GoldmitraGold Price in India vs the World: Compare 8 Countries (2026)
Gold prices, purity standards, and making charges compared between India and the USA, Canada, UAE, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia.
Snapshot: all 8 countries vs India
Local-currency price is each country's dominant retail karat, converted from today's international gold spot price — an estimate, not a verified local retail quote. India's figure is the site's live 22K retail-equivalent rate.
| Country | Dominant karat | Price/gram (dominant karat) | Tax on gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 22K (91.6%) | ₹14,081 | 3% GST + 15% import duty |
| USA | 14K (58.3%) | — | State/local sales tax (~7.5% avg, 0–10%+) |
| Canada | 10K (41.7%) | — | GST/HST 5–15% (province-dependent) |
| UAE | 22K (91.6%) | — | 5% VAT |
| Malaysia | 22K (91.6%) | — | No SST — gold jewellery is tax-exempt |
| Australia | 9K (37.5%) | — | 10% GST (flat, national) |
| Japan | 18K (75%) | — | 10% consumption tax (flat, national) |
| China | 24K (99.9%) | — | 13% VAT (tax-inclusive retail pricing) |
| Saudi Arabia | 21K (87.5%) | — | 15% VAT |
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How to read these comparisons
Gold markets split into two pricing conventions. Gram-transparent markets — India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and China — publish a daily per-gram rate by purity and add a separately disclosed making charge, so the metal price and the markup are both visible. Product-priced markets — the USA, Canada, and Australia — price jewellery per finished piece, where design and brand markup are baked into the sticker price with no itemized gold-weight breakdown. Japan sits in between: gold-weight items like chains and bars are quoted per gram, while bridal and designer jewellery is priced per piece like the Western markets. Knowing which convention a country uses is the first step to reading any of these comparisons correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the cheapest gold?
Before making charges, countries with no import duty and low/no VAT on gold jewellery — like the UAE and Malaysia — tend to come out cheapest relative to India, whose 15% customs duty is the single biggest cost layered on top of the metal price. But making charges and design premium vary independently of the base rate, so the cheapest headline price doesn't always mean the cheapest finished piece.
Is Indian 22K gold better than 18K gold abroad?
Neither is objectively "better" — 22K (91.6% purity) holds more gold value per gram than 18K (75%), but 18K is more durable and often used for finer, design-led jewellery. It's a purity-vs-durability trade-off, not a quality difference.
Can I bring gold I bought abroad into India duty-free?
Only within India's Baggage Rules weight limit — 40g for women, 20g for men, and only if you've lived abroad for over a year. Anything above that is dutiable at India's current 15% customs rate, regardless of which country it was bought in.