Product note · Japan × US7.4% cheaper in the US
Is AirPods Max 2 cheaper in Japan? the US vs Japan, a US$40.49 gap | 2026 price check
Cheaper in the US by US$40.49 (7.4%): Japan ¥89,800 ≈ US$589.49, the US US$549.00.
01 · Verdict
7.4% cheaper in the US- Japan list price
- ¥89,800incl. tax · Bic Camera list price incl. tax; the blue variant on the same page is the same price and in stock · In stock
- Converted US currency
- ≈ US$589.49JPY/USD 0.006564 · Bank of Taiwan board
- US list price
- US$549.00excl. tax · official list price · Listed
- cheaper in US
- US$40.497.4% · US list price as denominator
US stickers exclude state and local tax; Japan stickers include tax. The bases differ, so this is not a landed cost.
Japanincl. tax、the USexcl. tax; where the tax basis differs, only the list prices are compared; a comparison of two named sources’ list prices, before card fees, shipping and tax refunds. Checked 2026-09-16. Before you order, use theJapan source page and the US source pagecurrent prices.
Japan vs US price table
| Market | List price | Source · checked | Tax basis · stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| JapanBic Camera list price incl. tax; the blue variant on the same page is the same price and in stock | ¥89,800 | Bic Camera ↗ | incl. taxIn stock |
| USofficial list price | US$549.00 | Apple US official store ↗ | excl. taxListed |
| Japan convertedJPY/USD 0.006564 (JPY/TWD 0.2076 ÷ USD/TWD 31.625) | US$589.49 | Bank of Taiwan rate ↗ | Spot sellingNot a card or cash rate |
| Gapcheaper in US | US$40.49 | 7.4%US list price as denominator | Extra fees not includedCard fee, shipping and tax-free extra |
To use your own FX, fees and shipping, open the Price calculator.
Is it worth buying in Japan?
Over-ear headphones carry a higher price, so even a small exchange-rate difference can turn into a noticeable amount. This comparison is fixed to the blue, non-engraved standard set, and doesn't factor in trade-in, installment plans, or any bundled service discounts.
- With a 1.5% foreign card fee: Japan comes to about US$598.33, above the US by US$49.33.
- Break-even rate 0.0061 USD/JPY: above it the the US sticker is the cheaper one (this check used 0.0066, cross-converted from the Bank of Taiwan yen and dollar rates).
Before you buy
- Confirm the model, color, and packaging/accessories.
- Warranty coverage and feature availability may differ across all three markets.
- Promotions and stock levels change; re-check the source before checkout.
05 · Sources
Each price keeps its source link, price kind, tax basis and check date, and is calculated with the TravPrice comparison method. If a price or model is wrong, check the source page and report it.
- Japan price
- Bic Camera ↗Bic Camera list price incl. tax; the blue variant on the same page is the same price and in stock · incl. tax · In stock · checked 2026-09-16
- US price
- Apple US official store ↗official list price · excl. tax · Listed · checked 2026-09-11
- FX
- Bank of Taiwan FX ↗Bank of Taiwan spot selling reference rate; the US dollar is cross-converted · JPY/USD 0.006564 (JPY/TWD 0.2076 ÷ USD/TWD 31.625) · 2026-09-10 23:22:00 (Taiwan time)
- Model match
- AirPods Max 2 · Blue · Standard setVerified the same generation, colour and main specs across all three regions; regional part numbers and warranty service may differ and should be separately confirmed before purchase.
- Official product page
- Brand product page ↗Product images on this site are redrawn illustrations; use the official page for appearance, extras and packaging.
- This page generated
- Generated from the same checked data; it is recalculated when the data updates.
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