How Much Is an iPhone 12 Across The World?
How much are you paying your iPhone home compared to other countries around the world? Let's find out!
Good to know
This map displays the average price (in US dollars, national VAT rates included) per country for an iPhone 12 (256GB) as of the 7th of January 2021. It is made upon data provided by the Mac Index website, whose rankings are filled in with Apple website metadata.
Why do we do a world iPhone price index?
Since the first iPhone was launched in 2007, it has become one of the most purchased products throughout the world. Even if the competition on the smartphones market is getting always stronger, the iPhone price remains in 2021 a very reliable indicator for what concerns the cost of tech products in the different parts of the world.
Top 3 countries where the iPhone 12 is the most expansive
South Africa
$1,869
Brazil
$1,800
Turkey
$1,703
The top 3 countries where the iPhone 12 is the cheapest
Japan
$989
United States
$1039
Hong Kong
$1045
The world iPhone 12 price index ranking
| Rank | Countries | Price (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 989 |
| 2 | United States | 1039 |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 1045 |
| 4 | Portugal | 1056 |
| 5 | Canada | 1056 |
| 6 | United Arab Emirates | 1097 |
| 7 | Malaysia | 1147 |
| 8 | Singapore | 1169 |
| 9 | South Korea | 1198 |
| 10 | Thailand | 1200 |
| 11 | Switzerland | 1207 |
| 12 | Philippines | 1227 |
| 13 | Australia | 1247 |
| 14 | Luxembourg | 1287 |
| 15 | Russia | 1290 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 1292 |
| 17 | India | 1298 |
| 18 | New Zealand | 1312 |
| 19 | Germany | 1319 |
| 20 | Austria | 1319 |
| 21 | Sri Lanka | 1322 |
| 22 | China | 1330 |
| 23 | Spain | 1331 |
| 24 | Belgium | 1331 |
| 25 | France | 1331 |
| 26 | Ireland | 1334 |
| 27 | Netherlands | 1335 |
| 28 | Poland | 1352 |
| 29 | Finland | 1356 |
| 30 | Italy | 1368 |
| 31 | Mexico | 1368 |
| 32 | Czechia | 1392 |
| 33 | Denmark | 1393 |
| 34 | Norway | 1425 |
| 35 | Sweden | 1469 |
| 36 | Turkey | 1703 |
| 37 | Brazil | 1800 |
| 38 | South Africa | 1869 |
An international prospective on the iPhone price
First of all, we assume here that the average prices of the iPhone 12 (256 GB) displayed on the map reflect the price of the iPhone models in general in all the countries selected. When looking at the world iPhone 12 price index, some trends can be observed:
- Buying an iPhone 12 in North America is rather cheap
- Buying an iPhone 12 in Europe is rather expansive
- The price an iPhone 12 vary a lot between the different Asian countries.
However, is it so obvious that iPhones are way cheaper in the US than in Europe?
Is it interesting for Europeans to buy an iPhone in the US?
If you take the numbers strictly as we put them on the map, a Swedish costumer has to pay $430 more than an American one to purchase an iPhone 12 (256 GB) - which is a lot. First of all, one has to bear in mind that in Europe, all the countries include VAT in their prices. In the US, this is different, for every State has its own consumers' tax rate. For example, it is 8,875% in New York City, that you will have to add to the original price.
However, if you really wish to purchase your iPhone into the US, you basically have two options:
- You travel to the US, and take back your iPhone home. In that case, you may refunded at the airport of the consumers' tax of the State in which you bought your phone. However, you have to take into account the price of your ticket, as well as a possible VAT that you will hay to pay upon arrival into Europe (20% in the UK for example)
- You buy your iPhone on the internet, and ship it home through a transport company such as DHL or UPS. In that case, you have to consider the shipping costs - that can be high, but also the VAT that is likely to be collected by the customs of your country.
As you see, defining if buying an iPhone in the US for a European customer is a tricky calculation. In the end, the benefit is not so obvious as it may seem at first considering the numbers.
