In Picodi’s September 2021 comparison, the 128GB iPhone 13 Pro represented 4.4 working days of average earnings in Switzerland, 5.9 in the United States, and 92.5 in Turkey. Those are historical results for the Pro model—not the standard iPhone 13—and they describe a wage-to-price comparison, not a realistic savings plan. Picodi’s archived 2021 iPhone Index is the source for the figures.
What did the 2021 comparison measure?
Picodi compared the local price of a new iPhone 13 Pro with 128GB of storage against average earnings in selected countries. The report, published September 15, 2021, was not a price comparison for the standard iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, or iPhone 13 Pro Max. Secondary headlines sometimes shortened the model name to “iPhone 13,” which can make the prices seem inconsistent.
Picodi used prices from local Apple websites or authorized sellers and generally used net wages. The US price in its calculation was $1,087.66 including New York sales tax; it was not the $799 US starting price commonly associated with the base iPhone 13. The report is archived, so its prices and wage ratios should be read as a 2021 snapshot, not a current 2026 ranking. Picodi’s US edition
How many working days did it take?
The table reports Picodi’s 2021 workday results. Local prices and earnings details are included where the country editions provide them; “not stated” means that the cited edition details summarized here do not specify that value.
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| Country | Local price used | Earnings basis described by Picodi | Workdays in 2021 index | Data note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Not stated (Picodi US edition) | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 4.4 | Lowest result in Picodi’s sample. Source |
| United States | $1,087.66, including New York sales tax | Average net salary | 5.9 | Price reflects New York tax treatment. Source |
| Luxembourg | Not stated (Picodi US edition) | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 6.4 | Tied with Australia in the broad ranking. Source |
| Australia | A$1,699 | Average net weekly earnings: A$1,320 | 6.4 | Gross weekly earnings cited were A$1,737. Source |
| Ireland | €1,179 | Average net weekly earnings: €659 | 8.9 | Gross weekly earnings cited were €867.52. Source |
| United Kingdom | £949 | Average net weekly earnings | 10.8 | The 2020 result was 11.8 days. Source |
| Hong Kong | HK$8,499 | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 11.3 | Figures are from Picodi’s Hong Kong edition. Source |
| Taiwan | Not stated (Picodi Hong Kong edition) | Average net monthly wage: NT$42,935 | 16.1 | Reported in the Hong Kong edition. Source |
| South Africa | R21,499 | Average net monthly earnings: R20,160 | 22.4 | Gross monthly earnings cited were R23,526. Source |
| Malaysia | RM4,899 | Average wage: RM3,399.17 | 30.3 | Picodi’s wage input relied on Numbeo rather than a national statistical office. Source |
| Brazil | Not stated (Picodi US edition) | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 79.2 | One of the three weakest results in the sample. Source |
| Philippines | Not stated (Picodi US edition) | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 90.2 | Second-highest workday requirement in the sample. Source |
| Turkey | Not stated (Picodi US edition) | Average earnings; net-wage methodology | 92.5 | Highest workday requirement in the sample. Source |
How did Picodi calculate “days of work”?
The basic calculation is local phone price ÷ average net daily earnings. Picodi converted monthly earnings into a daily figure by dividing by 21 working days, or weekly earnings by dividing by five working days. It used local salary calculators to estimate net earnings and drew the underlying wage data from statistical offices, ministries, or other sources depending on the country. The country editions explain the inputs for examples such as Australia, Ireland, and South Africa.
A result such as 5.9 days means roughly 5.9 units of that country’s average daily earnings. It does not mean 5.9 consecutive calendar days on the job, and it assumes that every bit of income can go toward the phone. Rent, food, transport, debt payments, dependents, and other living costs are not deducted from the hypothetical purchase budget.
Rank #2
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Where was the phone most and least affordable?
