Canberra, Australia - A 4GB Apple iPod Nano costs a whopping $369.61 in Brazil, while consumers in Hong Kong pay just $148.12 -- even less than the $149 price tag in the U.S., according to the CommSec iPod Index, created by Australia's Commonwealth Bank to study global purchasing power.

The same iPod varied in price around the world, selling for cheaper in some Asian countries like Japan ($154.21), Taiwan ($165.82) and Singapore ($167.31), than it does in South Korea ($180.60) or China ($179.63), where the device is actually manufactured.

Across Europe, the iPod was generally more expensive, selling for $211.62 in Germany, $225.82 in France and $201.92 in the U.K.

Craig James, chief equities economist at Commonwealth Bank, told Reuters the prices reflected the decline in value of U.S. currency when measured against most of the rest of the world.  

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http://www.comsec.com.au/public/news.aspx?id=809