discipline, in the Alux app.
Get the Alux app →FAQ
What is the most expensive fruit in the world?
Yubari King melons from Hokkaido. A pair sold for ¥5.8 million, about $36,500, at auction on May 22, 2026.
What is the most expensive grape?
Ruby Roman. A bunch of 27 grapes sold for ¥1.5 million in July 2022.
What is the most expensive mango?
Taiyo no Tamago from Miyazaki. A pair sold for ¥700,000 in April 2024.
Can you buy these fruits at normal prices?
Usually, yes. Auction prices are for the first and best pieces of the season, and the same varieties typically sell for far less in shops.
Why is Japanese fruit so expensive?
Strict grading, small volumes, hand labor and a culture of gifting fruit. The top prices are paid mostly for publicity.
What is the most expensive watermelon?
The Densuke from Hokkaido, with a top bid of ¥700,000 in June 2025 and a reported record of ¥650,000 to ¥750,000.
How we put this list together
Fruits are ranked by verified auction and retail prices, using auction results and reported sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and change over time as new information emerges.
Last updated: October 2026.
