A $600 gadget from us - is it cheaper to buy in australia?

I've noticed that there are a lot of tech geeks who also enjoy traveling to different places. There is nothing wrong with that. I am indeed one of those people and like different gadgets as much as the next person does. The latest crazes these days are tablets, smartphones and portable devices.

These are very innovative and it is apparent that there is always something new to be developed. However, I have seen a lot of travelers who think it is better to buy the popular gadgets from their home countries rather than bringing them from overseas. This may be true for bigger things such as iPods and TVs but for small stuff such as electronic devices, it makes sense buying them locally or even better, take advantage of the local sales in some countries which can be a lot cheaper than what you can get from retail stores in your area.

You might be better off shopping for gadgets in your home country

If you're looking for a bargain, it usually pays to shop locally. But there are exceptions. In theory, you should be able to save money by shopping in another country. That's because import duties and other taxes are generally lower in most countries than they are in the US. However, these savings aren't guaranteed.

For one thing, you may pay more for shipping an item from overseas than it would cost to buy it at home. For example, if you buy a $600 gadget from us and have it shipped over, it will cost about $40 to ship — or about 10% of the price of the gadget itself.

The other big catch is that not all gadgets are cheaper overseas. Sometimes they're actually more expensive! That's because some countries have high sales taxes and tariffs on imports that make it harder for retailers to compete on price with domestic manufacturers and sellers.

If you buy in australia, you'll have to pay australian sales tax.

If you're buying a gadget in Australia, it's probably cheaper to buy it in Australia. But there are some exceptions to this rule. The answer comes down to price comparison and shipping costs. If you buy from overseas, you'll have to pay shipping costs (which can be significant) and then add on Australian sales tax (10 per cent).

The upshot is that buying from overseas may make sense if the device is significantly cheaper than its equivalent locally. But there are also cases where it makes sense to buy locally - specifically when buying from eBay or other online marketplaces where vendors don't charge sales tax, but still offer free shipping.

This can be particularly helpful for larger purchases like PCs and printers or for items that aren't available locally at all. If you're going to buy an item online, whether it's from overseas or not, make sure you check out the return policies first - some merchants will charge you a restocking fee if they accept returns while others won't accept them at all.

You won't find the same selection of products in australia as you will in australia, but you will find some of them

Just because you can buy a gadget in australia doesn't mean it's cheaper than buying it in us. Gadgets are often cheaper to buy in the US than in Australia because of currency fluctuations. This means that if you're from Australia and want to buy an iPhone 4S or an iPad 2, you won't always find them for less money here.

You can expect to pay more for most electronic devices in Australia than you would in the US, but there are some exceptions: Apple products are often cheaper here. Last year we saw a number of new models of Macs released at Australian prices before they were available in the US (though this was partly due to delays caused by last year's devastating floods).

The same is true for iPhones and iPads - both are often cheaper here than they are across the ditch. Gadgets like TVs and computers are usually more expensive here, but laptops tend to be slightly cheaper than their American counterparts (as long as they aren't Apple products).

The exchange rate is currently favorable for u.s. visitors, so maybe it's a good time to buy.

$600 gadgets from the U.S. are cheaper in Australia than Australia. The exchange rate is currently favorable for US visitors, so maybe it's a good time to buy. But what about when prices drop and the exchange rate goes back down? Is there a way to know if you're getting a good deal or not? In my experience, if a gadget is sold for $600 in the US and $600 in Australia, then it's a pretty good bet that the Australian price will stay roughly the same for at least another 6 months or so (unless there's some kind of big change).

If you're looking at buying something that costs more than $600 and you're not sure whether or not it's cheaper in America, here are some tips: Check out Google Shopping (the Australian version) - this should be your first stop because they have all kinds of great deals on electronics right now!

They don't always have the lowest prices around but they do tend to be competitive; especially with products like Apple products where they usually match other retailers' prices. Also note that they often have free shipping offers on certain items as well - check them out before buying locally!

In Brief...

Figure out the price of goods in the US by using a Weighted Average Exchange Rate calculator, and compare it to Australia. The US is a big country (both literally and in population) so consider shipping costs for any gadgets you buy online. If you are buying from big US stores like Target and Best Buy, be also aware that they charge sales tax on all goods, even for non-residents.

That means that some goods which appear to cost $500 in fact will cost a little more after sales tax is added.