This Is The Most Expensive Thing Ever Built

Like it or not, we live in a world fueled by consumerism, where most of our activities are really an exchange. In such a scenario, it seems as though no matter how large a building is, there is always one larger. No matter how fast a car goes, there is always a new car on the market to outpace that speed. No matter how expensive something is, there is always something out there that costs a little more.

The bottom line is, where does it end? Does it end at $1 million Manhattan parking spaces or $10 million gold-plated Bugattis (via Money Inc.)? Does the extravagance stop at the $4.5 billion Yacht History Supreme, adorned in statues crafted from ancient dinosaur bones (via Scoop Whoop)? Or how about a $2 billion, 34-story house with enough space in the garage to house 160 vehicles? As it turns out, this is all child's play. The most expensive thing in this world is actually out of this world — both in price and location.

CNBC reports that the International Space Station cost a whopping $150 billion to build, not to mention billions more to maintain. In fact, the system was so expensive that several nations had to chip in to cover the cost of construction. The endeavor wouldn't have been possible were it not for collaborative funding produced by the U.S., Russia, Europe, Canada, and Japan.

It isn't made of gold, diamonds, or dinosaur bones, but it does boast sweeping views of the cosmos and a rather impressive laboratory. According to NASA, its main purpose is maintaining a perpetual human presence in outer space. Since it first became habitable in November 2000, it has always had people living on it, even during times of maintenance and construction.

So, the next time you pick up a fancy bag that costs more than you make in a year or gape at a speeding Aston Martin as it whizzes past your gas-guzzling Chevy, remember this: The most expensive thing ever built isn't even here on Earth. Rather, it is hovering above it. We were never born to be consumers. We are voyagers.