These are the cheapest countries in which to buy an iPhone 14

Despite our name, we don’t discriminate against iOS here at Android Authority. We take every device on its merits, and in the iPhone 14, we’re happy to admit that Apple has produced a fantastic handset that goes toe-to-toe with the best Android phones on the market. But it isn’t cheap at $799 before tax, and it’s super rare to see Apple ever offer any type of discount, save for the carriers that offer it cheap or free when you commit to a lengthy service plan. So we wondered, outside the US, where is the cheapest place to buy an iPhone 14? We’ve looked into it.

There are a couple of things to clarify before we give you the lowdown. Firstly, we’re comparing the price of buying an unlocked iPhone 14 from the Apple Store or an official reseller in each country mentioned below. No doubt there are many types of vendors offering the iPhone 14 for sale across the globe — some more reputable than others — but we’ll focus on official pricing here.

The other thing is that we’re talking about the price for a tourist buying the phone in that country. This is significant because many regions of the world impose a sales tax on such purchases. But if you are not a resident of that country, you can usually have it reimbursed before you depart.

With those things in mind, let’s find out the cheapest places to buy an iPhone 14.

What are the cheapest countries in which to buy an iPhone 14?

The iPhone 14 officially retails for $799 in the US before tax. Although if you go to the Apple website and try to buy an unlocked model, the cost is actually $829. If you’re a US resident, the sales tax depends on your state, but the final price you’ll pay is between $875 and $920. We’ll take the lower estimate of $875 for the purpose of these comparisons.

According to The Mac Index website, which collates the price of the iPhone 14 in each country and then removes the sales tax and converts the price to dollars, Australia is the cheapest place in the world to buy an iPhone 14. The equivalent price of the phone there is around $811. It’s closely followed by Japan and China, where the Apple flagship is priced at the equivalent of $812 and $821, respectively. Taiwan is a close fourth.

On the other end of the scale, the most expensive place in the world to buy an iPhone 14 is Brazil. While most regions price the phone between $900 and $1,100, Apple fans in Brazil have to pay more than $1,500 for the device. But bear in mind this is the equivalent price in US dollars, which may just reflect how exchange rates have changed in recent months. Still, it might be worth those people considering some of the best iPhone 14 alternatives.

Should I buy an iPhone from another country?

Brazilian citizens can make a good case for doing this. But if you’re a US resident, there isn’t a large amount of money to be saved by buying an iPhone 14 abroad.

If you happen to be in one of the countries in which the iPhone 14 is cheaper, and you have time to process the sales tax refund, you might save some money by picking up the phone on your travels. But the data suggests that the US is one of the cheaper places in the world to buy it. The cost of traveling to any of the countries in which you can buy it at a marginally lower price will far exceed any savings you’ll make.

Why is the iPhone 14 cheaper in some countries and expensive in others?

Taxes are one of the main reasons that the iPhone 14 is cheaper in some countries and more expensive in others. Sales tax and import duties will be taken into account when pricing the handsets to ensure Apple is still making a good profit from the sales.

And since we’re comparing the equivalent price of each country in the US dollar, there are also the exchange rates to consider. The retail price of the phone in each country will have been set in advance of the phone’s launch in September 2022. Since then, especially in these turbulent economic times, the value of each country’s currency could have fluctuated significantly against the dollar. If you check the Mac Index website regularly, you’ll see the cheapest country swapping fairly regularly for this reason.

Apple doesn’t have a presence in every country on the list and will allow some retailers to sell the device where it can’t sell directly to the consumer. These resellers may be inclined to add their own premium to the sale, which can explain some of the higher prices.

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