Why the iPhone 18 Pro Costs 45% More Outside the US

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 in the US, with 256GB as its base storage. But move the same phone across borders, and that number changes quickly. 

In Nigeria, iStore lists the 18 Pro at ₦2.269 million. South Africa’s iStore lists it at R28,799, Apple India at ₹164,900, and Indonesia’s Digimap at Rp27.499 million. 

Using Wise’s 7 October exchange rates, those prices work out to roughly $1,671 in Nigeria, $1,741 in South Africa, $1,710 in India and $1,540 in Indonesia. South Africa is about 45% above Apple’s US list price. India is 43% higher, Nigeria 39%, and Indonesia 28%. 

But why do we have such a big gap?

If we start with the baseline, Apple’s $1,199 US price excludes state and local sales tax. India’s listed price already includes Goods and Services Tax (GST), and smartphones attract 18% GST. Remove that tax from India’s converted price, and it’s still roughly 21% above the US pre-tax price.  

Even though tax explains some of the difference, it doesn’t explain all. 

Meanwhile, the South African Revenue Service charges 15% Value Added Tax (VAT), while smartphones priced above R2,500 attract a 9% ad valorem excise duty.

For imports, VAT is calculated on a base that includes the customs value, a 10% uplift, and applicable duties. So, the tax is applied to more than the phone’s underlying import value.