Best Countries to Buy Duty-Free Alcohol

The debate surrounding the value of products found in airport duty-free shops never ends: Are the prices really a steal, or are they just marked up because they are tax-free? Prices listed on duty-free bottles of alcohol typically reflect the best price in that particular region, not necessarily in the world. Therefore, it’s wiser to purchase alcohol in the countries from where they tend to originate or where they dominate the market. A current analysis of duty-free alcohol prices reveals in which countries it is actually worth it to purchase libations from the airport’s international terminal.

Price comparisons show the best countries for Americans to purchase international alcohol are those the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol considers “insular-possessions” countries, from which Americans can bring up to four liters back. Such countries include the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam. Americans are allowed five bottles if at least one of them is an original product of the island.

Per the Caribbean Basin Initiative, Americans can purchase two liters of alcohol, one of which must have been produced in the country where it is purchased. Seventeen Caribbean countries are part of this initiative, not including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Caicos, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Turks.

To compare prices of alcohol in duty-free shops around the world, travelers can consult DutyFree.buzz.