Why are things more expensive in poorer countries?

Electronic goods will be cheaper in richer countries and costly for us living in poorer countries.But food,and other necessities here will be a lot cheaper.These electronic goods are usually made in china and shipped there.In our countries labour is cheap still we have to pay more money than them for the same product.Another reason for the price difference is change in exchange rates.Usually we compare prices in US dollars.If a country's currency lose its value against dollar then we look at the price in Usd and we think they get it for cheaper price.

Well i think you are talking about the electronic stuffs, which are mostly made in China or in Vietnam. These goods are exported / imported to the Philippines. When imported we suffer from the price because we have to pay for the taxes incurred. Same thing goes for the cars too... But, of course when you talk about the necessities that the country produces, we do have cheaper food here, cheaper accomodation in 3 star hotels too. I also have been told by friends that well massage, spa services and salon services are wayyy cheaper in our country than in other countries. =) You just can't have it all... hehe

It is the same in Canada. WE get things from the United STates and they are more expensive here. I do know that United States does not have a goods and service tax or a value added tax as most other countries have. So while the people in the States get the product, they do not have the added value tax on it. It also depends on how many customers are for the product. If you live in a poor country, not as many people can afford a product as those in a richer country. So therefore they have to charge more.

I think this applies for supply and demand principle. If the demand is low, products are sold in high prices since only a few manufacturers will produce the products with low demand and getting profits will take a long time whereas when the demand is high, many manufacturers would compete in producing the goods and results in low prices. Cellphones and computer sell high a few years ago but when the demand soars high, many manufacturers begin producing more computer and cellphone and now they can be bought lower than before. Another thing is fast track of technology makes gadgets in high prices. the latest, the high in value and past models sell cheap.

HJe he he :) Same like in my country. Thank tehnology for internet, because all things I buy in the internet. In my country if you want something new and cheep, then you know it will be others. But I found cheep shops in internet and buy new thinhs there. Ebay are littlebit expensive, the same things other sites can buy cheeper. I now buy all my family christmas gifts because after things come longer time.. (before Christmas)

Its because our government imposed a lot of tax and vats to us so that they can be able to earn more funds to pay for our debts...

In my experience it's not always like that. Like you I am from the Philippines but now live overseas. Electronic stuff such as mobile phones or cameras are more expensive here than there or in other Asian countries. I never buy books or cds or dvds here as they cost three times as much. Even clothes are expensive here once you convert the price to pesos. It all depends on the item. We got our camera from Singapore duty free. If you have friends going there or know someone there then maybe they can get it for you and save on postage as well.

It is kind of complicated to actually know the reason behind why 'things' are more expensive in poorer countries. Unless you specifically let us know what is that 'thing' you are talking about, before we can go into details. If you are referring to the Ebay camera, may be because it is an export goods, is a foreign made brand, the product has better quality, the seller has higher profit margin, the various VAT like sales tax, export duty, tariff fee, custom fee, freign charge, insurance cost etc.. seller have to pass on to a foreign buyers, making the camera more expensive for you over there than consumers in here. Now you understand the reasons behind it why it is more expensive.

It is because poor countries are mostly consumer nations and they do not produce much for other countries to buy from. So they pay more on buying items from outside rather than producing them locally and this translates into higher prices economically.

How about the electric bills (gosh) I am not sure,but i've read somewhere that our country is over pricing with electric bills. And how about the primary commodities and house rentals. Some countries have low house rentals compared to us. Have a good day

Expensive is a relative term. Did you convert it $ to peso? Personally my observation is the complete opposite of yours. Try buying lenses at Quiapo where they are actually cheaper than buying at ebay. Price is related to purchasing power. As they are first-world countries, they have more purchasing power. Plus, you have to know where to buy them at the best prices. In my experience, electronics is cheaper in Asia. It's shipping which increases the price. In fact, everything is cheaper in third world countries, we just don't have the means to buy them. If you compare the prices of signature items with their price in their home country, its still cheaper here.

I think it depends on the products. There are products that are much more expensive in third world countries but there are also some products that are cheaper. For electronics, yes it is usually much more expensive. The cheaper products are..I don't know lol. Maybe food and going to cinema??

Electronics being sold here in the US are way cheaper compared to what it sells for over in PI.I don't get it,considering that it pretty much manufactured and shipped from the same country (China)which is so much closer there than US.....don't you know anyone here in US who can buy stuff for you?