Cheaper than the US? We checked the prices in Eilat and were surprised by the result

Israelis will flock en masse to the southern city this holiday and summer, and while in the rest of the country everything continues to get more expensive, at least when it comes to electrical and electronic products they are expected to land.

We compared the prices not to Tel Aviv but to New York - and we were amazed by the gaps that sometimes reached hundreds of shekels.

Here are some examples

David Rosenthal

14/04/2022

Thursday, 14 April 2022, 10:25

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Thousands of Israelis are expected to pass through Eilat during the upcoming Passover holiday, when it is estimated that over 50,000 Israelis will be there at any given moment.

It is no secret that many Israelis prefer to gather some of their shopping for their annual vacation in Eilat, so in some areas the southernmost city in Israel has become the country's shopping capital, thanks to VAT exemption and tax exemption on smartphones introduced by Moshe Kahlon several years ago.

More on Walla!

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To the full article

Not in Vegas or in Poland - the cheapest iPhone 13 in Eilat (Photo: AP)

If in the past there were Israelis who preferred to buy their smartphone abroad or the cordless vacuum cleaner on Amazon, then a test we conducted in two stores in the city - Dynamica (for cell phones) and ALM (for electrical products) shows that today prices in Eilat are among the cheapest in the world. By the way, no less than 5 branches in Eilat in the leading shopping complexes in the city, and it allows customers to order products in advance even before they go on vacation.

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IPhones: Cheaper than New York

One of the most popular models in Israel is the iPhone 13 Pro Max, with a storage capacity of 256 GB.

In the United States it will cost you NIS 4,244 (including local tax), in the UAE it will cost NIS 4,549 and in London it will cost NIS 4,825.

At Dynamics Eilat, we found it for NIS 4,149, which means not only that it saves hundreds of shekels, but that the consumer also enjoys official responsibility and service in Israel.

Another example is the iPhone 13 with a capacity of 256 GB.

In the United States, its price, including local tax, will cost NIS 3,182, in London it will cost you NIS 3,691 and in the United Arab Emirates NIS 3,341.

In Dynamics Eilat - only NIS 3,049, the cheapest price in the world.

Five stores and pre-order.

Dynamics Branch (Photo: Screenshot, Dynamics)

You can also find the iPhone 13 Mini model at an almost imaginary price: an iPhone 13 Mini with a capacity of 128 GB will cost you NIS 2,349 at the Eilat branch.

In the United States you will find it at a price of NIS 2,474 (including tax), in London you will pay NIS 2,851 and in the United Arab Emirates it will cost NIS 2,623.

In Samsung the gap is more significant

From a test we did on Samsung's popular Galaxy models, we found even higher gaps.

While the 256 GB S22 Ultra is sold at Dynamat Eilat for NIS 4,099, in the United States you will find it at NIS 4,597, which is a difference of NIS 498.

In London it will cost you NIS 5,245 and in the United Arab Emirates NIS 4,461.

A gap that reaches hundreds of shekels.

Galaxy S22 Ultra (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

The regular S22 model, with a capacity of 128 GB, will cost you NIS 2,599 and in the United States you will find it at a price of NIS 2,828 (including tax) in London it will cost NIS 3,229 and in the United Arab Emirates NIS 2,798.

The company's flexible smartphone models are also sold for less than the US and Europe. Bottom line, if you want to buy a smartphone at the lowest possible price in the world, you do not even need a valid passport. All prices listed here are for products under the official importer's warranty.

And what about electrical appliances?

So we understood, the prices of smartphones in Eilat win, but is it also worthwhile to buy electrical products in the city?

For this purpose, we visited ALM this time and it turns out that cordless vacuum cleaners, coffee machines and even TV screens are also products that you can get cheaper near the Red Sea.

For example, the OLED 65 screen from LG's C1 series was sold in Israel for NIS 7,489, while BALM.

You get back purchase notes worth NIS 1,850, which means that the final cost is NIS 5,649 per ALM.

Now notice the difference: in the United States, this TV will cost you NIS 6,727.

Another example is the Samsung HW 550 sound projector. In the United States it will cost you NIS 640, and in Eilat you can buy it for only NIS 425 and get a Dream card voucher worth a quarter of the price of the speaker, which actually makes its price about half as low as in America.

Give Israelis cordless vacuum cleaners - and preferably at a lower price (Photo: ShutterStock)

This is also true for Nespresso coffee machines.

The Lattisima One machine is sold in the United States for NIS 1,409, while in Balm.

Eilat can be found for only NIS 932, with a package of 50 capsules, in addition to which you will receive a Dream Card voucher worth a quarter of the price of the machine.

Another model of Nespresso is the Grand Lattisima, which was sold in the United States for NIS 2,126, while in ALM.

You can find it in Eilat for only NIS 1,359 in a similar deal: a package of 50 capsules and a Dream card voucher worth a quarter of the price.

Israelis love to pump, especially Dyson, the brand that dominates the wireless vacuum market.

In the US, the V10 Animal model will cost you NIS 2,121, while in the ALM you can find it for only NIS 1,700 minus a Dream card voucher worth a quarter of the price of the vacuum cleaner, and a wireless charging kit, Car Kit or articulated accessory that can fit under For gift beds and sofas (to choose from the three).

With discounts the price differences become even higher.

ALM Branch

In Eilat (Photo: Ran Shauli)

We also tried to check out random categories like perfume, clothing and footwear.

There, admittedly, not all prices break the bull, but in many of the categories the gaps from the US are not very large. A

little more, although from the test we conducted it is a few tens of shekels.

One way or another, when it comes to electronics and electricity, buying in Eilat will definitely do you a favor and forget from the consciousness, at least during your vacation, .

• Of money

• consumption

Tags

• Eilat