Fewest workdays
Switzerland led Picodi’s sample at 4.4 days. The United States followed at 5.9 days, then Luxembourg and Australia at 6.4 days each. These are wage-adjusted results: they show how the phone’s price compared with average earnings, not which country had the lowest sticker price in a common currency. The US comparison specifically used a price including New York sales tax.
Most workdays
Turkey ranked last at 92.5 days, followed by the Philippines at 90.2 and Brazil at 79.2. A phone can have a lower converted price in one country and still consume more workdays if local earnings are much lower. PhoneArena’s coverage makes this distinction between nominal price and wage-adjusted affordability, while using a separate minimum-wage framing for some examples. PhoneArena’s comparison
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Rank #3
- 6.1" Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. 5G Superfast downloads, high-quality streaming
- Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30 fps. Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps. 6X Optical zoom range
- A15 Bionic chip. New 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. New 5-core GPU. New 16-core Neural Engine
- Up to 22 hours video playback. Face ID. Ceramic Shield front. Surgical-grade stainless steel
Why these figures are not all equally comparable
- Average wages are not median wages. Averages can be pulled upward by high earners. A median might better represent the middle worker, but Picodi did not use a median-wage ranking.
- Average wages are not minimum wages. Picodi’s index uses average earnings. PhoneArena separately described the US minimum-wage result as 49.5 hours—fewer than seven eight-hour days. That is a different worker group and calculation, not a correction to Picodi’s 5.9-day average-wage result. PhoneArena
- Gross and net figures differ. Picodi generally calculated with net pay, while country pages may also cite gross amounts. For example, Australia’s reported gross weekly figure was A$1,737 versus A$1,320 net; Ireland’s was €867.52 versus €659 net; and South Africa’s gross monthly amount was R23,526 versus R20,160 net. Those gross figures are context, not the denominator for the listed result. Australia, Ireland, South Africa
- Prices reflect local conditions. Taxes, import duties, distribution costs, currency rules, pricing strategy, and sales channel can all affect local prices. In the US row, New York sales tax was included; tax treatment may differ in other markets. France was a special case in the 2021 report because local law required earphones to be included with the phone.
- Wage sources vary. The Malaysia edition based its average wage on Numbeo data, rather than a national statistical office, which makes that input less directly comparable with official wage statistics. Picodi Malaysia edition
Picodi also reported changes from its previous annual index: the US result moved from 6.1 days in 2020 to 5.9 in 2021, while the UK moved from 11.8 to 10.8. Picodi has produced the index annually since 2018, but year-to-year figures remain tied to each edition’s price and wage inputs. US edition, UK edition
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can these numbers answer what an iPhone 13 costs now?
No. The index is a September 2021 snapshot of a new 128GB iPhone 13 Pro and the earnings data used at that time. In 2026, an iPhone 13 listing might be new old stock, refurbished, or used; those conditions and prices are not interchangeable with the original official-price comparison. Availability also varies by country and seller.
Rank #4
- 6.1" Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. 5G Superfast downloads, high-quality streaming
- Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30 fps. Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps. 6X Optical zoom range
- A15 Bionic chip. New 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. New 5-core GPU. New 16-core Neural Engine
- Up to 22 hours video playback. Face ID. Ceramic Shield front. Surgical-grade stainless steel
A current country ranking would need a consistent model, storage capacity, and condition; current local prices; updated wage data using one consistent gross-or-net rule; and a defined exchange-rate date if comparing currencies. It would also need to specify how sales taxes, trade-ins, carrier discounts, and financing are treated. Without those inputs, a refreshed-looking ranking would not be a like-for-like update of Picodi’s index.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 6.1" Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. 5G Superfast downloads, high-quality streaming
- Cinematic mode in 1080p at 30 fps. Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps. 6X Optical zoom range
- A15 Bionic chip. New 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. New 5-core GPU. New 16-core Neural Engine
- Up to 22 hours video playback. Face ID. Ceramic Shield front. Surgical-grade stainless steel
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
