In the duty-free area the perfume bottles stand in neat rows, and many travellers pick one up almost automatically because it feels like a bargain. Whether it is one only shows when you set the same fragrance against the price you would pay online. Here is the sum.
Why duty-free is not automatically cheaper
The name promises freedom from tax, but tax is only part of the price. The shop pays high rent at the airport, sells to travellers short of time, and has no competitor next door pushing prices down. On top of that, on flights within the EU the tax advantage generally does not apply, since tax-free sales no longer exist there. Whether your flight is affected, you can tell from the signs or by asking at the shelf. On trips to countries outside the EU the price is more interesting, but even then it is not better than online by default.
How to compare properly
- Same size, same version. Eau de parfum and eau de toilette often carry almost the same name. Look at the label, not just the brand.
- Work out the price per ml. Divide the price by the millilitres. Duty-free sometimes stocks different sizes from online shops, so the bottle price alone is no yardstick.
- Add shipping to the online price. An online offer with delivery charges is only cheaper if the final price is lower as well.
- Mind the currency. If the price is in a foreign currency, convert it at your card's rate rather than a round rule of thumb.
- Check online first. You can look at the price before you fly and only compare at the airport.
A worked example
Say you see a 75 ml fragrance in duty-free for 62 EUR. Online you find the same fragrance in 100 ml for 79 EUR, plus 4.90 EUR delivery, which makes 83.90 EUR.
- Duty-free: 62 EUR divided by 75 ml is about 0.83 EUR per ml.
- Online: 83.90 EUR divided by 100 ml is about 0.84 EUR per ml.
The difference is tiny, and online you get 25 ml more. If delivery were free, the online price at about 0.79 EUR per ml would be clearly ahead. The numbers are made up and only show the method.
Gift sets in duty-free
Sets with body lotion, a mini bottle or a pouch are popular in duty-free. Work them out like this: take the price of the items you would buy separately off the set price, and divide what is left by the millilitres of the fragrance. The extras only count as a saving if you really need the lotion and the mini. Some sets are sold only through travel retail, so there is nothing to compare directly, and you are best off judging the fragrance share alone.
What still matters after the purchase
When you return from a country outside the EU, value limits apply to goods in your luggage, and anyone who goes over has to pay charges. Your country's customs authority states the current limit. The bottle also has to travel home: how that works when changing planes and in hand luggage depends on airport and airline rules, for instance on the size of your bag in our guide Hand luggage sizes by airline.
When duty-free can be worth it
- You need the fragrance at once, for example as a gift at your destination.
- The fragrance or set is only sold through travel retail.
- By your own sum, the price per ml is clearly below the online price including delivery.
You can compare online prices on perfumeprices.info. How price per ml works is explained in the guide Price per ml: are bigger bottles cheaper?