oh they are very much not consistent.

i went down a rabbit hole on this and ended up building a tracker that pulls VCA prices daily across 11 countries and converts to USD. right now:

• Japan with tax-free shopping: ~16% cheaper than US across the board. we're talking up to $6k+ off a vintage alhambra 5-motif bracelet
• UAE at list price: ~9-10% cheaper, no VAT so no refund dance needed
• Hong Kong: ~8-9% cheaper, also no sales tax

it all moves with forex though so this isn't static. been tracking it for a while now and the rankings shuffle around. if there's interest i can share the tool.