The business of beauty around the world

The act of beauty regimes and self-care might be universal, but it certainly doesn’t cost the same everywhere. And depending on where you live, certain treatments might be more of priority than somewhere else. So, we delved into worldwide search data and sourced the average local price for skin care items and salon treatments in 29 countries across the globe. Find out where you can get yourself a beauty bargain, and where in the world your treatments might cost the earth!

The most and least expensive countries for beauty products

When it comes to beauty pricing, there are some steep cost differences depending on where you live. Those in the UAE are forking out an eyewatering average of 25% more than in the UK for skincare and makeup products.

Europe isn’t a place for cheaper makeup either, as beauty-buyers in Switzerland and Turkey need to dig deep to pay 19% and 16% more than the UK respectively, while Denmark, Poland and Sweden all fork out 4% more than us Brits.

So where in the world can buy your beauty products and still have a bit of cash left over for a treatment or two? South Korea and Mexico are the places to stock up on cosmetics, offering -24% less than the UK. While these countries aren’t especially easy to get to, they are ideal destinations if you’re a beauty lover and are looking to stock up on essentials.

Canada (15% less) and the USA (14% less) may be a little more accessible, but you’ll still have to pay for an expensive transatlantic flight, so maybe a Euro-hop to either Romania or Germany (both 9% less) might be slightly more cost effective.

The best countries for a beauty break

Now that you’ve worked out where in the world to stock up on cosmetics, where is best to head for affordable beauty treatments? Well, for starters you might want to give Switzerland a big miss. With prices as steep as the mountain ranges there, Switzerland’s beauty treatments are a whopping 90% higher than equivalents in the UK.

On average, a manicure in Switzerland will set you back £62.56, while a leg wax would quickly peel away £45.45 of your hard-earned cash. And with a haircut coming in at £88.71, you’d have to part with just under £200 to combine all three treatments. Denmark comes next for expensive treatments (42% more expensive than in the UK), while Hong Kong also hits double figures, with treatments there costing 14% more than we pay in Britain.

If it’s affordable luxury you’re after, then head to India. A manicure comes in at a handy £6, while a leg wax at only £3.88 had us double-checking that it included both legs (it does!). Throw in a haircut at £7.14 and you’ll be able to treat yourself to all three treatments for just £17 – making it 84% cheaper than the UK for the equivalent trio.

The Philippines also promise to get you looking beautiful for less at 83% cheaper than the UK (£17.51 for all three treatments), as does Brazil at 82% cheaper (£19.02 for all three). Romania is your best bet in Europe: manicures average out at £14.14, leg waxes at £9.27, and haircuts at £24.84 (a total of £48.24, which is 54% cheaper than the UK).

The UK ranks in 7th place overall when it comes to value for money treatments.

Where it’s steep and where it’s cheap: beauty treatments in the UK

Staying closer to home, you’ll find that London leads the list when it comes to expensive treatments. A manicure in Knightsbridge could set you back £65, while a half-leg wax in Mayfair could sting you for as much as £55. Meanwhile you might want to wait and save up for a cut and blow-dry in Islington, as it might cost £115 for certain hairdressers there to get their scissors out.

The advice seems to be go west or head north if you want your money to go further. Sheffield appears to have nailed it by offering manicures for as little as £10, while a half leg wax for £15 in either Birmingham or Cardiff feels much more wallet-friendly. Meanwhile Manchester can offer you a cut and blow-dry for just £30 (although to be fair so does Islington in London – you can find one for £30 there too – putting it at both ends of the expense spectrum!).

Global beauty culture – what’s trending where?

While spinning the beauty globe we took a look at what treatments were trending (based on search volume), and where. The USA seems to have a thing for cosmetic procedures, topping the search lists worldwide for botox, chemical peels, and lip fillers. Carefully curated coiffes and a healthy glow are important to Americans too, as they’re the ones who search most for hair stylists and spray tans (while North American neighbours Canada come top for tanning salons).

