Cheapest country to buy an iPhone in 2026

On sticker price, the United States is the cheapest country to buy every current iPhone, with the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199. But US prices exclude sales tax, and so do Canada’s. Among the countries whose Apple prices include tax, Hong Kong is cheapest for 5 of 7 current models and Japan for 2. The most expensive is India, dearest for 4 of 7, followed by Germany for 3. This ranking covers 12 Apple storefronts, retrieved 2026-10-13.

The cheapest country for each iPhone

Base-storage prices from Apple’s online stores, retrieved 2026-10-13, converted at that day’s rates. “Lowest sticker” may be a pre-tax price. Spread compares the most expensive country with the cheapest tax-inclusive one.

The spread is widest on the iPhone Duo: 40% between Hong Kong and India, or $897. For the newest models in detail, see iPhone 18 prices and the foldable iPhone Duo.

The whole lineup, country by country

Buying advice should not hinge on one model. This index averages each country’s price across the 7 current iPhones and expresses it against the US sticker price (US = 100). A score of 120 means the range costs about 20% more than the US list price on average.

Among tax-inclusive storefronts, Hong Kong (111) and Japan (113) are the cheapest places to buy across the range, while Germany (135) is the dearest. Each storefront’s detail is on its own page, for example the iPhone 18 Pro in Hong Kong.

How much of the gap is tax?

Part of every non-US price is consumption tax. Removing each country’s standard rate (for example 19% in Germany, 20% in the UK, 18% GST in India, 10% in Japan, none in Hong Kong) and recomputing the index gives Apple’s underlying price before tax. On that basis the cheapest of the tax-inclusive storefronts is Japan (103) and the dearest is India (114), against the US at 100. The whole field narrows from a spread of 24 points to 11. Germany’s index falls from 135 with tax to 113 without it, so most of its premium is VAT. India’s falls from 134 to 114; why it stays above the US even before GST is covered in India vs the USA. Notice that Hong Kong is not the cheapest before tax; it wins on shelf price because it has no tax to add. For many buyers, the cheapest country is simply the one with the lightest tax.

For travellers: the price after a tax refund

Many countries let visitors reclaim consumption tax on goods they take home, which reshuffles the table. Taking the iPhone 18 Pro as the example and removing the standard tax a visitor can usually avoid or reclaim:

• Japan: ¥219,800 ($1,386), about $1,260 after reclaiming 10% consumption tax.
• United Arab Emirates: AED 5,099 ($1,388), about $1,322 after reclaiming 5% VAT (tourist refund).
• Australia: A$2,099 ($1,461), about $1,328 after reclaiming 10% GST (Tourist Refund Scheme).
• Hong Kong: HK$10,499 ($1,338), about $1,338 with no sales tax.
• Thailand: THB 48,900 ($1,455), about $1,359 after reclaiming 7% VAT (tourist refund).

On this basis Japan comes out on top for a visitor, at roughly $1,260 against a US sticker price of $1,199 before sales tax. Treat these as best cases: refund operators often deduct a fee, minimum spends and paperwork apply, and you usually have to show the unused goods when you leave. The UK is missing from the list because it ended tourist VAT refunds in 2021. Country guides go further for Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai.

What eats into the saving

• Import tax at home. Most countries let travellers bring back goods up to a personal allowance. A new iPhone usually exceeds it, and the VAT or duty owed on arrival can wipe out the gap.
• Sales tax in the US and Canada. Add your state or provincial rate before comparing; our US after-tax breakdown shows the effect.
• Warranty and repairs. Apple’s terms allow some service to be limited to the country of purchase, and AppleCare is sold country by country.
• Model differences. US iPhones have been eSIM-only for several generations, and Japanese models have a camera shutter sound that cannot be muted. Check the configuration and network support for the model you want.
• Payment costs. Card foreign-transaction fees and poor exchange rates at the till can add a few percent.