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.
In the US, the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s $1,199 (+8.3%, before sales tax). Across the 12 Apple storefronts we track, the new Pro Max costs more in all 12. Measured in each country’s own currency, the change runs from +4.5% in Australia to +23% in Japan, with a middle value of +8.6%.
Storefront by storefront, in local money
The table compares the last official 17 Pro Max price on each Apple store with the 18 Pro Max’s launch price on the same store, sorted from the largest percentage increase down. Because both prices are in the same currency, exchange-rate moves cannot distort the comparison.
| Country | 17 Pro Max | 18 Pro Max | Difference | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇯🇵Japan | ¥194,800 | ¥239,800 | +¥45,000 | +23% |
| 🇮🇳India | ₹149,900 | ₹179,900 | +₹30,000 | +20% |
| 🇭🇰Hong Kong | HK$10,199 | HK$11,499 | +HK$1,300 | +13% |
| 🇸🇬Singapore | SGD 1,899 | SGD 2,099 | +SGD 200 | +11% |
| 🇩🇪Germany | €1,449 | €1,599 | +€150 | +10% |
| 🇨🇦Canada | CA$1,749 | CA$1,899 | +CA$150 | +8.6% |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | £1,199 | £1,299 | +£100 | +8.3% |
| 🇺🇸United States | $1,199 | $1,299 | +$100 | +8.3% |
| 🇹🇭Thailand | THB 48,900 | THB 52,900 | +THB 4,000 | +8.2% |
| 🇦🇪United Arab Emirates | AED 5,099 | AED 5,499 | +AED 400 | +7.8% |
| 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia | SAR 5,699 | SAR 6,099 | +SAR 400 | +7.0% |
| 🇦🇺Australia | A$2,199 | A$2,299 | +A$100 | +4.5% |
Source: Apple’s online stores. 18 Pro Max prices retrieved 2026-10-13; 17 Pro Max prices are the last listed before Apple withdrew it (2026-07-03). US prices exclude sales tax.
Why the dollar comparison can mislead
Most price comparisons convert everything to US dollars. For a year-on-year question that adds noise, because the exchange rate itself moves. Take Germany. Convert the 17 Pro Max’s price there at the rate from our 2026-07-03 snapshot and this year’s at today’s rate, and the increase appears to be +7.9%. In EUR it is actually +10%. The gap comes from the currency: the EUR weakened by about 2.2% against the dollar between the two snapshots, which masks part of the apparent increase for anyone measuring in dollars. That is the largest distortion in our 12 markets. If you earn and spend in local currency, the local-currency column above is the number that matters.
The increase in dollars and in days of work
Converted at today’s rates, the extra cost of the new Pro Max is largest in India (about $313) and smallest in Australia (about $70). Set against average income, the picture changes again. In India the price difference alone equals roughly 41.4 days of average earnings; in Australia it is about 0.4 days. Days of income here use World Bank GNI per capita, the same measure as our affordability index.
The ranking reshuffle
Uneven increases change where the Pro Max is cheapest. Ranking all 12 storefronts by dollar price at today’s exchange rates, the 17 Pro Max and the 18 Pro Max produce different orders:
- Japan goes from the 3rd-cheapest storefront for the 17 Pro Max to the 5th-cheapest for the 18 Pro Max, so it is now relatively dearer.
- India goes from the 10th-cheapest storefront for the 17 Pro Max to the 12th-cheapest for the 18 Pro Max, so it is now relatively dearer.
- Singapore goes from the 7th-cheapest storefront for the 17 Pro Max to the 9th-cheapest for the 18 Pro Max, so it is now relatively dearer.
Everyone else moves by at most 2 places. If you bought a 17 Pro Max abroad last year because a particular country was cheap, check the new order before assuming the same trip makes sense. The cheapest country to buy an iPhone guide ranks the whole lineup this way.
Has the Pro Max premium over the Pro changed?
Another way to read the price list is to ask what the bigger phone costs over the smaller one in the same generation. We measured the Pro Max’s premium over the Pro for the 17 series and again for the 18 series in each of 12 countries. The size premium widened in 3 and narrowed in 9. In most markets the Pro Max rose by less, in percentage terms, than the Pro, so the larger model is relatively better value than it was a year ago. In the US the premium went from 9.1% to 8.3%. For the full picture across the Pro and the rest of the range, see the 2026 iPhone price increase guide.
Should you hunt for a 17 Pro Max instead?
Apple has stopped selling the 17 Pro Max on its own store, so you will not find it at the old official price there. Remaining new stock and refurbished units turn up through carriers and other retailers, and their prices are set independently. As a yardstick, an older model is only worth chasing if it undercuts the official 17 Pro Max price by a meaningful margin; if a seller is asking close to the last official price while the 18 Pro Max is $100 more in the US, the newer phone is usually the better buy. Compare the current numbers on the 18 Pro Max US page and the 17 Pro Max US page, or see what every 2026 iPhone costs.
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs 17 Pro Max: price questions
How much more is the iPhone 18 Pro Max than the 17 Pro Max?
In the US, $100 more: $1,299 against $1,199 (+8.3%), both before sales tax. Across 12 countries the change ranges from +4.5% in Australia to +23% in Japan.
Where did the Pro Max price rise the most?
In percentage terms, Japan: ¥194,800 to ¥239,800 (+23%). In dollars at today's exchange rates the biggest jump was in India, about $313.
Can I still buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max from Apple?
No. Apple's online store no longer lists it; the last official price we recorded was on 2026-07-03. The prices here are the last official ones we recorded; any remaining stock is with carriers and third-party retailers, whose prices vary.
Where does the upgrade cost the most relative to income?
India. The price difference alone is worth about 41.4 days of average income there, against 0.4 days in Australia (World Bank GNI per capita).