A comparative cost analysis has shown that the so-called "Apple Tour"—buying a vacation package to Iguazu Falls and crossing into Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) to purchase the new iPhone 17—is more economical than buying the device at the official retail store in Buenos Aires.
According to the Argentine News Agency (NA), the travel strategy is justified by the price of the base model:
Price in Paraguay (CellShop): The new iPhone 17 (256GB) is available for $970. Price in Argentina (MacStation): The same model has a list price of ARS 1,999,990 (launch Nov 2025).
Calculating the "Apple Tour"
Taking the Despegar package as a reference, which includes 6 days and 5 nights in Puerto Iguazú (with direct flights and accommodation) for ARS 222,697, the sum of the trip plus the purchase of the device in Paraguay yields substantial savings, even using the blue dollar rate (ARS 1,425):
Item Cost in ARS Iguazú Tour Package (6 days) 222,697 Cost of iPhone 17 ($970 @ $1,425) 1,384,275 Approximate Total Cost of the Tour 1,606,972
The price difference with the local retail is almost ARS 400,000, not counting the value of the vacation.
The savings are amplified thanks to the customs duty exemption, which allows a person to import a new cell phone without paying additional taxes.
In the local market, prices for Apple's new family of phones have reached record levels: the iPhone 17 is priced at ARS 2,699,990, and the top-of-the-line iPhone 17 Pro Max is nearing the ARS 3 million mark.
Buenos Aires, Nov 24 (NA) -- The price gap between Argentina and border trade has reached a level that makes it profitable for consumers to plan a shopping trip.
