The working time to buy an iPhone around the world...

Now that Apple’s new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have been released in a number of markets around the world, let’s take a moment to reflect on just how expensive these smartphones (and many others) are to most of the planet. In the UK, it previously took on average 41.2 hours to buy an iPhone 6 (16 GB) before the new models were announced. That’s in sharp contrast to citizens of Kiev…

How long do you need to work to buy an iPhone?

An iPhone 6 is an expensive gadget, no matter where you live. However, if you live in an affluent city with a high gross salary such as Zurich, you might have to work as little as 20 hours to afford one. By contrast, workers in Kiev have to put in an average shift of 627 hours (or 13 weeks) to afford an iPhone 6, according to the Prices and Earnings report, published every three years by Swiss bank UBS. The report takes into account local prices as well as net hourly wages for 15 professions across 11 sectors to illustrate the immense differences in price levels and buying power around the world.