Why Are Prices Higher In Europe Than In The U.S. and Canada?

[IronSoldier]

Having just looked at Average wage and GDP  per capita  the US seems to be higher than most countries. However i'd say these are skewed due to the large back employees who earn millions amongst other things like Apple, Google and Microsoft. So IMO US people get paid slightly less money compared to us EU'ens. So products are slightly cheaper. However yes they still are way cheaper which is unfair. :(

[bosnian_guy]

Having just looked at Average wage and GDP  per capita  the US seems to be higher than most countries. However i'd say these are skewed due to the large back employees who earn millions amongst other things like Apple, Google and Microsoft. So IMO US people get paid slightly less money compared to us EU'ens. So products are slightly cheaper. However yes they still are way cheaper which is unfair. :(

In my country people don't get paid as they should for the higher prices. On top of that, I was just reading trough some shop's newsletter and on the end it said 20% off for cash purchases. I was really happy because I wanted to buy a camera anyways and especially now that it is cheaper. So I call the shop and they are like that was already added up. And I was like WTF?? The owners of everything (especially in my country are so hungry for money one example: A big gas firm owner in my town has a helicopter so that he can use it to go visit his other franchises in different countries. He instead uses it to go to a mountain and drink f*** coffee, and stuff like that.) I don't know about you but I think if they would just cut down the prices everyone would be so much happier.

[delet my acc pls]

At least the scandinavian has ridicoulous wages to make up for their ridicoulous taxes. Lol, but yeah it's mainly taxes. And the ipad thing is just apple being kinda random.

Do not forget free health care

[wkronbaek]

Do not forget free health care

I kinda always forget that is not a given lol. But yeah, it makes sense when we pay our 60% or whatever it is tax. and 25% vat and stuff.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

The dollar has been inflated soo much but hasn't effected us very much.  But when compared to the rest of the world, we are making HALF of what we did back in 1999.  Back then 100,000 dollars is about 50,000 now.  For example:

In 1999 a PC would cost 1,000 USD, and equal to 1,000 USD everywhere else.  In 2013 that same level of PC still costs 1,000 dollars, but it costs 2,000 dollars everywhere else.  Because of the over inflated dollar :(

[MrPete1985]

We get things that fall off the back of trucks.

[wkronbaek]

A good example is the xbox / ps4 prices

399$ for the ps4 becomes 650$

While the 499$ xbox is 700$

Those are the suggested retail prices in scandinavia

Thats actually below what i expected, xbone is 430£ ón amazon

[algoat]

At least the internet speeds and options is a million times better in Europe than here in Canada

[Andreshk]

Taxes, price forming in general... It's just that (for reasons unknown to me) something that costs $200 in the US automatically gets an MSRP of €200 in Europe... and then come the taxes  :wacko: 

Because who needs exchange rates, $1=€1 and a big "f*** you" with that...

For the record, $1 = 0,75€  :huh:

[rashdanml]

Shipping, Taxes, and something to do with cost/standard of living.

[LuxB]

Well, here in Croatia I paid 150$ for a 1GB HD7750. On newegg I can find a HD7850 for that price...
 

[Minjon]

Well, here in Croatia I paid 150$ for a 1GB HD7750. On newegg I can find a HD7850 for that price...

 

Next time buy stuff from Serbia got Gigabyte 7870 OC for 250Euros.

[TheMightyNoob01]

I was looking around comparing parts for a future build, from Umart and PCCG against NCIX and found that price difference ranged from -6% (6% less than NCIX) to 35% (35% more than NCIX). So I don't get how somethings are cheapr and somethings a ridiculously more.

 

Seagate barracuda 3T Umart AU$139.00 (CAD$135.00) vs NCIX AU$152.35 (CAD$147.98.

Corsair Air 540 PCCG AU$199 (CAD$193.30) vs NCIX AU$154.45 (CAS$149.99).

 

On average, I found that most parts range from 15-20% more than NCIX.

 

I still can't figure why the HDD is cheaper?

[IPCharger]

I can't complain really that much about Mexico, yes it's more expensive than in the US and Canada for only for like $50-$150 depending on the component, plus, shipping from Amazon is not that expensive and I have an uncle that can recieve things I order on the US and then send them to me in Mexico. I guess it's not that bad :P

[PhilPC]

Fuel Tax in Australia, double dip some of that GST

[Stefan Becker]

In Denmark the taxes are crazy high... but I am not complaining. We have free acces to hospitals, doctors, high schools and universities...

[That Norwegian Guy]

At least the scandinavian has ridicoulous wages to make up for their ridicoulous taxes. Lol, but yeah it's mainly taxes. And the ipad thing is just apple being kinda random.

 

Norway gets off easy, highest wages of all the Scandinavian countries, but no electronics specific taxes or tariffs (just VAT) :D

 

Prices for computer hardware is higher in Denmark and Sweden, I feel for you :(

 

Edit: just did a search for 3770K on Kelkoo.se, .no and .dk:

 

Lowest price Denmark: 2369,- DKK

Lowest price Sweden: 2649,- SEK

Lowest price Norway: 2269,- NOK

 

Which is converted:

 

Denmark: $416.75

Sweden: $395.5

Norway: $372.3

 

Just one example, but it tends to be like that.