Guides
Longer reads that go behind the numbers: why the same product costs different amounts around the world, how to compare prices fairly, and what our data actually shows. Written by the people who gather it.
Featured · 8 min read
iPhone 18 price: what every 2026 iPhone costs in 12 countries
The iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone Duo, priced from Apple's own stores in local currency and US dollars, with the cheapest and priciest places to buy.
Read the guide →iPhone
7 min read
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: the price difference in every country
How much more the new Pro Max costs than last year's, storefront by storefront, in local currency, so exchange-rate moves don't hide the real increase.
8 min read
iPhone price increase 2026: how much more the new iPhones cost, country by country
Apple raised prices this cycle, but not evenly. We compare every like-for-like model against last year's launch price in 12 markets.
7 min read
iPhone Fold price: what the foldable iPhone Duo costs around the world
Apple's first foldable is its most expensive iPhone ever. Here is what it costs in 12 countries, in local money and in days of income.
8 min read
Is the iPhone cheaper in Dubai? UAE prices against the rest of the world
Dubai has a reputation as a cheap place to buy iPhones. We check that against Apple's official UAE prices, VAT, tourist refunds and 11 other countries.
7 min read
Is the iPhone cheaper in Japan? Prices, the yen and tax-free shopping
A weak yen has made Japan one of the cheapest places to buy an iPhone. What it costs, how tax-free shopping works, and the catches.
7 min read
Why Hong Kong is one of the cheapest places in the world to buy an iPhone
No sales tax, a dollar-pegged currency and a fiercely competitive market. How Hong Kong iPhone prices compare, model by model.
6 min read
iPhone 18 Pro Max price in the USA: what you really pay after sales tax
Apple's US prices exclude tax, which makes them look cheaper than everywhere else. Here's the real out-the-door cost and how it compares abroad.
9 min read
Cheapest country to buy an iPhone in 2026
Every current iPhone ranked across 12 Apple storefronts in US dollars, plus what tax refunds, warranties and cellular bands do to the bargain.
7 min read
iPhone price in India vs the USA: why the gap is so big
The same iPhone costs far more in India than in America, and takes months of income instead of days. The duties, taxes and pricing behind it.
Money & economics
9 min read
Purchasing power parity (PPP) explained with real prices
PPP is the idea that money should buy the same basket everywhere. We test it with live burger, phone, fuel and streaming prices from 50+ countries.
8 min read
Purchasing power by country: what $100 really buys in 50 countries
Using Big Mac prices as a common basket, we show where a dollar stretches furthest and where it disappears, country by country.
8 min read
The strongest currencies in the world in 2026, and what 'strong' really means
The Kuwaiti dinar tops the table on exchange rate, but a high-value unit isn't the same as a strong economy. A ranked list from live FX data, explained.
7 min read
The weakest currencies in the world in 2026
Which currencies need thousands of units to buy one US dollar, why, and what it means for prices on the ground. Ranked from live exchange rates.
8 min read
Average income by country: what people earn and what it buys
World Bank income per person across 50+ countries, turned into something tangible: how many days of work a phone, a tank of fuel or a burger takes.
7 min read
Big Mac Index 2026: the latest results and what changed
The newest Big Mac survey, ranked: the cheapest and priciest burgers, which currencies look over- and undervalued, and the biggest moves since the last survey.
8 min read
The most expensive countries in the world in 2026
Ranked on real prices we track: burgers, fuel, electricity and phones in US dollars, and then again by what those prices cost against local income.
8 min read
The cheapest countries to live in 2026, by everyday prices
Where daily costs are lowest for someone earning in dollars, and where 'cheap' is still expensive for the people who live there.
Travel
8 min read
The cheapest countries to visit in 2026
A traveller's ranking built from what things actually cost: meals, fuel and everyday prices across 50+ countries, converted to US dollars.
8 min read
The cheapest countries in Europe in 2026
From Big Macs to petrol and power, where European prices are lowest, and how far apart the cheapest and costliest corners of the continent are.
7 min read
The cheapest countries in Asia in 2026
Everyday prices across Asia ranked in US dollars, from street-level food to fuel, with what they mean for visitors and for locals.
7 min read
The cheapest countries in South America in 2026
Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and more, compared on real prices. Currency swings make this ranking move fast, so we show what changed.
7 min read
Tax-free shopping in Japan: how it works and what you save
Japan's tax-free system changed how visitors shop. The rules, the minimums, and what the saving is worth on electronics like the iPhone.
8 min read
VAT refunds for tourists: how much you actually get back
How tourist tax refunds work in Europe, the UK, the UAE, Singapore and Japan, and what a refund is really worth on a big purchase like an iPhone.
7 min read
Canada vs USA cost of living: what everyday things cost on each side of the border
Phones, fuel, power, streaming and burgers compared in both currencies, then weighed against what people earn in each country.
Cost of living
8 min read
Cost of living in Dubai in 2026: what everyday things really cost
Fuel, electricity, phones, streaming and food prices in the UAE, in dirhams and dollars, with how Dubai compares to other expat hubs.
