UAE-India travellers: Is it worth flying to Dubai to buy an iPhone 18 Pro?
Dubai: An iPhone 18 Pro costs substantially less at Apple’s UAE price than at its India price. That makes buying one in Dubai attractive for Indians who are visiting anyway. Whether it is worth booking a flight just for the phone is a different question. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here. Apple lists the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro at Dh5,099 in the UAE…
Dubai offers a cheaper iPhone 18 Pro compared to India. The 256GB model costs Dh5,099 in the UAE versus ₹164,900 in India, while the Pro Max costs Dh5,499 vs. ₹179,900 respectively. Using a September 24 exchange rate of ₹26.1268 to Dh1, UAE prices equal approximately ₹133,221 for the Pro and ₹143,671 for the Pro Max, resulting in an initial price gap of ₹31,679 and ₹36,229.
Travel costs and customs duty must also be considered when deciding whether to buy the phone in Dubai. Indian customs allows duty-free entry of used personal effects for individuals, but new purchases may be subject to duty. With a ₹75,000 allowance, the duty on the Pro and Pro Max would be around ₹20,400 and ₹24,000, respectively, which reduces the savings to approximately ₹11,300 or ₹12,200 before travel and payment costs.
If Dubai is already part of the travel plans, comparing UAE and India prices and accounting for payment costs may make the flight worthwhile.
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