Only the U.S. and Canada offer lower prices, at US$1,199 and US$1,321 respectively, according to Japanese price comparison website Nukeni.
Malaysia ranks fourth at US$1,351, followed by the UAE at US$1,388.
Nukeni compares Apple Store prices across 37 countries and territories, converting local prices using exchange rates.
Hong Kong is also the world’s second-cheapest place to buy Apple’s first foldable iPhone. The 256GB iPhone Duo costs $2,231, compared with $1,999 in the U.S.
The city ranks second in Asia and ninth globally for cost of living in the 2026 Global Cost of Living Index by Canadian financial and business media company Visual Capitalist.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro in Glacier and Silver colors. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung
Apple unveiled the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max alongside its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in the U.S. on Sept. 9. Pre-orders in Hong Kong opened at 8 p.m. on Sept. 12, with sales beginning Sept. 18.
Retailers expect the larger Pro Max to have stronger resale potential than the Pro because of its larger screen and battery, according to Hong Kong newspaper The Standard.
The pre-order launch was also hit by reports of unauthorized credit card charges.
Hong Kong police received reports from more than 700 people involving unauthorized transactions worth HK$14.7 million ($1.87 million) linked to pre-orders of Apple’s latest iPhones, according to the South China Morning Post.
Some cardholders reported multiple transactions. One person who tried to order an 18 Pro Max said he later received 10 notifications for charges of HK$13,299 each despite his orders being rejected.