7 min read
Cost of living in Singapore in 2026: what everyday things cost
Singapore is famous for being expensive. We break down which everyday prices live up to the reputation and which are surprisingly reasonable.
7 min read
Cost of living in Australia in 2026: everyday prices explained
Australian prices for fuel, electricity, phones, streaming and food, in AUD and USD, set against Australian incomes and other rich countries.
7 min read
Cost of living in the UK in 2026: what everyday things cost
Petrol, energy, iPhones, Netflix and a Big Mac in pounds and dollars, how they've moved recently, and how Britain compares abroad.
7 min read
Cost of living in Canada in 2026: what everyday things cost
Canadian prices across fuel, electricity, phones, streaming and food in CAD and USD, and what they take out of an average Canadian income.
7 min read
Cost of living in Japan in 2026: cheaper than you think?
The weak yen has turned Japan from famously pricey to surprisingly affordable for visitors. What everyday things cost now, in yen and dollars.
7 min read
Cost of living in Thailand in 2026: everyday prices in baht and dollars
Why Thailand stays a magnet for travellers and remote workers, and where its prices are higher than people expect.
7 min read
Cost of living in Germany in 2026: what everyday things cost
Germany's prices for fuel, power, phones and streaming in euros and dollars, including the recent Netflix increase and Europe's energy costs.
7 min read
Cost of living in India in 2026: cheap prices, expensive imports
Everyday prices in rupees and dollars, and the sharp divide between low local costs and imported goods like the iPhone.
Fuel
8 min read
Petrol prices in Europe in 2026: every country ranked
What a litre costs across Europe in euros and dollars, why the Nordics and the Netherlands top the table, and where to fill up on a road trip.
7 min read
The cheapest gas in the world: 20 countries where fuel costs almost nothing
Where petrol is cheapest per litre and per gallon, why subsidies make it so, and what cheap fuel costs those countries in other ways.
7 min read
The most expensive gas in the world: where a litre costs the most
Ranked from our latest fuel snapshot, with the taxes and geography that push pump prices so high, and what a full tank costs in each.
7 min read
Petrol price in all countries in Indian rupees (2026)
Every country's pump price converted to rupees per litre at today's exchange rate, so you can see exactly where India sits in the world.
7 min read
Petrol price in Pakistan vs India vs Bangladesh: price and affordability
South Asia's fuel prices compared in local money and US dollars, and the much bigger story of how many hours of income a litre costs.
8 min read
Why gas prices are so different from country to country
The same crude oil ends up at wildly different pump prices. Taxes, subsidies, currency and geography, illustrated with live prices.
6 min read
Petrol prices in the Gulf: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain
The six GCC states sit on some of the world's largest oil reserves, yet their pump prices differ a lot. Compared and explained.
7 min read
Global gas prices in 2026: what changed since the summer
We compare our July and October fuel snapshots across 170 countries: the biggest rises, the biggest falls, and why.
Electricity & EVs
8 min read
Electricity price per kWh: what's normal around the world
Household and business power prices in 130+ countries, what counts as cheap or expensive, and what a typical month of electricity costs.
7 min read
Electricity prices in Europe in 2026: every country ranked
Why European households pay some of the world's highest power prices, which countries escape it, and how business rates compare.
8 min read
How much does it cost to charge an electric car? Every country compared
Home charging costs per full charge and per 100 km in 130+ countries, and how that compares to filling up with petrol.
6 min read
The cheapest electricity in the world: where power costs the least
The countries with the lowest household electricity prices, why (hydro, gas, subsidies), and what a typical home's monthly bill looks like.
6 min read
The most expensive electricity in the world: where power costs the most
Islands, import-dependent grids and high taxes top the list. What households pay per kWh and per month in the priciest countries.
Streaming
6 min read
Netflix price increase 2026: which countries just got more expensive
We track Netflix's own help pages. Here are the plans and countries where prices rose since July 2026, and by how much.
7 min read
The cheapest Netflix country in 2026 (and why the VPN trick fails)
Netflix plans ranked by country in US dollars and as a share of income, plus why signing up through a cheaper country rarely works.
6 min read
The cheapest Spotify Premium country in 2026
Spotify Premium Individual ranked across the countries we track, in local currency, US dollars and share of monthly income.
Explainers
6 min read
Why the same iPhone costs wildly different amounts around the world
Tax, currency, and deliberate pricing mean the identical phone can vary by hundreds of dollars between countries. Here's what actually drives the gap.
7 min read
The Big Mac Index, explained: what a burger reveals about your money
A sandwich with a fixed recipe turns out to be one of the clearest ways to compare currencies and living costs. How it works, and where it breaks.
5 min read
Days of income: a fairer way to compare prices across countries
A dollar price hides the thing that matters most — how much of your life it costs. This is the method behind every number on PricesAbroad.
6 min read
Where streaming is cheapest, and where it quietly costs a fortune
Netflix and Spotify localise prices aggressively. Measured against local wages, the cheap markets and the painful ones aren't the ones you'd guess.
7 min read
Eight global price gaps that don't make sense until you see the income
A tour of the widest divides in our data — phones, burgers, fuel and subscriptions — and why the exchange rate is only ever half the story.