The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 had huge boots to fill after the success of its predecessor, and it didn’t disappoint. But with a retail price of $1,800 before sales tax in the USA, it’s also one of the most expensive Android phones on the market. One thing you may know is that this retail price isn’t the same in every region. This begs the question, which is the cheapest place in the world to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5?

We’ve visited the official Samsung online store in over 20 countries to get an answer to this question.

We’re looking at this from the standpoint of a US resident passing through each country. This is an important distinction, as many countries add a sales tax to the retail price of some products. The US is an example of this — an American will often have to pay an extra premium at the checkout to buy the latest device. But this is a local tax that temporary visitors to a territory may be able to avoid paying. You might be able to use this quirk of the tax system to get an expensive phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for less than you’d pay at home.

What are the cheapest countries to buy a Galaxy Z Fold 5?

In the table below, you’ll find the retail price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in the local currency of each country, according to the online Samsung store. We’ve then converted each price to the US dollar equivalent as of the date of publication.

The asterisk next to the US price of the phone is because it’s not what most US residents will pay. Sales tax varies between states, so you could easily end up paying closer to $1,900 or even $1,950 by the time your new device is shipped. The good news is that the other prices on the list are the maximum that an American will pay while abroad. If they include a sales tax and that country allows for it to be claimed back, you may even be able to save a little more.

As the rundown shows, South Korea is currently the cheapest place in the world to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It’s available for the equivalent of $1,546 USD in Samsung’s home country. Japan and Indonesia are the second and third cheapest places to buy the foldable. Australia and New Zealand are also good spots for a US tourist to save on the device.

Of the countries we surveyed, the most expensive place to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is Mexico. The retail price is more than $2,400 in US dollar terms south of the border. Brazil and Turkey are also costly locations when shopping for the Samsung flagship.

It’s worth reiterating that these are the official Samsung prices being compared. We’re not saying that you wouldn’t be offered the high-end device for lower prices from third-party vendors, whether at home or abroad, but you should approach such deals with extreme caution. It may not be an authentic version of the phone, or it could be stolen. There will also be carrier and trade-in promotions available all over the globe, like the T-Mobile deals in the US, but they’re not without caveats. Remember that if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Should I buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5 from another country?

It’s a tempting prospect. When you take the sales tax factor into account, you might be getting the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for around $400 cheaper in South Korea compared to the States. Even so, this isn’t enough to justify a trip across the Pacific for the sole purpose of getting a discounted device — the outlay on your round trip would far exceed the savings you’d make.

It’s a different calculation if you happen to be visiting the Far East or Australasia at the time you want to upgrade to the Z Fold 5. In those circumstances, you may decide it’s worth taking advantage of the international price disparity. Before you do, there are a few things you should factor into your decision. You’d have to ensure you have time to claim sales tax back if it’s part of the process, although this can often be done at the airport before you leave. You might also be getting a different configuration of the device from a software standpoint. Perhaps most importantly, you may not be able to utilize the guarantee from the foreign state back in the US if you have an issue with your device.

The decision is yours, but our view is that you’re better off avoiding these pitfalls. After all, we’re only talking about retail prices here. It just so happens that, at the time of writing, The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is available for $1,549.99 on Amazon. The Prime Big Deals Days sale is coming up next month, and Black Friday in November. With a bit of shrewd shopping, you probably won’t have to pay the full retail price for any device for the rest of the year.

It would be quite odd if the Galaxy Z Fold 5 were the same price in every country. The economies and market forces in each one are significantly different from each other. Import duties and taxes play a big part, as do supply and logistics costs of getting the devices onto the shelves. Samsung will also have considered the spending power of the citizens and the demand for this type of smartphone. The company will have economic experts much smarter than me analyzing all these competing factors to ensure the maximum profit margin that can be achieved.

We also have to reiterate that all of the prices given in the table above are converted to US dollars. This makes it easier for us to compare them, but it also brings exchange rates into the equation. The price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have been set well before the release date, and almost two months have passed since then. Exchange rates have fluctuated significantly in recent months and years. For instance, Mexico being the most expensive country on the list is, at least in part, because the Mexican peso has strengthened against the dollar steadily over the past year. These rates will continue to fluctuate. When we revisit this analysis in the coming weeks and months, we won’t be surprised to see the cheapest place to buy Galaxy Z Fold 5 being a different country to South Korea.