The cheapest countries to buy a Samsung Galaxy S23

We expected the Samsung Galaxy S23 to take the Android phone market by storm when it launched in February 2023 and we weren’t wrong. That wasn’t a bold prediction Samsung ruled the high-end Android world for a few years, just like the latest iPhone always wows iOS fans and critics. Another similarity to Apple devices is the premium price that Samsung’s phones command, with the base model of the Galaxy S23 retailing for $799 in the US. If you’ve been thinking about trying to pick up the device for less overseas, you might be interested in finding out the cheapest place to buy a Galaxy S23 outside the US.

We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. You will find the answers below.

We’re specifically looking at the price for a US tourist who wants to buy the phone in that country. Why is this important? Good, because in many parts of the world they like to slap a sales tax when you make purchases like this. But if you’re not a resident of that country, you usually have the option of getting your tax refunded before you go home.

Which are the cheapest countries to buy a Galaxy S23?

Here’s a rundown of the Galaxy S23’s list price in some of the biggest markets where it’s sold.

Note that the price of the Galaxy S23 in the US for a local resident will be upwards of $799. It depends on which state you’re in, but typically it could end up costing closer to $880 with sales tax included. On the other hand, prices in other countries may or may not include a sales tax. This means that as a non-resident you will not pay more than the quoted price and you may be able to claim a refund on part of the cost.

With that in mind, the cheapest place in the world to buy the Galaxy S23 right now is China at $730. Australia and Singapore aren’t far behind. There’s also a notable mention for Samsung’s home country of South Korea, where the 128GB variant isn’t currently available on the site, but the 256GB model costs just $817. among the cheapest when comparing similar.

The most expensive places listed to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 are Mexico and Brazil, where the USD equivalent price exceeds $1,200. This is likely related to exchange rate fluctuations, as we have explained below.

Wait, I saw it available for less!

We don’t doubt it. There are a few caveats to be made about these prices.

First, we compared the price of an unlocked Galaxy S23 directly from each country’s Samsung website. That’s not to say you can’t find some back street vendor selling cheap Galaxy phones, but that’s the risk you run if you stick to manufacturers’ official pricing for comparison purposes.

Second, there are trade-in savings, rate plan offers, and promotions to consider. As expensive as Galaxy phones may be, Samsung often offers the phones for sale at lower prices to boost sales. For example, at the time of writing, you can buy the Galaxy S23 for $699.99 on Amazon in the US, saving $100 and still cutting out some of the cheaper countries.

Should I buy the Galaxy S23 from another country?

Citizens of countries like Mexico may be able to make significant savings by purchasing the Galaxy S23 north of the border. But if you’re a US resident, there’s not a huge amount of money to save by buying the Galaxy S23 overseas.

If you’re in a country where the Galaxy S23 is priced lower and you have the ability to claim a sales tax refund, buying the phone while traveling could save you money. However, the US is still at the cheaper end of the scale for buying the phone, at least in US dollars. The expenses associated with traveling to other countries where it can be obtained at a slightly lower cost will far outweigh any potential savings you may enjoy. And, as we mentioned earlier, you can probably get comparable savings at home if you wait until the phone goes on sale.

Taxes play a big part in why the Galaxy is cheaper or more expensive in different countries. When determining the prices of the phone, sales tax and import duties are taken into account to ensure that Samsung still makes a good profit from the sales.

We also compare each country’s prices in US dollars, so exchange rates also come into play. The retail price of the phone was set ahead of its February 2023 launch. However, in these uncertain economic times, the value of each country’s currency may have fluctuated significantly against the dollar. For example, the dollar has fallen about 10% against the Mexican peso since the phone hit shelves. If we had made the launch date comparison, prices in the two countries would be much closer. When we do the same comparison six months from now, a different country may offer the cheapest Galaxy in USD terms.