TravPriceProduct note · Japan × US13.4% cheaper in the US
Is iPhone Air 256GB cheaper in Japan? the US vs Japan, a US$146.93 gap | 2026 price check
Cheaper in the US by US$146.93 (13.4%): Japan ¥189,800 ≈ US$1,245.93, the US US$1,099.00.
01 · Verdict
13.4% cheaper in the US- Japan list price
- ¥189,800incl. tax · BIC online tax-included price; store price and stock may differ · In stock
- Converted US currency
- ≈ US$1,245.93JPY/USD 0.006564 · Bank of Taiwan board
- US list price
- US$1,099.00excl. tax · Apple official list price · Listed
- cheaper in US
- US$146.9313.4% · 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 2026-09-19. 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 online tax-included price; store price and stock may differ | ¥189,800 | BIC Camera ↗ | incl. taxIn stock |
| USApple official list price | US$1,099.00 | Apple US ↗ | excl. taxListed |
| Japan convertedJPY/USD 0.006564 (JPY/TWD 0.2076 ÷ USD/TWD 31.625) | US$1,245.93 | Bank of Taiwan rate ↗ | Spot sellingNot a card or cash rate |
| Gapcheaper in US | US$146.93 | 13.4%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?
Dated BIC Camera online price, including tax. The tax-free figure is an estimate for eligible in-store purchases, with no points, coupons or trade-in credit deducted. Online stock does not establish store availability.
- With a 1.5% foreign card fee: Japan comes to about US$1,264.62, above the US by US$165.62.
- 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
- Apple Store Japan and its online store do not offer traveler tax-free sales. Visit a tax-free retailer such as BIC Camera.
- The tax-free estimate divides the BIC online tax-included price by 1.1. Store prices and stock can differ; confirm the exact configuration and eligibility in store.
- Matched by generation, display size and storage. These Japan models use eSIM only; check carrier compatibility and international warranty terms.
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 online tax-included price; store price and stock may differ · incl. tax · In stock · checked 2026-09-19
- US price
- Apple US ↗Apple official list price · excl. tax · Listed · checked 2026-09-18
- 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
- 256GB · SIM-free · eSIMMatched generation, display size and storage: BIC Japan MG284J/A; Apple Taiwan MG2M4ZP/A; Apple US MG1A4LL/A. Colors may differ; regional features and service terms require a separate check.
- 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.
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Sources, FX and extra-cost estimates.
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