LEGO City Ambulance and planes with medic minifigures SAVE 15% OFF* LEGO & 20% OFF* NEARLY EVERYTHING ELSE ENDS 28/02 Action Figures & FigurinesArts & CraftsConstruction and BlocksDolls & PlaysetsEducationalKids Room & Role PlayLEGONursery & PreschoolScooters & SkateboardsSoft & Plush ToysSports & OutdoorTrikes / Bikes & Ride OnsVehicles & Remote ControlWooden Toys LeapFrogMelissa & DougNERFPlaymobilSchleichSikuSylvanian Families View all... LEGO City 60124 Volcano Exploration Base$169.99 Activity / Craft & StickerAudio BooksBaby / Preschool / Soft BookBookmarksChildren FictionChildren Non FictionCookingDVDEducationalFairytales / Nursery RhymeFlash CardJokeslicensed BooksMaoriNew ZealandScience & NatureTravelWall Charts Diary of a Wimpy KidGeronimo StiltonKlutzLearning ExpressLEGO BookLove to SingPeppa PigRoald DahlSchool ZoneSuzy View all... My First Gruffalo: Touch-and-feel Book$29.99 Board GamesCard GamesDiceDominoesEducational & LogicElectronic GamesGame AccessoriesGamingNZ GamesTrading CardsWooden
Fantasy Flight GamesGameWrightGigamicHasbro GamingMayFairOrchard ToysRio GrandeSmart GamesTop Trumps View all... Tour of New Zealand Board Game$24.99 Baby PuzzlesBrain TeaserEducational Learning PuzzlesFloor PuzzlesFoam PuzzlesJigsaws PuzzlesMultiple Dimension PuzzlesNew Zealand PuzzlesPuzzle AccessoriesWire PuzzlesWooden Puzzles Blue OpalCrocodile CreekEducaHeyeJanodMelissa & DougRavensburgerThe Learning Journey View all... Grit ScootersMGPMicro Scooters View all... Micro Scooters Skate Scooter Speed$269.99 AnimeComic CollectablesEpicFunkoGamingMovie CollectablesSoft & Plush CollectablesTrading CardsTV CollectablesVinyl Figures FunkoHot ToysKotobukiya View all...Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Engine & Harry Potter$69.99 Die Cast VehiclesModel KitsetsModel TrainsNZ ThemedPaints & AccessoriesRemote ControlsSlot Cars AirfixBburagoHornbyItaleriJada ToysOxford DiecastRevellScalextricSikuTamiya View all... AMT White Freightliner Dual Drive Cabover Tractor$99.99
BatteriesChick's StuffDaft & FunGadgets & GizmosHealth & BeautyHome & GardenKiwianaMan BitsMobile Phone AccessoriesOffice Toys Party & Dress Ups Christmas SeasonDress UpsDress Ups AccessoriesGirls JewelleryHalloweenMake Up & Face ArtParty SuppliesRaincoats & UmbrellasTattoos Fairy GirlsHallmarkPink PoppyRubiesTono View all... Paw Patrol Chase Dress Up$69.99 Search AllLEGO BioncleLEGO BooksLEGO BrickStixLEGO CityLEGO ClassicLEGO CreatorLEGO DC Super Hero GirlsLEGO DC SuperHeroesLEGO DimensionsLEGO Disney PrincessLEGO DuploLEGO ElvesLEGO FriendsLEGO GamingLEGO Home & FoodwareLEGO JuniorsLEGO LightingLEGO Limited DistributionLEGO Marvel SuperHeroesLEGO MindstormsLEGO MinecraftLEGO MinifiguresLEGO MixelsLEGO Nexo KnightLEGO NinjagoLEGO Party SuppliesLEGO Speed ChampionsLEGO Star WarsLEGO StationeryLEGO StorageLEGO Storage BagsLEGO TechnicLEGO the Batman MovieLEGO Watches & ClocksLEGO What's Coming Under 22 - 4 Years5 - 8 Years9 - 12 YearsOver 13 Years Select a Price Range
Under $10$10 - $20$20 - $60$60 - $100$100 - $150$150 - $200Over $200Awesome RocketAwesome LegosAmazing LegoShuttle LaunchCity ShuttleShuttle SetLaunch AwesomeBuilding LegosLaunch SpaceForwardDon't Step On the LEGOs — (via Giant LEGO City set to launch Space Shuttle... Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Comparing a few Lego products at the official online store, I found U.S. prices seem to be consistently around 70% of those in Europe given current currency exchange rates. That's a surprising difference. Given that U.S. import tariffs apply to products manufactured in Europe (such as Lego), one would expect the price difference to be the other way around. Edit: Found a relevant quote in a book written by Alex Stewart: America is by far the cheapest country in the world for buying Lego; believe it or not sets are much more expensive in other countries.
What is the primary reason for this price differentiation? Better competition in the U.S.? More wealthy Lego fans in Europe? To answer this question, we must first check the accuracy of your observation that "U.S. prices seem to be consistently around 70% of those in Europe given current currency exchange rates." , we can compare the prices of sets released in 2014 that are listed with prices in both USD and EUR. I downloaded this data and used a spreadsheet to analyze the prices. Using the 2013 average USD to EUR exchange rate of 1.3282465 I converted retail prices from EUR to USD. On average, the retail prices on the US site are 77.06% of the retail prices on the sites where prices are listed in EUR. So your observation is close to the apparent actual difference in listed prices, although it is closer to 80% than 70% on average. The member states of the EU each set a value-added tax (VAT) on items sold in those countries. This rate currently varies from 15% (Luxembourg) up to 27% (Hungary).
LEGO includes the VAT in the listed price in countries where it is collected. This means the listed retail price is higher than the actual base price of the set. If you assume a VAT rate of 25% and adjust the list prices accordingly, then comparing the USD prices to the EUR prices shows that US list prices are actually about 96% of EUR prices. This is an average - many sets sell at a similar or lower actual base price in Europe than in the US (when expressed in USD). For example Set 60045 Police Patrol sells for $44.99 USD in the US. It sells for 39.99 EUR in Germany. The VAT in Germany is 19% and today's exchange rate is 1.3398. To get the base price of the set in EUR, divide the list price by 1.19. That gives us a base price of 33.60 EUR. Multiply that by the current exchange rate and the USD price you would pay in Germany for this set is $45.02 - just three cents more. Here is the data I use in a spreadsheet format, sorted by their prices in USD. The calculated columns on the right show the EUR prices converted to USD and the bases of EUR list prices assuming 25% VAT.