Buy local vs import · Philippines
Importing to the Philippines: is it actually cheaper?
26 products run through the real landed cost — US price + forwarding + 12% import VAT above the ₱10,000 de-minimis + card FX — versus local retail, factoring whether the warranty survives. 2 currently worth importing.
- Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) Import it local ₱14,750 · imported ₱10,124
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Import it local ₱27,900 · imported ₱15,738
- Apple AirPods 4 Toss-up local ₱12,990 · imported ₱10,124
- Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) Toss-up local ₱60,990 · imported ₱45,253
- Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4) Toss-up local ₱74,990 · imported ₱59,697
- Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) Toss-up local ₱47,990 · imported ₱37,404
- Bose QuietComfort Headphones Toss-up local ₱18,500 · imported ₱13,572
- Creative Outlier Free Pro Toss-up local ₱9,590 · imported ₱6,954
- Apple AirPods Pro 3 Buy it locally local ₱16,990 · imported ₱19,976
- Apple iPhone 16 Buy it locally local ₱64,990 · imported ₱59,070
- Apple iPhone 17 Buy it locally local ₱64,990 · imported ₱59,070
- Apple iPhone 17 Pro Buy it locally local ₱87,990 · imported ₱80,736
- Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Buy it locally local ₱95,990 · imported ₱87,958
- Apple iPhone Air Buy it locally local ₱77,990 · imported ₱73,514
- Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5, 2026) Buy it locally local ₱115,990 · imported ₱111,506
- Beats Studio Pro Buy it locally local ₱18,990 · imported ₱23,032
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) Buy it locally local ₱19,500 · imported ₱23,587
- Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Buy it locally local ₱18,500 · imported ₱16,365
- JBL Charge 6 Buy it locally local ₱10,999 · imported ₱16,365
- Logitech C922 Pro Stream Webcam Buy it locally local ₱7,500 · imported ₱8,184
- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Buy it locally local ₱17,990 · imported ₱23,660
- Shokz OpenFit 2 Buy it locally local ₱11,990 · imported ₱14,990
- Shokz OpenMove Buy it locally local ₱4,490 · imported ₱5,334
- Sony Alpha A7 IV Buy it locally local ₱129,999 · imported ₱182,471
- Sony WF-1000XM5 Buy it locally local ₱16,999 · imported ₱23,660
- Soundcore AeroFit 2 Buy it locally local ₱5,895 · imported ₱10,188
How importing to the Philippines works
- Import VAT
- 12% on the US price + shipping (CIF), above a ₱10,000 de-minimis threshold.
- Duty
- 0% — Phones, laptops, tablets and cameras enter at 0% MFN duty under the WTO ITA; the 12% VAT still applies to the full CIF value above the ₱10,000 de-minimis threshold.
- Forwarding
- Buy&Ship, from the US — about 5–8 days.
- FX
- ₱62.8/USD mid-market + 3% card spread, as of 2026-10-08.
Every verdict is computed only from these figures — it's never for sale, and we're not a shipping company, so we don't earn more when you import.