Product note · Japan × US12.8% cheaper in the US
Is AirPods Pro 3 cheaper in Japan? the US vs Japan, a US$31.96 gap | 2026 price check
Cheaper in the US by US$31.96 (12.8%): Japan ¥42,800 ≈ US$280.96, the US US$249.00.
01 · Verdict
12.8% cheaper in the US- Japan list price
- ¥42,800incl. tax · Bic Camera list price incl. tax; tax-free eligibility and stock must be confirmed in store · In stock
- Converted US currency
- ≈ US$280.96JPY/USD 0.006564 · Bank of Taiwan board
- US list price
- US$249.00excl. tax · official list price · Listed
- cheaper in US
- US$31.9612.8% · US list price as denominator
US stickers exclude state and local tax; Japan stickers include tax. The bases differ, so this is not a landed cost.
Japanincl. tax、the USexcl. tax; where the tax basis differs, only the list prices are compared; a comparison of two named sources’ list prices, before card fees, shipping and tax refunds. Checked 2026-09-16. Before you order, use theJapan source page and the US source pagecurrent prices.
Japan vs US price table
| Market | List price | Source · checked | Tax basis · stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| JapanBic Camera list price incl. tax; tax-free eligibility and stock must be confirmed in store | ¥42,800 | Bic Camera ↗ | incl. taxIn stock |
| USofficial list price | US$249.00 | Apple US official store ↗ | excl. taxListed |
| Japan convertedJPY/USD 0.006564 (JPY/TWD 0.2076 ÷ USD/TWD 31.625) | US$280.96 | Bank of Taiwan rate ↗ | Spot sellingNot a card or cash rate |
| Gapcheaper in US | US$31.96 | 12.8%US list price as denominator | Extra fees not includedCard fee, shipping and tax-free extra |
To use your own FX, fees and shipping, open the Price calculator.
Is it worth buying in Japan?
Earphones aren't necessarily cheaper in Japan. The official price is a stable starting point for comparison, but an actual travel-purchase decision should still check promotional store prices, regional features, and after-sales terms; a price from an old press release shouldn't replace the current store listing.
- With a 1.5% foreign card fee: Japan comes to about US$285.17, above the US by US$36.17.
- Break-even rate 0.0058 USD/JPY: above it the the US sticker is the cheaper one (this check used 0.0066, cross-converted from the Bank of Taiwan yen and dollar rates).
Before you buy
- Confirm this is the Pro 3; do not confuse it with the Pro 2 or the AirPods 5.
- Confirm the MagSafe USB-C case and box contents.
- Hearing and translation features depend on location and device conditions; confirm separately.
05 · Sources
Each price keeps its source link, price kind, tax basis and check date, and is calculated with the TravPrice comparison method. If a price or model is wrong, check the source page and report it.
- Japan price
- Bic Camera ↗Bic Camera list price incl. tax; tax-free eligibility and stock must be confirmed in store · incl. tax · In stock · checked 2026-09-16
- US price
- Apple US official store ↗official list price · excl. tax · Listed · checked 2026-09-11
- FX
- Bank of Taiwan FX ↗Bank of Taiwan spot selling reference rate; the US dollar is cross-converted · JPY/USD 0.006564 (JPY/TWD 0.2076 ÷ USD/TWD 31.625) · 2026-09-10 23:22:00 (Taiwan time)
- Model match
- AirPods Pro 3 · White · MagSafe Charging Case USB-C · no engravingThis compares the standard set with the same generation and same charging case in both markets. Regional retail part numbers and some software features may differ; this does not claim the global SKU is entirely identical.
- Official product page
- Brand product page ↗Product images on this site are redrawn illustrations; use the official page for appearance, extras and packaging.
- This page generated
- Generated from the same checked data; it is recalculated when the data updates.
Keep reading
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04Theme studyThe #1 Spot on a Japan Ranking Isn't Always the Cheapest! AirPods Pro 3 Tops the Chart, Yet Saves NT$1,395 in Taiwan: How to Read 2026 Rankings
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