- Vineeth K highlighted US shopping costs for Indians have risen due to USD-INR near Rs 95
- His latest US shopping bill was only 30% of his usual spend because of rupee weakness and inflation
- He advised buying high-end gadgets like iPhones in India as price gaps with US markets have narrowed
Vineeth K, founder of the Indian deal-finding platform Deals Dhamaka, has sparked a conversation online after claiming that shopping in the United States has become "ridiculously expensive" for Indians. In a viral post on X, he revealed that his latest US shopping bill was just 30% of what he typically spends, highlighting a sharp shift in purchasing dynamics. According to Vineeth, the USD-INR exchange rate nearing Rs 95 is a key reason behind the rising cost of shopping abroad. The weakening rupee, combined with global inflation, has significantly reduced the appeal of buying goods in the US.
He advised that it is now more practical for Indian consumers to purchase high-end gadgets, such as iPhones within India, as the price gap with Western markets has narrowed considerably. He added that shopping in Europe is even more expensive under current conditions.
"My shopping bill this time is down to almost 30% of what I usually spend in the US. Thanks to the USDINR touching ₹95 and global inflation, everything just feels ridiculously expensive here now (Europe, don't even ask). Better to buy in India; that's why I bought the iPhone directly in India before coming here," he wrote on X.
See the post here:
Users on X echoed his concerns, noting that the long-standing "purchasing power arbitrage" that once favoured Indians spending in dollars is now eroding. Economists say that a weaker rupee increases the cost of imports such as oil, fertilizers, and technology components. This, in turn, contributes to domestic inflation, further squeezing consumer spending power.
One user wrote, "I have an option to buy from the US, but here in India it's more or less the same price after the discounts and GV rewards." We can also buy iPhones with Infinia & EPM reward points. No need to spend money on Apple products anymore."
Another commented, "I personally feel this is the real impact of currency and inflation: when ₹ weakens against $, purchasing power shifts dramatically."
A third said, "The rupee at Rs 95 has quietly made the US expensive for Indians in a way that wasn't true at ₹65. The purchasing power arbitrage that used to run strongly in favour of dollar earners spending in India has partially reversed for Indian visitors spending in dollars. The iPhone call is exactly right, the grey market premium for India-purchased Apple products in the US used to not exist. Now the math runs the other way."