Meanwhile Singapore seems to tend towards beauty treatments and wellness. They top the search lists in no less than 5 categories, including facials, manicures, and massages, pointing perhaps towards a more spa-based approach to beauty.

However, it’s New Zealand where the locals are most driven to get out and beauty up. Kiwis catch the eye by coming top for both eyebrow threading and eyelash extensions, while the blokes in NZ clearly care about looking well-groomed as they lead the way for barber-based searches. Kiwis are a smooth bunch down below too, showing a predilection for both a Brazilian and a leg wax. Tips and toes are on point in the Antipodes too, as Kiwis top the searches for nail salons and pedicures.

A world of beauty close to home

So, armed with this knowledge, are you about to head off into the world for cheaper treatments and cosmetics? It’s clear to see where the savings can be made – although you might want to remember that if you’re intending to set off from the UK that there’s going to be a travel fare involved too.

That’s why it’s always good to know that Currys can ensure you look and feel great without you having to trek the globe in search of a good deal. From hair straighteners to LED masks, we’ve got all the best electronic beauty essentials to help you get the look you want. And if you’re really looking to give your face a proper pampering, treat yourself to a facial steamer or a cleansing brush to banish those impurities and leave your skin feeling fresh.

Finally, if you’re a chap who’s looking to win with a smooth chin, then you’ll be needing a foil shaver to groom yourself to perfection. Have a look through our range today.

Methodology

Data for this campaign was manually collected from various sources.

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Price of beauty products

For the price of beauty products, the prices for the following products was recorded in each country.

Where possible these prices were collected from the Sephora page in each specified country, but where unavailable, the price was taken from another regional retailer. Prices were then worked out per 100ml/g and converted into GBP using the below exchange rates.

You can find the links for each Sephora regional site here.

Price of beauty treatments

For this campaign data was collected from Fresha for prices in each country for three treatments, these were:

• Manicure (45 mins-1hr 15 mins)

• Half leg wax

• Women’s haircut (around 1 hour)

Prices from 10-25 salons in each country were recorded and where there were not enough on Fresha, the prices were taken from salon websites in the selected countries.

South Korea was excluded from this part of the campaign due to not readily available pricing.

The average price per treatment was then calculation from all the prices and these were converted into GBP using the below exchange rates.

Exchange rates used for price of products and price of treatments:

Beauty searches worldwide

The average search volume for the following searches was recorded from the 29 countries used in the study:

Barber near me
Beauty salon near me
Botox near me
Brazilian wax near me
Chemical peel near me
Eyebrow threading near me
Eyelash extensions near me
Facial near me
Hair removal near me
Hair salon near me
Hair stylist near me
Hairdresser near me
Laser hair removal near me
Leg waxing near me
Lip filler near me
Makeup artist near me
Manicure near me
Massage near me
Nail salon near me
Pedicure near me
Spray tan near me
Tanning salon near me
Waxing salon near me

To get an approximate annual number of searches the average monthly figure was multiplied by 12. Then the number of searches per 100,000 population was calculated to give a fairer representation of demand. SEMrush was used to get the search volume data and population data was collected from the Worldometers website.

Why are prices higher in some countries?

In countries like Thailand and the UAE, it’s high import taxes and fewer local manufacturers that drive up the price. Indonesia, for example, is the most expensive country for cleansers, toners, and retinol; all staples of a daily skincare routine. By contrast, Germany, where the same products are among the cheapest globally, benefits from both local production and competitive retail that drives prices down.

Switzerland is another standout, with the highest price for night cream - £42.14 per 100ml – is most likely due to both high living costs and consumer appetite for high-end skincare brands. SPF (sun protection factor) products on the other hand, are an absolute steal in countries like Australia due to high skin cancer prevalence in the country due to exposure to high UV rays. It’s an existing issue that many brands are trying to solve by creating their own suncreams, so competitive markets further afield mean customers can enjoy lower prices.