Why does the same product has different prices?

For over a week, I've been staying in Berlin and I will be here for a few more weeks. What surprised me the most were the prices. Everything is so much cheaper than in UK. Ridiculously cheaper, from cosmetics to food, to transport, health, to clothing. Now, why is that?

I will go to Vienna in a week and I've been looking online for a certain product that is crazy-expensive there comparative to UK. Again, why is that?

As a manufacturer in terms of ethics would you like to create a product that benefits the customers worldwide? Since the production cost is X in order to sustain the business it would be reasonable to then maintain the price at Y anywhere on the globe. Would this be fair on the customers regardless of their country's location and economical situation?

For example, should there be transparency in the manufacturing costs? If one company gets its ingredients from a third-world country with a low economy at a tiny price, should then the store price reflect that? If the ingredients come from a first world country then the ingredients would cost more and so the product. So who puts the price of the same ingredient based on quality, location, transportation, regulation, scarcity? What if these ingredients are produced in a lab and there is a need for a certain type of technology or a certain set of skills. Again this should be added to the cost. Now there are many factors that come in when the final price of a product it's established. But my question is, is it ethical to have the same product with the same ingredients and provenience at different prices across the globe? Of course, there are various agreements on trade across the countries yet in EU shouldn't these be at the same price across the board?

Let's take the original lip balm Vaseline which was invented in US Pennsylvania and now owned by Unilever a British-Dutch company that produces it in Rotterdam. On the date I write this post, the price online varies so much across the world, but why?



Vaseline Lip Balm - Canada - 3.78 CAD at Walmart
Canada - 3.78 CAD at Walmart
Vaseline Lip Balm - UK - 1 GBP at Boots
UK - 1 GBP at Boots
Vaseline Lip Balm - Romania - 11.90 Ron at Emag
Romania - 16.99 Ron at Emag
Vaseline Lip Balm - US - 6.18 USD at Walmart
US - 6.18 USD at Walmart
Vaseline Lip Balm - Holland - 2.15 Euro at Albert Hejin
Holland - 2.15 Euro at Albert Hejin




















This reminds me of Deceim with The Ordinary products. Their philosophy and mission are to develop worldwide affordable products that are specialized per individual skin problem. These products can be bought at the same price regardless of where you are, be that New York or Kenya.  This is an ethical way to produce a fair solution with a focus on skin problems worldwide versus financial gain.

Deciem - The Ordinary - About us quote
The Abnormal Beauty Company

What we end up paying usually consists of 75% for research & development and marketing, and only 25% goes into manufacturing and other operational costs.

So then the cost to enter a certain market it's covered by the consumer which does not represent the quality of a brand, but more the buying power and persuasion of a company. Is this ethical in deciding the price of a product from county to country?

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