I just bought a MacBook Pro! Prior to this, I've only been exposed to Windows and a smattering of UNIX/Linux... until now. What really struck me was the price! Total sticker shock, and that was before Apple raised prices on 14 Oct 2015!
This was the situation when I bought it (based on listed prices I could find). The base MacBook Pro with Retina display model costs $1,299 in the United States. Compare that with in a few other countries:
Country | Price in Local Currency | Exchange Rate1 | Equivalent Price USD | Price Variation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singapore | SGD 1,688 | 0.71692 | $1,210 | 93.2% |
Thailand | THB 43,900 | 0.02814 | $1,235 | 95.1% |
Malaysia | MYR 4,769 | 0.24178 | $1,153 | 88.8% |
Australia | AUD 1,799 | 0.73330 | $1,319 | 101.6% |
Clearly, the price in Malaysia was the cheapest, because of the Ringgit's significant weakening in recent months.
So of course, Apple had to remedy this! After the price increase, Malaysia became more expensive compared to Singapore and Thailand:
Country | Price in Local Currency | Exchange Rate1 | Equivalent Price USD | Price Variation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singapore | SGD 1,688 | 0.72516 | $1,224 | 94.2% |
Thailand | THB 49,900 | 0.02838 | $1,416 | 100.9% |
Malaysia | MYR 5,899 | 0.24175 | $1,426 | 109.8% |
Australia | AUD 1,999 | 0.73166 | $1,463 | 112.6% |
That's pretty much price parity between countries, with no opportunity for arbitrage. No wonder my sticker shock - it is so expensive for us in developing countries!
Just compare the GDP at Purchasing Power Parity or Local Purchasing Power.
Maybe someone could publish a Big Mac Index, similar to The Economist's Big Mac Index, adjusted for GDP per person. That'll really show how relatively "expensive" Apple is in the third world.