What "landed cost" really means
A sticker price in another currency is not what lands on your statement. "Landed cost" is our name for the real, all-in number: what you actually pay once tax, currency conversion and card fees are included. It is the only fair way to compare a price across countries.
The four parts
List price. The headline number on the store page. Note it is shown differently by region: US prices are usually pre-tax, while EU prices already include VAT, so the stickers are not even quoted on the same basis.
Tax. Where tax is added at checkout rather than shown in the price, we account for it, so two countries are compared tax-for-tax.
Currency conversion. We convert at the European Central Bank reference rate, and at a market rate for the few currencies the ECB does not publish. Your card's rate is usually close to it, so it is a fair, neutral basis for comparison.
The card fee. Most cards add roughly a 2% foreign-transaction fee on purchases in another currency. It is small per purchase but it is real, and it can erase a thin "saving," so we include an estimate.
Why sticker prices mislead
Put those together and the cheapest sticker is not always the cheapest landed cost. A price that looks lower can land higher once tax basis, conversion and the card fee are applied, and a price that looks similar can actually be a meaningful saving. Comparing raw stickers across currencies quietly compares different things.
Landed cost is only half the answer
A low landed cost only matters if you can actually pay it. That is why every AlternativePrice result pairs the landed cost with a buyability verdict (Buyable, Account needed, or Local card). The headline price is the cheapest one you can genuinely complete, not just the lowest number on the board. See the methodology for how we assign each verdict.
Common questions
What is included in landed cost?
The local list price, local tax, currency conversion at the ECB reference rate (or a market rate where the ECB publishes none), and an estimated ~2% card foreign-transaction fee. It is the all-in number you actually pay.
Why is the cheapest sticker not the cheapest landed cost?
Because tax basis, conversion and the card fee differ by country. A lower sticker can land higher once those are applied, which is exactly what landed cost is designed to reveal.
What exchange rate do you use?
The European Central Bank reference rate, a neutral daily benchmark your card's rate is usually close to, or a market rate for the few currencies the ECB does not publish. We add an estimated card fee on top because most cards charge one.