Everybody knows that product prices vary across the world. But did you also know that there are massive price differences in different countries, even when we are talking about the same product in the same store? The main reasons behind this seemingly incomprehensible practice are the individual taxes and tariffs countries apply on products, but we also have to consider the state of the economy in such places. Next to this, a lot of online stores also apply personalized marketing techniques to charge higher prices for inhabitants of countries who are expected to be willing to pay a higher price.
With all this in mind, Linio’s Technology Price Index 2016 compared the average prices of almost all household IT items available, from TVs to smartphones, from game consoles to computers, and even other devices such as headphones, portable chargers and printers. The prices can indeed by quite shocking, further justifying the existence of VPNs. So make sure to stick around and find how you can make use of the best virtual stores worldwide and get the best prices possible by virtually traveling to other countries to shop online using a VPN.
New smartphone models are a recurring trend every year, hence why they are some of most desired gadgets in the world. However, if you want to purchase an iPhone, the best place to do so is (surprisingly) Angola where the average cost is only $401.94. The second best option is Japan, where an iPhone is around $413.58. In third place, we have one of the biggest markets of Apple’s products, China: there an iPhone costs $470.74. As for Android devices, the cheapest ones are sold in Kuwait for $539.18, followed by Japan ($548.37) and Ecuador ($586.52).
On the other end of the scale stands Venezuela, where purchasing such a product (or any other smart device for that matter) is virtually impossible due to the ongoing hyper-inflation, which doesn’t seem to be stopping soon. In fact, the average cost of iOS and Android phones in this country have such bizarre prices as $97,813.82 and $78,054.19 respectively. Just for comparison, the second and third highest purchase prices for an iPhone are $969.04 in Singapore and $965.62 in the Dominican Republic. As for Android phones, the second most expensive country to purchase such a device is Angola at $2,641.01 (curiously where the cheapest iPhones are sold), while the third most expensive place is Indonesia where these phones cost an average of $1,409.74.
Another usual acquisition is computers and thankfully, the report forgot about neither Macs nor PCs. If you want to purchase a MacBook for the best price possible, you should go to Kuwait, Colombiaor Qatar where the average cost for such a device is $795.38, $909.56 and $964.36 respectively. On the other hand, if you don’t want to end up completely bankrupt, you should avoid Venezuela at any cost, as you need to pay a monstrous amount of $176,005.34. You should also consider any other country, but Brazil ($3,390.96) and Brunei ($2,326.47).
Windows fans who want to save a few extra bucks on their purchase should visit Turkey, where a PC is only $300.37. Your second option should be Myanmar where the average cost is $447.12, while a PC in the Dominican Republic is around $527.32. The most expensive PCs can be found in (what a shocker) Venezuela: they are around $35,941.09, which is still an enormous price, but they are still about 141k cheaper than MacBooks. The second worst option is Croatia ($2,394.56), followed by Guatemala ($2,055.53).
Because no smart home is complete without a proper smart TV and nice gaming devices, it is extremely important to find the right place where you can save a significant amount of bucks on these. With this being said, you’ll have to cross the Atlantic to purchase these two devices as Europeans get them cheaper: a 40-inch smart TV is only $253.34 in Luxembourg, $296.79 in Germany and $306.22 in Italy. PS4s are the cheapest in Hungary or Ukraine($246.89 and $254.18 respectively), while Xbox ONEs should be purchased in Switzerland, Romania or France for only $222.55, $223.46 and $227.90respectively.
Even if going to Europe is not cheap at all, at least the above countries won’t rip you off like the infamous Venezuela, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, New Zealand and Angola.
If you’re not into travelling and you’d rather shop online, you can also get access to the virtual stores of other countries to acquire either tech devices or other physical goods like sportswear, books, clothes and much more. However, there is a catch: shopping websites, streaming services, flight and hotel booking services etc. know exactly where you are purchasing their products from by checking your IP address. Sometimes this is not a problem and you are allowed to access the site, but most of the time the geo-blocking kicks in and you can say goodbye to cheaper prices.
Using a VPN will throw this concern out of the window, as you can alter your virtual location in no time. All you need is a VPN provider offering at least one server in the specific country where you wish to shop from. Once you connect to it, you acquire a new IP address, and the website will treat you like a shopper from that country. From then on, all gates are open and you can shop online at will.
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