XPS 13 budget laptop only for US
Dell pushed affordability hard when it introduced the 2026 XPS 13. The company called it the “most accessible XPS ever built” and said it would compete with the MacBook Neo on price. Dell set the US starting price at $699, with a temporary $599 offer for eligible students.
That pricing looks different in Korea. Dell’s Korean configurator lists the base 256GB setup at 2,034,890 won (~$1400), but changing the storage to 512GB actually lowers the total to 1,746,690 won ($1200) .
The matching Korean model is around $1,210
The 512GB Korean configuration includes the same main specifications as the $699.99 US model. Both use an Intel Core 5 320 processor, 8GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 512GB SSD and a 13.4-inch 2560×1600 touchscreen.
Dell sells the XPS 13 (Wildcat Lake), which costs $699 in the US, for $1,400 in Korea.
They simply don't have the ability to distribute the product at $699. They only reluctantly lowered the price to $699 in the US because of the MacBook Neo. pic.twitter.com/6iry4HfZqZ
— INIYSA (@lafaiel) August 1, 2026
That makes it around 73% more expensive than Dell’s regular US price. The Korean price includes 10% VAT, while US sales tax is normally added later. Even after removing Korean VAT, the laptop still works out to roughly $1,100, or 57% above the US price.
The gap is even larger when compared with Dell’s $599 student promotion. The Korean configuration costs around 102% more, although the student offer is limited to verified students and runs until November 2, 2026.
Affordable, but only in one market
Regional taxes, distribution and keyboard localization can raise prices outside the United States. However, Korea is not seeing a small regional adjustment. The closest matching configuration remains hundreds of dollars more expensive, even after accounting for VAT.
So the next time a laptop maker launches a new budget model and parades its low MSRP through sponsored reviews, we will check what buyers actually pay in other markets.
Source: Dell Korea
